Special Olympics Hockey Tourny Set for January

The Special Olympics State Floor Hockey Tournament will be held at the Wildwoods Convention Center on Saturday, January 9 and Sunday, January 10, 2010.

Floor Hockey teams from across New Jersey qualified for the state tournament by participating in league competition through November and December. Games begin at 9 a.m. with awards to be given out as competition is completed in each division.

Admission is free and the event is open to the public. The community is encouraged to come out and cheer on the athletes and take the opportunity to learn about Special Olympics. Floor hockey is just one of many sports that the Special Olympics offer with various levels of competition. Over 200 coaches/chaperones and 1,000 volunteers dedicate their time to these athletes.

The floor hockey teams consist of eleven players; two rotation groups of five and a goalie that play the entire game. The games are played on a gymnasium floor and a felt puck is substituted for the hard rubber puck and players use round sticks instead of hockey sticks.

The mission of the Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

Special Olympics is founded on the belief that people with intellectual disabilities can, with proper instruction and encouragement, learn, enjoy and benefit from participation in individual and team sports, adapted as necessary to meet the needs of those with special mental and physical limitations.

The Special Olympics will be returning to the Wildwoods Convention Center for the Spring Sports Festival Basketball Finals on March 27 and 28, 2010. For additional information about the Special Olympics call 609-896-8000 or visit www.sonj.org.

For more information please call 609-729-9000 or visit www.wildwoodsnj.com.