Special Olympics Ireland launches first ever Young Athletes Impact Report 2025

Special Olympics Ireland has launched its first-ever Young Athletes Impact Report. Established in 2017 with eir as its founding partner, the programme is designed for children aged 4 to 12 with intellectual disabilities, focusing on play-based physical activities that build fundamental movement skills such as running, catching, throwing, and balance. It provides a vital early foundation for lifelong participation in sport.

Commenting on the Report’s findings, the Author of the Report, Dr Hayley Kavanagh, said,

“The value of the Young Athletes Programme cannot be underestimated. What this study showed was that 52% of children had not mastered any fundamental movement skills at the outset. But following a targeted eight-week intervention, especially when involving parents, this led to significant improvements in locomotor and object manipulation skills.

Additionally, parents reported a 40% increase in their knowledge, and a 21% increase in their confidence to support their child’s physical development, which is a really positive outcome for the families.”

Since its inception, the Young Athletes Programme has engaged over 1,000 children with intellectual disabilities:

—  21% of participants have progressed to structured sports training
—  67% continue their involvement with Special Olympics Ireland through club activity
—  100% of coaches surveyed reported a positive coaching experience
—  The research also informed the development of new training resources and a Coach Education Course, now accredited by Sport Ireland

Launching the Report, Charlie McConalogue TD, Minister of State with Responsibility for Sport, said,

“As Minister for Sport, I recognise the importance of sport and physical activity for the health and well-being of our society. Everyone should have the right to enjoy sport as part of an active life. The Special Olympics Ireland Young Athletes Programme enables children living with an intellectual disability in Ireland to learn fundamental movement skills, foster social connection and provides a pathway to lifelong participation in sport. The Programme enables these children to acquire new skills and increase their confidence through sport and make life-long friendships.”

Matt English, CEO of Special Olympics Ireland,

“We are delighted with the findings of the Report and incredibly proud of all the work done by our volunteers, coaches, parents and of course the Young Athletes. Our valued partnership with eir and their employees has been instrumental in enabling the growth and success of the Young Athletes™ Programme. As we look to the future, we’re confident that our goals and ambitions of ensuring more children with intellectual disabilities can benefit from taking part in the Young Athletes™ Programme will be realised.”

Oliver Loomes, CEO of eir, “We are very proud of our long-standing partnership with Special Olympics Ireland over the last 40 years, and we are particularly proud of the success of the Young Athletes™ Programme, which has been fuelled by the annual employee-led fundraising initiative, the eir Challenge.

To date, eir employees have raised over €620,000 for the Programme. In 2024 alone, €70,000 was raised by staff across the organisation. In addition to fundraising, eir provides an annual cash donation, volunteer support and eir evo provides all voice, data, and internet services to Special Olympics Ireland, ensuring seamless nationwide operations.”

Key findings from the report highlight that in 2024:

—  210 Young Athletes graduated from the programme
—  368 children participated across 23 community clubs, with 10 schools also delivering the programme
—  39 coaches were trained or upskilled, with an additional 37 parents receiving training in physical literacy
—  Five new community clubs were established; Treaty Stars SO Sports Club, Limerick, Wexford SO Sports Club, Wexford, Ripples SO Sports Club, Craigavon, Nemo SO Sports Club, Donegal and Eager Belvoirs SO Sports Club, Belfast

Since 1985, eir has proudly partnered with Special Olympics Ireland, forming the longest-standing corporate-charity partnership in the country. Over four decades, eir has helped advance the organisation’s mission to empower individuals with intellectual disabilities through sport and inclusive community engagement.

The full report can be viewed here.