With October’s arrival, the fall sports season is starting to pick up steam. Led by bowling, the fall sports season rivals spring as SOKY’s busiest time of the year. But in addition to our biggest single sport, the season also includes two of our most unique events — the State Equestrian Competition and the State Artistic Gymnastics Competition — in addition to flag football.

Bowling
The Special Olympics Kentucky bowling season is roaring back this year after a year that was limited to participation in local areas only. More than 1,000 athletes and Unified partners throughout the state have been preparing for weeks to compete in area bowling tournaments that will qualify them to compete in the State Bowling Tournament December 4-5 at Kingpin and Fern Valley Strike and Spare in Louisville. Registration deadlines for some Area Tournaments are already fast approaching.

2021 Area Bowling Tournament Schedule
Area 1 – Oct. 23 at Cardinal Lanes, Paducah
Area 2 – Oct. 30 at Diamond Lanes South, Owensboro
Area 3 & 9 – Oct. 30 at Bowl Rite, Prestonsburg
Area 4 – Oct. 16 at Kingpin, Louisville
Area 5 – Oct. 9 at Southern Lanes, Bowling Green
Area 7 – Oct. 23 at Superbowl Bellewood, Newport (New Location)
Area 8 – Oct. 8 at Southland Lanes, Lexington

Flag Football
Flag Football is Special Olympics Kentucky’s lone team sports offering of the fall. The sport has grown steadily since moving out of the spring season to a more traditional fall slot in 2014. Much like bowling, flag football is returning to a regular season this year after only allowing practices a year ago that led up to a State Run, Throw and Catch Competition. Teams from across the state will compete in at least one regional tournament in order to qualify for the State Flag Football Tournament which will be held November 13 at Tates Creek High School in Lexington.

2021 Flag Football Schedule
Oct. 10 – Louisville Regional Tournament; St. Xavier High School
Oct. 17 – Northern Kentucky Regional Tournament; Thomas More University, Crescent Springs
Oct. 24 – Danville Regional Tournament; Centre College
Nov. 13 – State Tournament; Tates Creek High School, Lexington

Equestrian
The State Equestrian Competition will be the first state-level event of the 2021 fall season when the event takes place October 24 at the Shelby County Fairgrounds. The Equestrian Competition returns after a year off. Nearly 30 riders from therapeutic riding programs from across the state will compete at the event in English and Western Equitation, Dressage and Working Trails.

Artistic Gymnastics
Like our equestrian program, Special Olympics Kentucky gymnastics is small in size, but it is one of the most prominent Special Olympics gymnastics programs both nationally and internationally, claiming huge numbers of medals at both the USA Games and World Summer Games. Close to 35 gymnasts from adaptive gymnastics programs across the state will gather at Legacy All Sports in Lexington to compete on a date to be determined in late November.

For information about any Special Olympics Kentucky sports programs, contact Kim Satterwhite at 502-695-8222 or [email protected].