What is Special Olympics?
Who is eligible?
How does an athlete register to participate?
What sports are offered at Special Olympics?
What is Unified Sports®?
Does Special Olympics offer
programs for athletes of all levels
and abilities?
How much does it cost to participate in Special Olympics?
Does Special Olympics need volunteers?
How do you sign up to be a volunteer with Special Olympics?
What is the minimum age for a coach?
What volunteer opportunities are available for minor (under age
18) volunteers?
Can family members be coaches?
Does Special Olympics offer sport specific training for
coaches?
Special Olympics is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing year-round
sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for people
eight years of age and older with developmental disabilities, giving them continuing
opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy
and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendships with their families,
other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
Special Olympics is open to every developmentally disabled
person, regardless of the level or degree of their disability,
and whether or not that person also has other mental/physical
disabilities. Athletes must be at least 8 years old to officially
compete, but athletes between the ages of 5 - 7 can participate
in training.
Participation in Special Olympics is easy. The only requirement
is the completion of an "Application for Participation
in Special Olympics" form. The form is a simple medical
and release form which must be signed by a physician and by
the parent or guardian of a minor athlete or by the adult athlete.
Once these forms are on file in the Special Olympics office,
the athlete may participate in any sport that they choose.
Please contact us for an
Athlete Registration form or download it here.
Special Olympics Nevada offers alpine skiing, aquatics, basketball,
bocce, bowling, cross-country skiing, floor hockey, golf, gymnastics, powerlifting,
snowboarding, snowshoeing, soccer, softball, and track & field. Not every
sport is offered in every county as sports offered are based on athlete interest
and facility availability. Please click here for
more information regarding the sports we offer.
Unified Sports® is a team experience that combines approximately equal numbers
of athletes with and without developmental disabilities of similar age and ability.
Unified Sports is most often a school-based program spearheaded by either adaptive
physical education or special education teachers. It joins together a school's
special education students with their non-developmentally disabled elementary,
junior high, or high school peers through competitive sports competitions.
Only a few hours together a week gives everyone a chance to develop sports skills,
build new relationships, break down traditional barriers, and reap the benefits
of coming together as one team.
Yes. Special Olympics prides itself on providing sports training and competition
opportunities for athletes of all level of abilities. Based upon their skill
level and ability, athletes are grouped together to compete against their peers
who have the same or similar skill level. For athletes with severe disabilities,
we offer a Motor Activities Training Program that emphasizes training and participation
rather then competition.
Nothing! All Special Olympics athletes participate for free, thanks to the generous
support of individuals and corporations in our communities. Special Olympics
receives no federal funds and is supported, almost exclusively, from individuals,
organizations, corporations and foundations.
YES! More than 1,195 volunteers participate in our year round
local programs. Volunteers are the lifeblood of Special Olympics
Nevada. They serve as coaches, officials, trainers,
area coordinators and a variety of other valuable roles. Whether
it's a few hours per week, once a month or once a year, what
volunteers give to Special Olympics is priceless. They energize
our program every day and, in return, they gain their own rewarding
experience.
Simply complete a volunteer application, which includes authorization
for a criminal background check. Once the application is returned
to Special Olympics there is a wide variety of volunteer opportunities
available to you. Please contact
us for a Volunteer Application form. To view the volunteer Code of Conduct
please click here.
Assistant Coaches must be at least 16 years old; however, Head Coaches must
be at least 18 years old.
Volunteers that are younger than 16 can provide coaching assistance as well
as provide event and competition support under the supervision of a parent,
guardian or head coach or assistant coach.
Absolutely. Special Olympics encourages family involvement and
coaching is one way to do it! The age restrictions noted above
apply to family coaches too.
Yes! Special Olympics periodically offers sport specific training
opportunities, called “coaches certification training”. The
purpose of the trainings is to provide dedicated volunteers
who want to coach athletes in a specific sport with the tools
they need to teach sports skills to individuals with developmental
disabilities. To become a certified coach for Special Olympics
Nevada, the following must be completed:
- Volunteers must attend a General Volunteer Orientation. The
orientation provides volunteers with basic information about
Special Olympics as well as information about the population
we serve.
- Volunteers must attend a Coaches Certification Training which
lasts approximately 4 hours. The Coaches Certification Training
provides individuals with the skills and tools they need to
work with, and teach, Special Olympics athletes how to play
a sport, based on their skill level and ability.
- After attending the Coaches Certification Training, volunteers
must accumulate 10 hours of hands-on experience coaching athletes
in their sport, under the guidance of the Head Coach.
|
