Why Coaching Matters
Coaches are vital to the success of the Special Olympics. They teach our athletes new skills and help them take their abilities to new levels. Coaches also exemplify good sportsmanship and model character traits to enhance the sports experience for our athletes. The lessons our athletes learn from coaches – teamwork, self-discipline and confidence – impact them on and off the playing field.
Learn more about our Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Program Coordinator and Sports Volunteer/Chaperone roles below.
Ready to join the Special Olympics team? Visit our registration portal to apply today! For more information or questions about the registration portal, please visit our Portal Resources page or email us at PortalSupport@sowa.org.
Coaches Education Program
Tier 1 – Sports Volunteer / Chaperone / Program Coordinators (Community and Unified)
The first step in our Coaches Education Program is the Sports Volunteer or Chaperone role for a team program. Any prospective coach needs to complete the following requirements must be cleared to be a chaperone with a team or an athlete. The basic requirements listed below screen and prepare volunteers to ensure our athletes’ safety, which is our number one priority. These items will only need to be completed once and should take less than 30 minutes in total with the exception of the background check which must be reprocessed every three years.
- Background Check (every three years)
- Class A Release of Liability Acknowledgement
- Protective Behaviors Online Training
- General Orientation Online Training
- Code of Conduct Acknowledgement
- Housing Policy Acknowledgement
Tier 2 – Head Coach / Assistant Coach (Community and Unified)
The next step in our Coaches Education Program is Head Coach/Assistant Coach level. Anyone who wants to be a Head or Assistant Coach must complete all the requirements under Tier 1 in addition to the items listed below.
Tier 2 requirements are tailored to specific sport needs and may require in-person training. The in-person trainings allow for the development of skills and drills for a sport that coaches can bring back to their practice and games. Expect 1+ hours to complete the required online trainings and up to 4 hours for in-person trainings.. Please keep in mind that in-person trainings will be highly dependent on sport and venue availability.
- Concussion Online Training
- Coaching Unified Sports Online Training (Coming Soon!)
- Sports-specific Online Training (1+ hours)
- Sports-specific In-Person Training (up to 4 hours)
Coaches / Coordinator Resources
Region Sports Webpages
Codes of Conduct
- Coaches Code of Conduct
- Athlete / Unified Partner Code of Conduct
- Family Code of Conduct
- Violation Report
- Suspension Policy
General Registration Forms
- Program Intent to Participate & Program Participation Rosters
- Athlete Registration Information
- Unified Partner Registration Information