Become a Coach

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? 

• Step 1: Go to Portals.SpecialOlympics.org 

• One-pager: Apply for a Coach, Chaperone or Unified Partner Role 

Need More Help? Submit a request and view Office Hours schedule here: bit.ly/SOWA-PortalSupport 

Step 2: If you are registering for the first time and are looking for a program:  

• Currently recruiting for Winter Season (Nov 2025 – March 2026): https://portals.specialolympics.org/event-details/?id=e691f9fb-de72-f011-bec3-000d3a30b017 

• Questions or need support? Email us at volunteer@sowa.org or submit a request: bit.ly/SOWA-PortalSupport. 

Coaches Education Program 

Tier 1 – Chaperones and 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 and 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. 

Complete the following requirements online here.  A one-page guide to walk you through the process within our online portal is available here. 

• Two-Step 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. 

Complete the following requirements online here.  A one-page guide to walk you through the process within our online portal is available here. 

• Concussion Online Training (every three years) 

• 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  

Registration Resources for Existing Program Coordinators and Coaches: 

• Deciding what type of profile to create:  Participant Status for PC-Coach-Admin  

• Resources for Athlete Profiles 

• One-pager: Create an Athlete Profile 

• One-pager: Complete or Update Your Athlete Health Form 

• One-pager: Verifying Your Participation Status 

• Resources for Parent/Guardian/Circle of Care Profiles Managing on Behalf of an Athlete 

• One-pager: Create a Parent/Guardian Profile   

• One-pager: Create a Circle of Care Profile 

• One-pager: Complete or Update a Health Form on Behalf of an Athlete 

• One-pager: Verifying Your Athlete’s Participation Status 

• One-pager: Applying for a Coach, Chaperone or Unified Partner Role 

• Resources for Program Coordinators and Coaches 

• *NEW* One pager: Participant Status for PC-Coach-Admin 

• *NEW* Fall Registration 2025 Guide: Fall Registration Process Updated August 2025.pdf 

• *NEW* Fall Registration Training 2025 Recording: Fall Registration Training Recording (July 11)   

• One-pager: Create a Coach Portal Profile 

• One-pager: Managing an Athlete’s Registration on their Behalf 

• VIDEO: Understanding the Portal Coach Zone 

• VIDEO: Downloading Health History Forms 

• VIDEO: Checking Your Roster Participation Status 

• One-pager: Apply for a Coach, Chaperone or Unified Partner Role 

• Portal Quick Tips on our Special Olympics Washington Portal Playlist on YouTube. 

• Portal Resources page 

• Short videos recorded by Special Olympics Washington coaches and program coordinators for coaches and program coordinators: 

• Portal Quick Tip: Program Coordinators/Admins: Decoding Your Participants Status (5 min video) 

• Portal Quick Tip: Get Started (2 min video) 

• Portal Quick Tip: Choosing which Athlete Account-type (3 min video) 

• Portal Quick Tips: Downloading Health History Forms (2 min video) 

• Portal Quick Tip: Understanding & Navigating Key Areas of the Coach Zone (3 min video) 

Region Sports Webpages  

• Southwest Region Sports Page 

• Northwest Region Sports Page 

• East Region Sports Page 

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  

Additional Resources  

• Article 1  

• Incident Form  

• Protest Form  

• Special Olympics Washington Fundraising Event Form  

• Check Request Expense Form