Weekend athlete??  Former high school or college player?  Pure lover of sport?  Our coaches run the gamut.  At present over 850 Florida residents have made the decision to enrich a Special Olympics athlete's life by becoming a certified coach.  An additional 2,000 Floridians serve in coaching capacities throughout the state.  Come join us and get inspired!  Coaches are the key to a successful sports experience for the Special Olympics athlete.

COACHING OPPORTUNITIES

Head Coach

Undergoes classroom and hands on training and certification process, within one year of becoming involved as a coach, designed specifically for the needs of an intellectually disabled athlete.  For complete details on the certification process please contact us at 941-412-0402.  A head coach is the primary contact person for the sport; the head coach maintains the athletes' records and completes registration process for competition; the head coach works with Special Olympics staff to select training site and time; they work to organize practices with other coaches and all athletes.   A head coach attends all competitions with the athlete and is the liaison for upcoming Coaches Training and Certification school, and encourages assistant coaches to become certified.

Assistant Coach

Undergoes one-day certification within his/her sport within one year of becoming involved as a coach; assesses each athlete to determine skill level for competition and training; develops an eight-week training program for each athlete including fundamental skills, conditioning, and rules; and has complete knowledge and abides by Sports Rules of Special Olympics.

Sport Volunteer

Is not required to become certified, but helps out with practices; assists coach with assessing athlete skills; not necessarily an expert in the sport but comes to practice 75% of the time; does not travel to competitions unless asked by head coach.

Qualifications

To become a head coach, assistant coach, or sport volunteer, you must be a Class A volunteer and have taken the on-line Protective Behavior Training.  The Class A form and a link to the Protective Behavior Training may be accessed through our Forms menu on the website.

Once you have gone through the specific coach's training, completed the 10 hours of practicuum, and submitted a completed Application for Special Olympics Certification to your County Coordinator, the certification is good for three years.