Special Olympics coaches help athletes with intellectual disabilities find their own strengths and abilities. They also show them how to build upon those strengths and improve every day.
As a Special Olympics coach, you bring enthusiasm, commitment and a positive attitude to each practice, event and competition. You will enrich the lives of our athletes in many life-changing ways. The skills and confidence an athlete learns through sports have a long and lasting effect. They can help an athlete succeed in school or even find a job.
We provide the training you need to be a successful coach. Coaches must be at least 18 years old to be a certified coach. Anyone age 14 years and up can attend a training school. Here is a chart that describes the requirements for all coaches, leadership volunteers, and Unified partners.
Coach Code of Conduct
All participating coaches are expected to abide by this code of conduct.
SHARE YOUR SPORT KNOWLEDGE!
Are you an experienced SONC or sport coach interested in helping train other coaches in your community or around the state?
Contact Andrea Stamm to learn how to become a Certified Clinician.
How do I get involved?
Step 1. Contact your local program coordinator and fill out this coach interest form. Special Olympics North Carolina is organized by county and each county has a coordinator that manages and coordinates Special Olympics activity.
Step 2. Start working on the requirements to become a coach. All volunteers that work directly with athletes will need to undergo a background check and also take Protective Behaviors training.
Step 3. Attend a sport specific skills course called a training school, which will give you specific instruction in training athletes in a sport as well as Special Olympics modifications to that sport. See more.
Step 4. Start studying! There are plenty of training materials ready for anyone interested in coaching to learn more about the sport and Special Olympics North Carolina. Each sport offered in Special Olympics North Carolina has its own web page, where you will find links to rules, coaching guides, updates, and a calendar for any sport-related events. See all sports offered.
