This guide includes helpful editable documents. They are a great resource that should be used to assist in planning and managing your local program.
To see the latest on what is happening with the program, make sure you are regularly visiting the SONC Updates for Leadership page.
If you have any questions or need help, please contact your Community Resources Director:
Lauren Bruce for west || Isabella Williams for east
As a local coordinator, there is general information you need to know.
- Special Olympics, Inc. General Rules
- These are the rules for how Special Olympics operates globally.
- Special Olympics, Inc. Article I of Sports Rules
- This is where you can read about rules regarding everything from advancement to how we conduct awards.
- Special Olympics North Carolina Operating Policies
- These are policies specifically adopted by SONC (i.e., recreational swimming, drone policy, 15-passenger vans, bounce houses, etc.). You need to know these.
- General Orientation to Special Olympics North Carolina
- Here is a quick training we ask all of our management-level volunteers to read.
- Protective Behaviors Training
- This is a 15-minute mandatory training for all Class A volunteers that is important for the safety of all involved in our movement.
- General SONC Fact Sheet
- This is a one-pager that covers basic information about Special Olympics NC. You can request a customized version of this document for use in your local program by contacting your Community Resources Director.
Becoming an Accredited Local Program
Read the full SONC policy on accreditation
For full accreditation, the local coordinator must adhere to all of the requirements as outlined in the local coordinator job description. These requirements include, but are not limited to:
- Local Program Accreditation form
- Annual budget form
- VIK (Value-In-Kind) form or spreadsheet
- Review and update list of committee members
- Spring Games roster
- Active updated Athlete Participation Forms and Volunteer Screening Forms on file with SONC
- Manage pooled banking system and handle finances based on the SONC financial policies and procedures.
- Represent SONC appropriately within their local program.
- Adhere to all SONC/SOI policies and procedures.
If all requirements are met to receive full accreditation, the accreditation will be current for the program year.
If a local program does not meet the above requirements, it will be considered eligible for provisional accreditation. Provisional accreditation means that the coordinator can still operate the Special Olympics local program in their jurisdiction, but will have to complete certain requirements within a specified timeframe (ex: submit attachments for accreditation by… certify at least one coach by….). The local program will need to go through the accreditation process again the following year.
Non accreditation is when a coordinator received a provisional accreditation for the previous year and still does not meet the above requirements. Non accreditation means that the coordinator cannot conduct any business, including training and competition, in the name of Special Olympics.
Enforcing the requirements for accreditation is simply to ensure that everyone conducting business in the name of SONC is doing it correctly and appropriately.
Role of the Coordinator
The Local Program Coordinator is the accredited representative responsible for leading Special Olympics activities within their county or program.
This role includes, but is not limited to:
- Recruiting enthusiastic community members to serve in leadership roles
- Attending educational training opportunities throughout the year
- Ensuring volunteers are properly trained and maintain certification status
- Connecting community resources to fund opportunities for local athletes
- Maintaining proper records and ensure that all paperwork is submitted in a timely manner
- Managing the fundraising efforts of the local program
See more about the Local Coordinator role here.
Local Program Financial Practices
- Local Program Finance Training
- SONC Tax ID: 56-1149607
- SONC Impact Reports, IRS Form 990 and Audits
Fundraising
Risk Management
Conducting sports and other activities involves exposure to a variety of risks to the participants, volunteers and the organization. Some of these risks could result in a financial loss for the individuals and organizations involved. Effective risk management practices allow you to minimize the chance of something bad happening to athletes and volunteers, and also minimizes the threat of financial loss that arises from your operations.
- SONC Incident Report Form and Explanation
- 2020 General Certificate of Insurance – This can be used unless a facility specifically requests to be listed as Additional Insured.
- Protective Behaviors Training– is required of all volunteers who may come in close contact with athletes. The Protective Behaviors Training Program is training aimed at preventing sexual abuse against Special Olympics athletes, as well as, ensuring the athletes’ protection.
It starts with athletes
Learn more on our Become an Athlete page.
According to Special Olympics General Rules, athletes must train a minimum of eight weeks before the culminating competition, usually the state-level event. Additional weeks of training are beneficial to the athlete’s overall experience. Practices should be scheduled on a regular basis (weekly or more frequently) to provide ample opportunity for the athletes to learn the rules and to improve their ability.
Then you need volunteers
Volunteers may participate as year-round or day volunteers. Volunteers may assist at events, on committees, coaches, fundraisers, officials, medical, or in many other ways.
Difference between a Class A and Class B Volunteers: Class A volunteers are in leadership positions (e.g. coaches, committee members, Games Management Team, etc.). If they are a single day-volunteer, and aren’t driving athletes anywhere, they are a Class-B volunteer.
Class A volunteers must complete a Volunteer Screening Form prior to volunteering as a coach, chaperone or Games Management Team member. Please share this link with your prospective Class A volunteers.
Protective Behaviors Training is required for all Class A volunteers and must be renewed every 3 years. Additionally, a background check will be conducted. We care about your privacy. Please read the SONC Volunteer Privacy Statement to see what we are doing to protect your vital information.
For more information, check out the Become a Volunteer page.
A committee may have a…
What is local program leadership? A committee is…
- Local Program Committee Structure
Sport Uniform Guidelines
Please find basic uniform information for each sport here. As with any sports organization, appropriate uniforming is an important component of competition.
Those sports without a live link are still under review. Please revisit this page as guidelines are progressively added.
Click on the sport below to view the uniform rules and guidelines, especially regarding appropriate logos and suggested logo placement. We are still working on the sports not yet linked, and will post a notice on the updates page as they are completed. In the meantime, please refer to the sport rules or email sports@sonc.net with specific questions.
- Alpine skiing and snowboarding
- Athletics
- Basketball
- Bocce
- Bowling
- Cheerleading
- Cycling
- Equestrian
- Flag football
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Ice skating
- Powerlifting
- Roller skating
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Volleyball
Training season timelines and state-level event forms
Timeline
| 7/23/19 | 9.5 weeks prior | Programs begin season and inform all athletes, coaches, families, etc. that not everyone is guaranteed to attend state-level events! |
| 8/6/19 | 7.5 weeks prior | Programs submit: training rosters, APFs, VSFs, UP forms. Quota request form opens to begin receiving requests. |
| 8/20/19 | 5.5 weeks prior | Deadline for programs to: make changes to training rosters, submit all APFs, VSFs, UP forms, quota requests. |
| 8/23/19 | 5 weeks prior | SONC confirms quota for each program. |
| 8/27/19 | 4.5 weeks prior | SONC sends spreadsheet of eligible athletes and non-athletes out to programs (the spreadsheet is not actually used to submit registration for this particular event). |
| 9/3/19 | 3.5 weeks prior | Registration due to SONC at registration@sonc.net |
| 9/27/19 | Equestrian Tournament |
General Forms
- Delegation Information Summary
- Fee Summary (for reference only)
- Registration Checklist
Sport-Specific Forms
Timeline
| 9/8/20 | 9.5 weeks prior | Programs begin season and inform all athletes, coaches, families, etc. that not everyone is guaranteed to attend state-level events! |
| 9/22/20 | 7.5 weeks prior | Programs submit: training rosters, APFs, VSFs, UP forms. Quota request form opens to begin receiving requests. |
| 10/6/20 | 5.5 weeks prior | Deadline for programs to: make changes to training rosters, submit all APFs, VSFs, UP forms, quota requests. |
| 10/9/20 | 5 weeks prior | SONC confirms quota for each program. |
| 10/13/20 | 4.5 weeks prior | SONC sends spreadsheet of eligible athletes and non-athletes out to programs. |
| 10/10/20 | 3.5 weeks prior | Registration due to SONC at registration@sonc.net |
| 11/12/20 | Fall Tournament |
General Forms
- Delegation Information Summary
- Fee Summary (for reference only)
- Fall Tournament Registration Checklist – this is a resource for you and not a required document for registration
- Non-Athlete Roster -You can use this blank roster to add any coaches, chaperones, etc. who are coming to Fall Tournament
Sport-Specific Forms
| Basketball | Individual Skills Registration Form Team Rating & Registration Form Team Athlete Assessment Tool – use this form to get individual ratings for each athlete. Then, take the number for each skill and place on the team registration and rating form for Fall Tournament registration. |
| Bocce | Registration Form |
| Cycling | Registration Form |
| Golf | Individual Skills Registration Form Course Play Registration Form |
| Roller Skating | Registration Form Relay Registration Form |
| Soccer | Individual Skills Registration Form Team Registration Form Team Athlete Assessment Tool – use this form to get individual ratings for each athlete. Then, take the number for each skill and place on the team registration and rating form for Fall Tournament registration. |
| Tennis | Tennis Individual Skills Competition Registration Form Tennis Full Court (Levels 4 & 5) & Short Court (Level 2) Registration Form ITN Assessments will be collected in advance of Fall Tournament and therefore will not be a part of Fall Tournament registration. |
Timeline – all deadlines have been extended/adjusted
| 10/15/19 | 12.5 weeks prior | Programs begin season and inform all athletes, coaches, families, etc. that not everyone is guaranteed to attend state-level events! |
| 10/29/19 | 10.5 weeks prior | Programs submit: training rosters, APFs, VSFs, UP forms. Quota request form opens to begin receiving requests. |
| 11/19/19 | 7.5 weeks prior | Deadline for programs to: make changes to training rosters, submit all APFs, VSFs, UP forms, quota requests. |
| 11/22/19 | 7 weeks prior | SONC confirms quota for each program. |
| 11/26/19 | 6.5 weeks prior | SONC sends spreadsheet of eligible athletes and non-athletes out to programs. |
| 12/3/19 | 5.5 weeks prior | Registration due to SONC at registration@sonc.net |
| 1/12-13/20 | Winter Games – Alpine Skiing/Snowboarding |
General Forms
- Event registration must be submitted by the local program coordinator via email to registration@sonc.net by December 3, 2019.
- These forms should be submitted by the local coordinator directly to French Swiss Ski College via fax 828-295-7553
- Fee Summary (for reference only)
Timeline
| 1/14/20 | 9.5 weeks prior | Programs begin season and inform all athletes, coaches, families, etc. that not everyone is guaranteed to attend state-level events! |
| 1/28/20 | 7.5 weeks prior | Programs submit: training rosters, APFs, VSFs, UP forms. Quota request form opens to begin receiving requests. |
| 2/11/20 | 5.5 weeks prior | Deadline for programs to: make changes to training rosters, submit all APFs, VSFs, UP forms, quota requests. |
| 2/14/20 | 5 weeks prior | SONC confirms quota for each program. |
| 2/18/20 | 4.5 weeks prior | SONC sends spreadsheet of eligible athletes and non-athletes out to programs. |
| 2/25/20 | 3.5 weeks prior | Registration due to SONC at registration@sonc.net |
| 3/21/20 | Cheerleading Tournament |
General Forms
- Delegation Information Summary
- Cheerleading Tournament Registration Checklist
- Fee Summary (for reference only)
Sport-Specific Forms
Spring Sports Season Timeline (includes state-level event: Summer Games)
| 2/18/20 | 14.5 weeks prior to state-level event | SONC provides a spreadsheet showing all athletes who trained in the previous year that also shows expiration dates/status of Athlete Participation Packet (APP), Volunteer Screening Form (VSF), and Unified partner form (UP). |
| 2/25/20 | 13.5 weeks prior to state-level event | Hold a pre-season coaches’ meeting to set expectations, review deadlines, cheer for everyone! Sample agenda. |
| 3/10/20 | 11.5 weeks prior to state-level event | Hold a season kickoff meeting for each sport led by the head coach. Include all athletes and families to review expectations, codes of conduct, deadlines, competition opportunities. Great chance to invite new athletes! Reiterate that not everyone is guaranteed to attend state-level events! |
| 3/24/20 | 9.5 weeks prior to state-level event | Programs begin practices (minimum of 8 weeks practice so this adds some cushion). This should be the local program deadline for all APPs (forms should be on file with the local program prior to anyone participating in a sport practice). |
| 4/7/20 | 7.5 weeks prior to state-level event | Programs submit rosters (the SONC spreadsheet can be completed and email back or these templates can be used athlete & UP training rosters, coach/chaperone training rosters) APPs, VSFs, UP forms. Quota request form opens to begin receiving requests. |
| 4/21/20 | 5.5 weeks prior to state-level event | Deadline for programs to make changes to training rosters, finish submitting all APPs, VSFs, UP forms, quota requests. |
| 4/24/20 | 5 weeks prior to state-level event | SONC confirms quota for each program. |
| 4/28/20 | 4.5 weeks prior to state-level event | SONC sends spreadsheet of eligible athletes and non-athletes out to programs which will be used for registration. |
| 5/5/20 | 3.5 weeks prior to state-level event | Registration due to SONC at registration@sonc.net |
| 5/15/20 | 2 weeks prior to state-level event | Detailed event/Head of Delegation (HOD) information published. |
| 5/29/20 | Summer Games |
Summer Games General Forms
Fee Summary (for Reference Only)
- Summer Games Registration Checklist – this is a resource for you and not a required document for registration.
- Delegation Info Summary – The Delegation Information form is now a Microsoft Form to complete online. This should be completed at the same time as the rest of registration.
- Non-Athlete Roster-You can use this blank roster to add any coaches, chaperones, etc. who are coming to Summer Games.
- Note there is no housing roster!
Summer Games Sport-Specific Forms
| Athletics |
Improved Performance Form (will be posted after registration is due for Summer Games) – must be submitted by May 21, 2020. Only submit this form if the time for an event is faster than the one submitted for registration. The decision to change a division for an athlete will be decided by the competition management team, and/or SONC staff. |
| Bowling | |
| Gymnastics | Registration Form |
| Powerlifting | Registration Form |
| Softball | |
| Swimming |
Improved Performance Form (will be posted after registration is due for Summer Games) – must be submitted by May 21, 2020. Only submit this form if the time for an event is faster than the one submitted for registration. The decision to change a division for an athlete will be decided by the competition management team, and/or SONC staff. |
| Volleyball |
Health and Wellness
What is a MedFest? MedFest offers the physical exam that athletes need prior to participating in Special Olympics sports programming. To learn more, click here.
Health Screenings at Spring Games
If your local program is planning on having any form of health screenings at your upcoming spring games, make sure you have thought through these options:
- Do you have a medical professional already certified through Special Olympics as a Clinical Director? If so, you can use the terminology Healthy Athletes (HA) for your event.
- Do you have a medical professional interested in becoming a Clinical Director? Please email health@sonc.netwith information on this individual and you can be on your way to having true Healthy Athletes events. The majority of the HA Clinical Director trainings can be done online and are fairly short.
- Do you have a health screening planned that will be led by medical professionals who have not received Clinical Director training? In this case, you cannot use the term Healthy Athletes due to liability issues. The Special Olympics insurance policy will only cover screenings that have certified Healthy Athletes Clinical Directors. Medical professionals not certified and providing health screenings assume all liability associated to any incident that occurs during their screening. You should refer to your event as a health screening.
- You may also consider having a local medical professional offer an interactive health education (e.g. dental education, healthy habits education) area at your games.
Healthy Athletes is a Special Olympics program that provides free health screenings and health education in a fun, welcoming environment with a focus on removing the anxiety people with intellectual disabilities often experience when faced with a visit to a medical professional. We want these activities happening across the state but please help us ensure the proper steps are followed!
Below are Special Olympics health resources and tools that are currently available. Most of these tools can be modified to meet the needs of each program. These are to help speed up program implementation. As health programming continues to grow and evolve so will the resources and tools.
Data and Evaluation
- Community Health Needs Assessment
- Health Measures Tracking Tool
- Lifestyle Survey
- Nutrition & Fitness Tracker
- SONC Health Report (2017-2018)
Wellness Programming
- Fit 5: A guide to achieving fitness and your personal best with physical activity, nutrition and hydration.
- Guide to Sports Nutrition for Coaches
- Healthy UCS Challenge
- SOfit Starter Kit
- SO Fitness Guide for Schools
Healthy Athletes
Communications
- Language Guidelines – please refer to these guidelines when speaking to volunteers, media, on social media, etc. Share this with volunteers, parents, coaches, or anyone else affiliated with your program.
- Logo Guidelines – These guidelines explain the correct usage of logos. Any old program or SONC logos should be thrown out and replaced with the correct logo. If you need your program’s logos, please email kmcghee@sonc.net
- SONC’s Social Media – Section3.NC15: Accredited Sub-program social media profiles
- Accredited sub-programs may have and maintain their own social media profiles, provided said social media profiles meet minimum brand guidelines as outlined below:
- Use the official accredited sub-program logo as the profile image.
- Follow Special Olympics naming conventions: “Special Olympics _____ County”
- Follow all Special Olympics language guidelines and graphics standards.
- All sub-program social media profiles must have a Special Olympics North Carolina staff member with administrator access at all times. This policy will be applied retroactively to pre-existing pages.
- Social media profiles include but are not limited to Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and Instagram accounts.
- All programs must be in compliance by Jan. 1, 2020.
- Accredited sub-programs may have and maintain their own social media profiles, provided said social media profiles meet minimum brand guidelines as outlined below:
- How to add SONC as a Facebook administrator
- All social media questions can be directed to kmcghee@sonc.net
Each program has their very own page within the Special Olympics North Carolina website. This can be tailored specifically to your program. If you have updates to your website, please send them to your Community Resource Director.
- SONC’s Website Policy – Section 3.NC16: External informational and fundraising websites
- Accredited sub-programs are not allowed to have external websites of any kind, including but not limited to general program websites, sport-specific websites, GoFundMe or additional online fundraising pages or event websites.
- Sub-programs may continue to have pages housed within parks and recreation websites if the program is run through local Parks and Recreation departments.
