We are excited to announce that Opening Eyes will screen athletes during the dance at the Meadowbrook on Sunday, January 12.  Please reserve a spot for your athlete. This is an awesome Healthy Athletes discipline, and athletes will walk away with brand-new prescription eye glasses if needed!

Doug Perry, who is on the SONC sport staff ,will be filling in for Andrea Stamm for this event. Please direct all questions and updates to Doug. He can be reached at dperry@sonc.net and 919-522-8444.

Coach’s Meetings

Coach’s Webinar on Thursday, January 9 at 12:00 p.m.
A recording of the coach’s meeting is now available. Remember, at least one representative from each local program must attend this webinar and confirm attendance. Listening to the recording does count as attendance as long as the appropriate steps are taken.

Mandatory Head Coach’s Meeting on Sunday, January 12 at 12:15 p.m. – Snow Cloud Room
This is a mandatory meeting for all coaches.  Not attending this meeting will eliminate your delegation from competition.  With hopefully all questions answered via the online coach’s meeting on January 9, this meeting is only for head coaches and/or HOD’s. At least one representative from each program is required; please refrain from sending more than two as it gets crowded!

Mandatory Head Coach’s Meeting on Monday, January 13 at 9:15 a.m. – Snow Cloud Room
This is to communicate any last minute updates and the plans for the day to head coaches/HOD’s.

Competition Rules & Information

Competition Rules & Reminders
Sport web page
List of athletes by delegation

Important information about helmet requirements

**First, please note that there are no changes to the helmet requirements for the 2020 Special Olympics North Carolina Winter Games, or the 2020 Special Olympics Southeast U.S. Winter Games competitions hosted by Special Olympics North Carolina occurring within the next two months.**

Special Olympics falls under the International Ski Federation rule regarding a specific helmet that is required for ski and snowboard racing. In order to be compliant for competitions occurring in 2021, we will be taking helmet measurements at the 2020 Special Olympics North Carolina Winter Games and the 2020 Special Olympics Southeast U.S. Winter Games. Please note that local programs will need to budget for these helmets in 2020 to have them by 2021. We are working with local vendors to obtain competitive pricing and will provide that information as well as how to order those helmets soon.

The GMT and staff at the mountain are looking forward to a great event in January!  Conditions have been favorable for snow and snow making, so keep your fingers crossed this continues through the winter. Check out the live camera from the mountain.

We encourage you to make lunch arrangements ahead of time. You can find more information under the meals tab.

Any questions, concerns, cancellations, please contact Doug Perry  at dperry@sonc.net. You can also call or text at 919-522-8444.

Overall Schedule
French-Swiss Clothing Rental Form
Map to Appalachian Ski Mountain
940 Ski Mountain Rd., Blowing Rock
828-295-7828

Delegation check-in will take place at Appalachian Ski Mountain in the Snow Cloud Room on Sunday from 12:00 – 12:45 p.m.  The process will be as follows:

• Only the Head of Delegation or head coach should come to the check-in area to prevent congestion.
• Confirm possession of all athlete participation forms.
• Record scratches/no-show’s.
• Pick up arrival envelope containing welcome information, bibs for athletes, rental forms, and all credentials for the delegation.
• Confirm that you have all credentials at that time.
• Receive all other competition materials.

Opening Ceremony will be held on the mountain at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 12.

Dnner will be at the Meadowbrook Inn at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday night.  The dance will immediately follow at 7:30 p.m. and conclude by 9:00 p.m. SONC-issued credentials are required for access to the dinner and dance.

Please make note of these reminders for the Opening Ceremony:

• In designing uniforms/selecting outerwear, please remember that Special Olympics Inc. has strict guidelines on the use of the Special Olympics logo. If you need a copy of these guidelines or your local program logo, contact your community resource director. As stated in the Special Olympics Inc. policies, no athlete or coach will be allowed to march in the Opening Ceremony of any official Games if he/she is wearing a uniform bearing a corporate or organizational logo other than Special Olympics.  Any person that does not follow this policy will not be permitted to sit with the official delegations.
• Each delegation will be given their delegation sign to hold and will be announced during the ceremony.

Venue Information

Please be neat and tidy spectators!  Please remember that no electrical items are allowed in the ski lodge at any time.  This includes, but is not limited to, toasters, coffee pots, microwaves, crock pots, etc.  Coolers are allowed.

It is helpful to have at least one parent, chaperone, or coach stay in the lodge where your delegation has placed your items for the day.  This is to assist athletes if they come in to warm up, use the restroom, and as a place for them to rest.  It also helps GMT members and SONC staff to know there is someone from your delegation in the lodge if we need to locate you in the event of an emergency.

Medical Assistance

HODs should have copies of all athlete medical forms with them in case of an emergency or any other medical issue. If you are on the slopes and need medical assistance, please find any French Swiss Instructor, Ski Patrol, or any on-slope assistant with a radio to contact SONC/Games Management. You can also call Doug Perry at 919-522-8444. If a coach/chaperone/parent is needed, a text blast will go out to all coaches/chaperones/HOD’s and a page will go out over the loudspeakers. Medical volunteers are also in the Snow Cloud room (3^rd floor of the lodge), and are available for athlete, coach, parent, or volunteer first aid needs.

The ski patrol medical area is located on the ground floor of the lodge.  When coming in from the slopes, it is located to the right of ski rentals.  This is where ski patrol will take any athlete or coach that is injured on the slopes for assessments.

Families attending the Winter Games should have registered with Pace Cottrell at French Swiss Ski College by December 6, 2019. Contact him directly at 828-295-9311 for any questions regarding family registration.

Family members must be registered in order to attend the dinner and/or dance.  Anyone without an SONC-issued credential will not be allowed to participate in either of these activities. 

Hotel Reminders/Facts

• All delegations will be housed in either the Meadowbrook Inn or the Holiday Inn Express.
• If you have problems with housing, please contact Doug Perry at 919-522-8444.
• All delegates should be respectful of others by remaining in their rooms after 11:00 p.m. each evening.  Music and loud talking should not be heard outside the room from which it originates.
• All delegates should respect all facility property and regulations.  Theft or intentional damage of property will not be tolerated.

Sunday
Lunch – on your own prior to start of event
Dinner & dance at the Meadowbrook Inn

Monday
Breakfast – at hotel
Lunch – on your own

The cafeteria at Appalachian Ski Mtn. is offereing a meal voucher for all programs to eat in the dining area for both Sunday and Monday. The voucher is $7 and includes a main course, side and a drink. Vouchers will be available at check-in if any programs would like to utilize this option. There will be no up-front charges as SONC will pull the funds from the local program pooled account at the conclusion of the event.

We are excited to announce that Opening Eyes will screen athletes during the dance at the Meadowbrook on Sunday, January 12.  Please reserve a spot for your athlete. This is an awesome Healthy Athlete discipline, and athletes will walk away with brand-new prescription eye glasses if needed!

Head of Delegation Responsibilities
Local Program Preparation Checklist
Sample Packing List
Sample Delegation Pre-Games Coaches Meeting Agenda
Mileage Chart
General Policies & Procedures
Competition Policies & Procedures
Sport Nutrition Tips
Event Services