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Program Memo
The most recent Program Memo is below; links to archive memos are located in the right column. For more information, e-mail Val Reinford or call her at 800.932.4653 x3036.
February 2013 Program Memo
Topics Include:
- New online coach certification course
- New RTP forms
- 2013 World Winter Games
- 2014 National Games
- Special Olympics VA Unified Softball Team selection process for National Games
- Harrisonburg office mail
- Staff changes
- Updated volunteer forms
- Pardon our dust
- Run. Plunge. Play. REPEAT: Polar Plunge Raises $1,250,000
- New textile partnership
New online coach certification courses
Special Olympics is offering two break-through online education resources for its coaches, aimed at improving the quality and consistency of Special Olympics coaches training worldwide.
Through the ASEP-offered Coaching Special Olympics Athletes online course, coaches will develop a better understanding of how people with intellectual disabilities learn and how they participate in sports. By taking this course and the online General Orientation, volunteers can become Special Olympics certified coaches. Contact your Region Director to receive a code that will allow you to take this course for free! Codes are available for the first 100 volunteers who respond.
The NFHS-offered Coaching Special Olympics Unified Sports® course helps coaches understand and implement the most successful coaching strategies for this very special mix of teammates. Special Olympics Virginia will fully implement all Unified Sports® rules starting in 2014. This training is free and is a must for Unified Sports® coaches.
In an effort to reduce paperwork and make registering for competitions easier, the revised RTP forms will be used as competition entry forms. This means coaches only need to complete one form for each sport and indicate on the RTP form which competitions they will attend. This also means that the form is different for each sport since different information is required for each sport. Please contact your Region Director to receive the new RTP forms.
Four Special Olympics Virginia athletes returned from South Korea and the 2013 Winter World Games adorned with ribbons and medals. Great job athletes!
Ben Norris: GOLD in the intermediate super g alpine skiing; 7th place in intermediate slalom; 7th place in giant slalom
Jannai Kennedy: SILVER in the 500M speed skating competition; BRONZE in the 333M
Travis Hunter: GOLD in the 333M speed skating competition; GOLD in the 222M; SILVER in the 500M
Kelly Bradshaw: 5th place in figure skating - dance; 6th place in figure skating - freestyle
In June, 2014 Special Olympics Virginia will send a delegation of athletes and coaches to the Special Olympics National Games in Princeton, New Jersey. Athletes who win gold medals at 2013 state events and meet the eligibility requirements will be included in the random draw selection process.
The following Special Olympics Virginia events and sports in 2013 will be utilized as qualifiers
for the 2014 National Games:
|
2013 Winter Champs |
Bowling |
2-Person Unified Team |
Female |
1 athlete |
1 partner male or female |
|
2013 Winter Champs |
Bowling |
2-Person Unified Team |
Male |
1 athlete |
1 partner male or female |
|
2013 Summer Games |
Aquatics |
Category 2 |
Female |
2 athletes |
|
|
2013 Summer Games |
Aquatics |
Category 3 |
Female |
2 athletes |
|
|
2013 Summer Games |
Aquatics |
Category 2 |
Male |
2 athletes |
|
|
2013 Summer Games |
Aquatics |
Category 3 |
Male |
2 athletes |
|
|
2013 Summer Games |
Athletics |
Category 2 |
Female |
2 athletes |
|
|
2013 Summer Games |
Athletics |
Category 3 |
Female |
2 athletes |
|
|
2013 Summer Games |
Athletics |
Category 2 |
Male |
2 athletes |
|
|
2013 Summer Games |
Athletics |
Category 3 |
Male |
2 athletes |
|
|
2013 Summer Games |
Bowling |
Singles |
Female |
2 athletes |
|
|
2013 Summer Games |
Bowling |
Singles |
Male |
2 athletes |
|
|
2013 Summer Games |
Powerlifting |
|
Male |
2 athletes |
|
|
2013 Summer Games |
Tennis |
|
Female |
1 athlete |
|
|
2013 Summer Games |
Tennis |
|
Male |
2 athletes |
|
|
2013 Summer Games |
Softball |
Unified Team |
Male or Coed |
8 athletes |
7 partners |
|
2013 Fall Champs |
Golf |
Level 1 Skills |
Female |
1 athlete |
|
|
2013 Fall Champs |
Golf |
Level 2 Unified |
Male |
1 athlete |
1 partner male or female |
|
2013 Fall Champs |
Golf |
Level 5 |
Female |
1 athlete |
|
|
2013 Fall Champs |
Volleyball |
Traditional |
Male or Coed |
12 athletes |
|
|
2013 Fall Champs |
Bocce |
Singles |
Female |
2 |
|
|
2013 Fall Champs |
Bocce |
Singles |
Male |
2 |
|
E-mail Dave Pawlowski for more information.
Special Olympics VA Unified Softball Team Selection Process for National Games
Unified softball teams attending National Games must adhere to Special Olympics Inc. team composition and rules. This means that only teams comprised of 8 athletes and 7 partners will be entered into the draw to advance. Teams must also be at a competitive level, meaning that the skill levels of the athletes and partners must be comparable. Please e-mail Dave Pawlowski with any questions.
Our Harrisonburg office will start using its office address for mail instead of the PO Box. Please send all correspondence to:
SOVA
21 Southgate Ct., Suite 103
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
Erin Mahone was recruited by the Jewish Community Center in Richmond to fill the role of Cultural Arts Director. We are in the process of hiring Erin’s replacement. E-mail Val Reinford for more information.
Special Olympics VA's Class A and Class B Volunteer Forms now have the new logo. These can be downloaded from the Web site and are writable PDFs.
- Class A (adult) Volunteer Application
- Class A (minor) Volunteer Application and references form
- Event Volunteer Release Form (Class B Form – one day volunteers)
- Event Volunteer Release Form Spreadsheet (This is a great way to register lots of volunteers quickly at an event.)
Please e-mail Gray Miller with any questions.
Pardon our dust
If you stop by the Richmond office later this month, you may notice that we're working on an office redesign project courtesy of generous community partners like Visible Proof, Dallan Construction and Bizport. This year, we'll focus on creating a new reception area with two sports-themed collaborative meeting spaces. We anticipate the dust from phase one will settle by the end of March. The goal of this 2-year project is to offer a working environment that is as inspiring as the work we do in communities throughout the state. In 2014, we'll continue the transformation with phase two projects that will include the addition of thematic hallway displays and a larger multipurpose meeting space to be used for training, Board meetings and more!
Run. Plunge. Play. REPEAT: Polar Plunge Raises $1,250,000
For the third year in a row, Special Olympics Virginia repeated its record $1 million fundraising total – make that $1,250,000 and counting, to be exact - at the 2013 Polar Plunge® Winter Festival, Feb. 1-2 in Virginia Beach.
Approximately 90 Special Olympics Virginia athletes were joined by family, friends and escorts from the Virginia Knights of Columbus in their BRRRRave fundraising pursuits. We extend our warmest thanks to all Area programs who took advantage of this cooperative fundraising event! Extra special kudos go out to Tim Doyle and the team from Special Olympics Virginia’s Area 11, who rocked the fundraising charts again this year and raised more than $75,000. For more information, including photos from this year’s Polar Plunge, visit www.polarplunge.com or friend us on Facebook.
Back to top
Thanks to an innovative new partnership with Tidewater Textile Recycling, fans in Eastern and Central Virginia can now donate used clothing, shoes and books in specially marked white donation bins that feature the SOVA logo. Collection and re-sale of donated textiles in the United States and around the world help to generate significant revenue in support of Special Olympics programs in Ohio, Kentucky and Virginia. If you have questions about this partnership, please e-mail Katie Botha.
