It’s National Coaches Week from September 18 to 26 and we’re excited to thank the many inspiring Special Olympics BC coaches making a difference in the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities! SOBC coaches play a key role in the Special Olympics movement, providing guidance, motivation, and support for athletes to achieve their best.
SOBC – Abbotsford coach Tom Norton says, “As a coach, mentor, and leader, one must believe strongly in the transformative power of sport, and in my case the Special Olympics movement as a means to change lives for individuals with intellectual disabilities, building better athletes, ambassadors for sport, and good citizens. After all, it’s all about the athletes. Athlete-centered, coach supported, on and off the field of play and in life.”
Over the past year, SOBC coaches have worked with athletes virtually and in person to keep them active and engaged. They successfully modified their coaching styles to ensure ongoing opportunities, and helped rally athletes around virtual initiatives such as the Provincial Challenge Games.
SOBC – Vancouver athlete Alex Pang says, “SOBC coaches are extremely helpful and patient. It makes a difference in assisting me. Not only in learning the concepts of sport, but also helping me build self-confidence as a person. While they make you work hard, they help you accomplish your goals.”
Throughout the year, SOBC coaches also showed their dedication to education behind the scenes. They continued to sharpen their skills and share their knowledge, with more than 400 coaches attending 40 Coach Development Webinars!
Over the next year we will be offering three sport-specific Coach Development Workshops per sport to help coaches continue to expand their tool kit. Workshops for winter sports will be offered entirely virtually, while workshops for summer sports will consist of two virtual deliveries and one in-person workshop.
If you’d like to register for a course, or suggest a topic that you’d like to learn more about, please email SOBC Vice President, Sport Lois McNary at Lmcnary@specialolmypics.bc.ca.
We are also excited to announce that the NCCP Special Olympics Competition Sport Workshop will now be offered virtually as well as in person, to ensure that coaches around the province can complete this crucial training without the barriers associated with traveling. Please click here to learn more about this course and upcoming opportunities.
A huge thank you to all Special Olympics BC coaches for their year-round support. With their guidance and encouragement, SOBC athletes continue to reach new heights, developing skills in both sport and in life. SOBC coaches are a driving force of the Special Olympics movement, helping create a more inclusive world, and for that we say thanks!
SOBC – Kimberley/Cranbrook athlete Roxana Golbeck sums it up nicely saying, “I love our coaches, they really care for us. Thanks for all they do for us on their own time!”
You can show your coach appreciation by entering viaSport’s #ThanksBCcoach contest. Details on how to enter can be found here. Be sure to check out our coaching tools and resources here.