SOBC Coach  Staurt Holmes

Special Olympics BC – Delta soccer coach Stuart Holmes loves to see the proud smiles on athletes’ faces when they learn a new skill or achieve a goal.

A highly knowledgeable coach, Holmes is passionate about soccer and has been involved in the game for most of his life. Holmes has been coaching with SOBC – Delta for more than 10 years, and he says working with the dedicated, grateful athletes in his Local has been a rewarding experience.

Holmes says SOBC – Delta provides athletes with meaningful opportunities that help them develop in all aspects of their lives.

When did you start with Special Olympics, and how did you get involved?

I have played and coached soccer for most of my life and have a NCCP Level 2 certification from 1988 from coaching my son in soccer. In the fall of 2006, Dave McCombe, a former playing colleague and SOBC – Delta soccer Head Coach, asked if I would consider helping with their program, which runs in the spring each year. In April 2007, I attended the Special Olympics Competition Sport Workshop and have coached every year since.

After taking the required certification courses, I went with the SOBC – Delta B team to the 2009 SOBC Summer Games in Abbottsford as an assistant coach. Our team returned with a bronze medal even though we were seeded in Division A. In subsequent years, I worked more with the Delta C team, until 2017 when the B team qualified for the 2017 SOBC Summer Games in Kamloops.

What has been your most memorable Special Olympics experience?

Stuart Holmes (far right) with the SOBC – Delta soccer team at the 2017 SOBC Summer Games.
Stuart Holmes (far right) with the SOBC – Delta soccer team at the 2017 SOBC Summer Games.

My most memorable Special Olympics experience was being Head Coach of the SOBC – Delta soccer team that won the gold medal in Division B at the 2017 SOBC Summer Games in Kamloops. This was a team of athletes with wide-ranging soccer abilities that gave an all-out effort above their normal levels to win their first gold medal.

What is your favourite thing about being involved with SOBC – Delta?

Seeing the genuine smile of achievement when an athlete successfully meets a new milestone or completes a difficult task for the first time. They all genuinely appreciate every little thing you do to help them improve.

What would you like others to know about SOBC – Delta?

SOBC – Delta is a fantastic organization that is constantly working to provide opportunities for athletes to participate in sports that challenge them to develop in new and different ways.

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