‘The Grind Has Begun’: Team Ontario Head Coach Fired Up for 2026 Nationals
“May is rolling around so training season’s started,” said Jake Jones, about Ontario’s athletics team to the Special Olympics Canada Summer Games in Medicine Hat, Alberta. "The grind has begun."
Jake said he was first introduced to Special Olympics Ontario through a neighbour named Ben, who is an athlete on the same Brantford track team that Jake now coaches with.
Ben’s dad—Jim Kruis—is one of the assistant coaches that’s on the team. Jim got me involved, and now I’m head coaching and he’s the assistant coach. I’ve got a close bond to that family.
While Ben did not make it to Nationals, he did go to Provincials, where Jake was the Brantford team’s head coach. Outside of these Provincial Games, Jake fondly remembered the time he coached five Ontario athletes who competed at the Canada Summer Games, in a category for people with intellectual disabilities. Each of these athletes also participate in Special Olympics, although Jake only knew one of them personally, having met the rest while volunteering to support them during the competition.
It was an awesome experience. There were tons of very qualified coaches there that I learned from. That high level games experience was unique.
Working as a landscaper for a construction company, Jake said—with a smile on his face—that he is anticipating an “insane” summer schedule. However, he added that practices are held in evenings after his work shifts finish, so he does not see any problems with balancing these two commitments. “My boss is, he’s very understanding of my involvement [with Special Olympics].” Jake said. “So, if I’ve got to hop on a call, I try to put them on lunchtime, but he’s very understanding if I have to take a couple hours.”
On Special Olympics Ontario’s track team, Jake said there are 12 coaches going to the National Games, with more training coaches staying home in their role to help local athletes get ready for competition. 46 track athletes are competing on Team Ontario, and Jake said they all have their own personalized training programs. He gave the example of an athlete who competes in the 3k and 5k runs, saying they will have different needs than a sprinter racing in the 100m and 200m events. Only some of the athletes have similar training programs to each other, if they are competing in the same event.
As head coach, Jake said he assigned each coach to around 4 athletes, trying his best to match them based on how close they live to make things easier. Some athletes and coaches living in remote parts of Ontario had to travel further to their group practices, although Jake said this is still the best way to make sure the workload is evenly spread out across everyone.
It becomes a lot of hands in the cookie jar, but it works out. We’re all taking the same approach, so that’s what I try to establish. So that we’re not surprised by something happening locally.
While the team coaches are currently showing a united approach to training their athletes, Jake said he plans on assigning some coaches to different tasks during actual competition days. For example, he said one coach may be in charge of staying near the marshaling area to make sure Team Ontario athletes get to their events on time.
Jake also coaches the athletes on Team Ontario himself, when he’s not coordinating with the other coaches to help them do their roles. In particular, he is really big on getting athletes to cheer for one another during competitions.
I think cheering provides a lot of motivation, knowing your peers are going through the same stuff as you are in the moment. Having them in your corner helps push you over that finish line.