Coaches Registration

Program Registration

Special Olympics DC (SODC) offers 11 different coaches certifications. Depending on the age of your athletes or unified partners, SODC requires each coach to have a certain amount of certifications. Below is a table that shows the requirement by grade level and a list of the online courses.

List of Coaches Certifications

1. Class A: This form allows Special Olympics to run a background check on all coaches that interact with our youth and adult athletes while at a Special Olympic DC event. Please click here to download the PDF or click here to transfer to Docusign to fill this form out online.

2. Protective Behavior (PB): This training is for all Volunteers within Special Olympics (example: Coaches, Unified Partners, etc). The Protective Behaviors Training Program is training aimed at preventing sexual abuse against Special Olympics athletes, as well as, ensuring the athletes’ protection.

3. Unified Sports (US): Unified Sports is an inclusive sports program that unites Special Olympics athletes (individuals with intellectual disabilities) and partners (individuals without intellectual disabilities) as teammates for training and competition. This course will help you understand and implement Special Olympics Unified Sports in your school.

4. General Education (GE): This virtual course gives you the overview of Special Olympics and Special Olympics DC. The 60 minute lecture and test ensure coaches have a good grasp of the mission statement, strategic plan, program design and participants’ responsibilities for Special Olympics DC. Please contact Special Olympics DC for more information on how to take this course.

5. Concussion (CON): The Concussion course is offered through the National Federation of State High School Association( NFHS). The NFHS has teamed up with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to educate coaches, officials, parents and students on the importance of proper concussion recognition and management in high school sports. This course highlights the impact of sports-related concussion on athletes, teaches how to recognize a suspected concussion, and provides protocols to manage a suspected concussion with steps to help players return to play safely after a concussion.

6. Coaching Special Olympic Athletes (CSOA): Contact SODC for access to this course. CSOA course helps coaches develop a better understanding of how people with intellectual disabilities learn and how they participate in sports. The course offers a solid overview of the coaching principles involved in working with Special Olympics athletes as well as practical ideas that you can immediately use in your teaching and coaching.

7. Fitness Courses (sport coach/inclusive/coaches): This module is designed to provide volunteer Fitness Coaches with information that will help them to be effective at engaging our athletes in fitness. The module comprises content on intellectual disability as well as known health disparities and barriers to participation experienced by individuals with intellectual disabilities.

8. Sport Specific Training (SPT): Is a 3 hour sport specific practicum is a hands on training all coaches have to take before they begin training athletes in that sport. This course covers program design, training design and tips, equipment needs and set-up, athlete evaluation for training, qualification and competition and athlete tracking.

9. YAP Training (YP) Is a 3 hour YAP practicum is a hands on training all YAP coaches have to take before they begin training YAP athletes in YAP. This course takes a deep dive into training teachers how to use the YAP tools(activities guide, kit, in-home guide, Activity cards etc.). Teachers also receive professional development on athlete registration, whole school engagement and youth leadership.

10. Coaching Athletes with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): This course provides coaches with information on ASD and trains coaches how to coach an athlete with ASD.

11. Elementary Coaches Summit (ECS): The ECS is for elementary coaches and elementary students. Each delegation must be represented by a minimum of 1 athlete, 1 partner and 1 mentor, the delegation does not have a maximum number of participants at this time. The summit is a youth lead training seminar for youth to engage and express ideas with each other, receive professional development of topics of their choice and work with their mentors to develop a plan of action on the summit topic.

12. Middle and High School Coaches Summit (MS/HSCS): The MS/HSCS is for middle and high School delegation coaches and students. Each delegation must be represented by a minimum of 1 athlete, 1 partner and 1 mentor, the delegation does not have a maximum number of participants at this time. The summit is a youth lead training seminar for youth to engage and express ideas with each other, receive professional development of topics of their choice and work with their mentors to develop a plan of action on the summit topic.

13. Community YAP (CYP): CYP Is a 3 hour YAP practicum is a hands on training all YAP coaches have to take before they begin training YAP athletes in YAP. This course takes a deep dive into training teachers how to use the YAP tools(activities guide, kit, in-home guide, Activity cards etc.). Teachers also receive professional development on athlete registration, whole school engagement and youth leadership.