Coaching Roles

Becoming a coach with Special Olympics provides you with an opportunity that will be incredibly rewarding. Providing our athletes with the tools and encouragement they need for a positive experience, whether in competitive or community-related sports, is of great benefit to all of us involved with the movement.

Below are the duties and responsibilities for the volunteer positions of head coach, assistant coach, and program volunteer within Special Olympics.

HEAD COACH:

• Ensure those involved with your programs are officially registered with SOS
• Orientate assistant coaches, program volunteers, and athletes to the program
• Evaluate the mental and physical skill level of the athletes
• Adapt training and teaching techniques for athletes
• Provide equal training and competition opportunities for all athletes
• Ensure that practices consist of warm up, motor skill development, sport skill and cool down
• Be a good role model by exhibiting good sportsmanship
• Practices should emphasize individual skill development and progression should be carefully considered and instructions simplified if needed

** In order to be a head coach, you must be trained or certified in accordance with Special Olympic Saskatchewan coach training/certification guidelines. Please visit Requirements for Coaches for more information.

ASSISTANT COACH:

• Assist athletes in developing sport skills
• Adapt training and teaching techniques to suit all athletes individually
• Hold basic First Aid knowledge
• Report emergencies to the head coach
• Attend available coaching clinics in your sport and National Coaching Certification Programs
• Be a good role model by exhibiting good sportsmanship
• Implement lesson plans developed by the head coach
• Assist with equipment set-up and organization of the practice site

** In order to be an assistant coach, you must be trained or certified in accordance with Special Olympic Saskatchewan coach training/certification guidelines. Please visit Requirements for Coaches for more information.