Sample wording: I’m reaching out regarding the yyyy Special Olympics Team York <Sport>  season. Our program has now completed four weeks of practice, and we have not yet seen you or your athlete attend a practice this season.

Because training and skill development happen during these practices, athletes need to participate regularly in order to remain on the roster and to be properly prepared for competition. At this point in the season, athletes who have not attended practice are no longer able to meet the training requirements needed for the program.

For that reason, you or your athlete will be removed from the <sport> roster for this season.

We truly hope this does not discourage participation in the future. If you or your athlete is interested in joining us next season, we would absolutely love to have them return when their schedule allows them to attend practices more consistently.

Thank you for your interest in the Special Olympics <sport> program, and we hope to see your athlete involved in the future 

Below is a sample email which you should be sending out to all the athletes in your sport a couple weeks before practice begins (tailored for your sport).  You should be able to copy/paste all the email addresses from your Tracker in one easy step,  This email accomplishes as number of things:

               it’s useful as an introduction and welcome to your athletes, and a reminder of when and where practices start

               it clarifies your expectations

               it encourages their role  

               it makes clear that selection for competition is not guaranteed

SAMPLE LETTER: Hello Special Olympics <sport> Athletes, Coaches, Volunteers, and Parents/Guardians,

My name is <coach name>, and I am very excited to be coaching this Special Olympics <sport> season as the Head Coach. I’m looking forward to getting to know each athlete and working together to build skills, confidence, and teamwork.

A little about me, <introduce yourself and why you volunteer with Special Olympics> 

Practices will be held <where and when> 

Please come prepared by:

·  Wearing <outline appropriate attire for training>

·  Bringing a water bottle

. Other? 

Be ready to learn, participate, and become a team. Practices will include <training activieis>. Expect to sweat, work hard, and support one another along the way.

If you’re not in the best shape right now don’t worry! That’s what practice is for, and we will get there together. To start preparing now, I encourage athletes to:

·  Walk one mile a day

·  Drink 6–8 cups of water daily, and more on days with physical activity

·  Eat healthy foods and aim for smaller portions

I also want to share an important expectation early on. Signing up for <sport> allows an athlete to participate in practices, but it does not guarantee placement in sectional competitions or advancement to Penn State. My goal is for most of our athletes to participate in local competitions, with decisions based on attendance, effort, skill development, teamwork, and overall readiness to compete.

If you have any questions or concerns at any point during the season, please feel free to reach out. Open communication is important, and I want this to be a positive experience for everyone involved.

I’m looking forward to a great season and can’t wait to see everyone on <date>!