Athlete Leadership

There are many ways for people with intellectual disabilities to become leaders in their communities. You can become a Polar Plunge Ambassador, Health Messenger, a Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger, and much more.

There are so many roles waiting for you to take on once you've taken the required trainings.

Trainings could range from one-on-one mentorships, to individual sessions in the areas, to our flagship Athlete Leadership program -- Athlete Leadership University.

This is a weekend-long educational program for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities that offers classes in a variety of leadership topics. 

How often: We hold two ALPs Universities per year and will announce the dates and locations here as they become available. Athlete-leaders will need to attend at least THREE universities before they can graduate. They are allowed to skip up to four in a row if the dates don't fit their schedules.

Next ALPs U: The NEXT ALPs University is June 27-29, 2025!

Have an idea of what interests you as an athlete-leader: While athlete-leaders won't officially declare a major until they're in their Introduction to ALPs course, it's a good idea to look at the majors and courses available below, so you have an idea of what each one has to offer.

Questions: Please email us.

If you are interested in making an indelible difference in the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities, becoming a Special Olympics Missouri mentor is a unique way to do so.

Being a mentor is a great way to take your involvement with Special Olympics Missouri to the next level by being a one-on-one leadership coach for an athlete in your area. You don't need any expertise to get involved, only a passion for helping our athletes become athlete-leaders in the Special Olympics movement and in their communities.

Time commitment: Be aware that this is a commitment of at least 18 months (only ~5 hours per month on average though). At MOST, you will attend two weekend training sessions per year. Those training sessions are flexible to where if you can't make that weekend or if you can only attend on one day that weekend, it's okay. You and your athlete-leader will progress through the program at your own pace.

What we look for in a mentor:

• The desire to help an athlete obtain skills and become a leader within the organization and their community
• Read through and agree with duties outlined in the mentor agreement
• Willingness to attend ALPs Universities and work with your athlete-leader to complete their practicum for each class
• Good organizational skills
• Good oral and written skills
• Good listening skills
• Ability to problem solve and explain something to people with intellectual disabilities in a way they can understand
• Someone who embraces the philosophy of Special Olympics
• Completion of a Class A Volunteer Form (before ALPs U) and ability to clear requisite background check
• Completion of Protective Behaviors training (before ALPs U) and Mentor Class (during ALPs U)

Interested, but don't know a SOMO athlete to mentor? Send us your information and we'll follow up with you!

For more information:  Email us!

Sample path to graduation (Technology major):

• Intro to ALPs (four hours)
• Technology Fundamentals (four hours) 
• Social Media/Blogging (two hours)
• Photography 1 (two hours)
• Power of Positive Leadership & Professionalism (two hours)
• Finance (two hours) -- elective/class not in their major
• Understanding Emotion (two hours) -- elective/class not in their major
• Capstone (4-hour class)

For an athlete-leader to receive credit for taking a class, they will need to complete a practicum/homework. Each class has its own practicum and how much time you spend on it depends on how long the class is. If you took Global Messenger 1, which is an eight-hour course, your practicum will involve more work than if you took Internet/Email, which is a four-hour class.

All of the projects are pass/fail. As long as the instructors can tell you made an effort to complete every outlined task, you will receive credit. If you ever have questions about your practicum while you are working on it, please don't hesitate to reach out to your instructors who taught that specific class.

Turn in your practicum here

Capstone practicum form

Q: Why is Athlete Leadership Programs (ALPs) important?
A: There are numerous reasons why Athlete Leadership is important:
     - Special Olympics Missouri is FOR the athletes, it should be BY the athletes as well. Before you can become a good leader, you need training -- this program offers that.
     - It provides an opportunity for people with intellectual disabilities to learn new skills and shows them how to use them to become leaders within the program and in their communities

Q: What makes a good athlete-leader?
A: Someone who is willing to learn, which also means they are willing to step outside their comfort zone and challenge themselves.

Q: What makes a good mentor?
A: Someone who is committed to the overall goals of ALPSs and is willing to give constructive criticism to help the athlete grow as a leader and hold them accountable to requirements of the program.

Q: Do I need to have a mentor to go through ALPs University?
A: Not necessarily. We think that a mentor is an invaluable part of the learning process to keep our athlete-leaders on track and engaged. However, we recognize that some of our athletes may feel they don't need a mentor to be successful. For that reason, we are open to the idea of you doing this on your own. You need to fill out an application first.

Q: As a mentor, what's my time commitment?
A: It truly depends on what major your athlete-leader takes, but you should expect anywhere between 5-10 hours per month AFTER attending classes to help complete the homework. You will also need to attend all in-person trainings, which we hold at least twice per year (on the weekends).

Q: What if I do not have a mentor and want one?
A: SOMO staff will work with you to help find you a mentor, but you must let us know ASAP.

Q: How do people become mentors?
A: Mentors must fill out the online Class A application form and send us an email stating that you filled it out.

Q: How often are ALPs trainings held?
A: Currently we hold two ALPs Universities per year and they are on the weekends. We may offer smaller local trainings in the areas throughout the year. If you're interested in your area hosting a training, tell us!

Q: Can I skip an ALPs University if it doesn't fit in my schedule?
A: Absolutely. You are NOT required to attend your 3-4 sessions all in a row. Depending on how many years you take between classes, we may ask you to re-take classes.

Q: When/how do I declare a major?
A: Each athlete must first take “Intro to Athlete Leadership." At the completion of this course, each athlete is asked to write a personal mission statement that will help them declare a major. They will end up choosing two majors and ranking them by interest level.

Q: How do I graduate?
A: Athletes will pick a total of 16 credit hours’ worth of classes from their major and then must pick two electives outside their major. In total, athlete-leaders need a total of 24 credit hours (not including their Intro to ALPs or Capstone course) to graduate. There are plenty of different courses you can take at each Athlete Leadership University, but not all are offered at the same time.

Q: When must the homework be completed for each course?
A: Homework for each course must be completed 3 weeks PRIOR to the next scheduled ALPs University. If it's not completed by the due date, instructors may ask you to complete an extra assignment for missing the deadline.

Q: Can mentors whose athlete is going through the coaching major become a certified coach as well?
A: Mentors may count the general session, principles of coaching, concussion and CPR trainings toward their coach certification process, however, they must attend a separate sport specific training outside of ALPs University. Be mindful that the focus in the first coaching class will be on the athlete-leaders first and the mentors second.

Q: What is the Leadership Capstone?
A: The Leadership Capstone is the final course that must be taken prior to graduation. This will include a final project that must come back to benefit SOMO in some way. If you choose to come back to ALPs U and declare another major after graduation, you will need to re-take the Capstone class again as the focus will always be on your major at that time. 

Q: What majors are currently offered through ALPs University?
A: We currently offer Communication, Technology, Governance, Health and Coaching as majors athlete-leaders can take.  We have courses in the Leadership for Life track that can be taken as electives but we do not currently offer it as a major.

Q: Can I only graduate from one major?
A: Absolutely not!  You may graduate from multiple majors, but you can only be enrolled in one major at one time. We would ask you to consider only taking on what you think you can do to succeed as there is homework and practicum hours associated with all courses.

Q: Is there a fee to participate in ALPs University?
A: Yes, there is a fee of $60 for athlete-leaders to attend ALPs University. This includes all of your meals and housing while you are in attendance. Mentors do not have to pay. Scholarships are available. We ask that if you use a scholarship to attend a training that you then pay for the next training on your own, opening up the scholarship for other athlete-leaders.

Q: How do I register for ALPs University?
A: When registration for the next session is open, it will be online at the top of this page. The online registration requires payment by credit/debit card so if you do not have either, then you may sign up online using the "scholarship" option and mail in a check to 305 Special Olympics Dr., Jefferson City, MO 65101 with "ALPs University" in the memo line. 

Q: Should the athlete and mentor register together?
A: Yes, we ask the athlete and mentor to register together. Athletes MUST ask their mentors if they can attend the training BEFORE they register.

The next ALPs University weekend is coming June 27-29, 2025! Register here.

Here's a recap of our last ALPs University weekend September 27-29, 2024 at the Training for Life Campus in Jefferson City.

Want to be in-the-know? Join our Athlete Leadership email list and you'll receive updates on what athlete-leaders are doing around the state as well as training opportunities throughout the year.

Athlete Leadership eligibility for current non-athletes

To be eligible to attend ALPs University as a SOMO athlete-leader, you must first be a SOMO athlete. This doesn't mean you have to compete in a sport to take part in ALPs, it simply means we will classify you as an official athlete first for you to be involved in Athlete Leadership.

To be a SOMO athlete, you must be at least eight years old and be identified by an agency or professional as having one of the following:

• An intellectual disability
• Closely-related developmental disability, which means having functional limitations in both general learning and in adaptive skills such as recreation, work, independent living, self-direction, or self-care.

If you aren't currently registered as a SOMO athlete, there are just a few simple steps before you can take part in any of the programs Special Olympics Missouri offers:

1. Find your area staff member.

2. Complete the Athlete Registration and Medical Form. Every athlete is required to have a current physical and release form to practice & compete. Physicals are good for approximately 3 years from the date of exam.

3. Contact us and tell us that you're interested in becoming a leader in your community!

Graduates

2017

• Sarah Byland - Communications
• Becca Tincknell - Technology
• Scott Wright - Technology
  • Awarded posthumously (RIP Scott)

2018

• Shaquana Hobbs - Communications
• Tim Kunz - Governance
• Daxton Miller - Communications
• Derek Sandbothe - Communications
• Jared Niemeyer - Communications
• Larry Stephens - Technology

2019

• Allison D'Agostino - Communications
• Lynna Hodgson - Communications
• Stephanie Littrell - Communications
• Michael Mohrmann - Governance
• Charlie Phillips - Communications
• Shirlene Treadwell - Communications

2020

• Lynna Hodgson - Technology
  • First athlete-leader to receive a second degree
• Allison Hill - Health
• Amanda Koch - Technology
• Allen Tobin - Technology
• Ethan Pike - Communications
• Bill Sampson - Communications

*Some of the 2020 graduates officially graduated at the 2022 Leadership Summit due to COVID-19.

2022

• Anna McDaniel - Health & Coaching
• Kayla Dannenmueller​ - Technology
• Allen Tobin - Health
• Thomas Frost - Technology
• Amanda Koch - Health
• Charlie Phillips - Communications
• Shaquana Lowry - Technology
• Leah Shoemaker - Communications
• Drew Thompson - Health

2025

• Abby Bax - Communications
• Lynn Shuffit - Health
• Kayla Dannenmueller​ - Coaching
• Eric Schmitt - Communications
• Joseph Collins - Technology
• Kenlee Lewis - Communications

Check out more photos from our ALPs graduation at the 2025 Summer Games Opening Ceremony!

Below are a few photos from previous ALPs graduations!

Quote from Athlete Leader Anna McDaniel (SOMO Board Member and Athlete Leadership Council President):

“My name is Anna McDaniel, and I have been a Special Olympics Missouri athlete for 20 years. I majored in coach and health degree in the ALPs program with SOMO in 2022. Special Olympics Missouri has greatly impacted my life by making friends for a lifetime, learning things I'm interested in and so much more through playing sports. Now, I’m enrolled in ALPs University training, and I am a stronger and more confident person.”

Quote from Athlete Leader Drew Thompson:

"My name is Drew Thompson, and I have been a Special Olympian in Missouri for 18 years. I have been involved with the SOMO ALPs program, and I majored in Nutrition in 2022. The impact it has had already on my life is that it gave me confidence to be able to speak in front of others, learn healthy habits and make new friends across Missouri. I enjoyed the support that I was given, along with the challenges and motivation to learn something new. ALPs University allows me to be part of a different kind of team with SOMO, and I feel like I have really accomplished something. This has encouraged me to help my fellow athlete friends to live healthy lives and be a part of a community, and that is something I want to do."

Quote from a parent of a SOMO Athlete Leader:

“Athlete Leadership is a stepping stone. When your child gets out of school, this is a college geared toward them. It shows them their strengths and urges them to use them. My daughter refers to this as her college and that’s exactly what it is.”