Coach

Become a Coach

I'm Already a Coach

Become a Coach

It's incredibly rewarding to be a Special Olympics Missouri coach.

Special Olympics Missouri coaches get to experience sports the way they should be. Our athletes are always respectful of other players and officials. With a little encouragement from a coach like you, these exceptional athletes can do anything.

Regardless of whether you've coached before, you can be the inspiration for Special Olympics Missouri athletes. We provide training, including a simple certification process that makes it easy for you to get started. Opportunities are also available for volunteers who are experienced in a particular sport but haven't coached before. You can assist other coaches and provide instructional training at practices, camps and special events. With two different coaching levels, there's a way to get involved for everybody.

There are 16 sports to choose from and thousands of athletes who need a coach. More than 10,000 athletes from around the state benefit from participation in the program.

To learn more about coaching opportunities throughout Missouri, contact Luke Lamb.

This includes information on coaches training, rules and regional/state events.

Steps to becoming a Special Olympics coach:

Many of these steps are on different websites. You will need to create a login/account for each one. Please save any certificates/documentation that you completed the course.

Fill out BOTH the Class A Volunteer form (Under 18? Fill out the Minor Class A Volunteer form instead.) AND the background check information through Sterling Volunteers. Save the certificate.
Complete Protective Behaviors and applicable sports training through the Special Olympics learning portal. Save the certificate.
Complete the Principles of Coaching course. Save the certificate.
Complete the Concussion Awareness Training. Save the certificate.
If you filled out the online Class A Volunteer form since 1/27/23, you've already agreed to our COVID and Communicable Diseases waiver and release statement. But if you submitted that form prior to that date, please complete this Communicable Diseases and COVID-19 Waiver and Release Form. (This is necessary to be compliant with Special Olympics Corporate General Liability policy guideline.)
RECOMMENDED: Complete a CPR/First Aid course through American Red Cross or other provider. Each year thereafter in order to remain up to date you may take the renewal course online at www.firstaidweb.com. Save the certificate.
You will be contacted by a Special Olympics representative to complete the process. They will ask for documentation that you completed all of these steps, so be prepared.

PLEASE NOTE:

Class A Volunteer Forms only need to be filled out once.
The Principles of Coaching course only needs to be taken once.
Protective Behaviors needs to be completed every three years
Concussion Training needs to be completed every three years.

Not sure if your information is all up-to-date? Contact your Area Director!

Expectations

Coaches teach the skills and spirit that define a true athlete. Coaches are role models and character-builders. Special Olympics coaches go even further -- they help athletes with intellectual disabilities find their own strengths and abilities.

A Special Olympics coach is a person who selects, assesses, and provides Special Olympics athletes with comprehensive sports training and preparation for competitions, knowing, understanding and abiding by the rules of the sport being coached, Special Olympics General Rules, and Official Sports Rules.

The following coach descriptions outline the expectations from a Special Olympics coach:

Team Sports: Each team must have one head coach. A head coach may only be the coach of one team. The coach’s name submitted on the entry form must be that of a certified head coach. The head coach must be on the field or on the court with the team during any and all competition. In the event an emergency should arise, a certified volunteer coach may take over as the head coach, but this shall require prior approval by SOMO’s Competition Director. For an example, if you have four 3-on-3 teams you need to have four different head coaches.

Individual Sports: The coach’s name submitted on the entry form must be that of a certified head coach. It is not necessary to have a certified head coach present at each venue where athletes participate, however only a head coach may file a protest.

Special Olympics Missouri requires that all agencies have someone certified as a head coach in the respective sport in order to compete at regional and state competitions.

Levels of Coaching

I'm Already a Coach

Information for Current Coaches:

Meetings

Coaches' meetings are held periodically by your Area Program Staff. Make sure you attend these to stay current on rules, changes to events, and other topics. These are often communicated via area newsletters or on our calendar. Contact your Area Director if you cannot find the next date for a coaches' meeting.

Documents

Rosters, scoresheets, and other documents are required to send athletes to competition. Go to our Sports Offered page and find documents by clicking the specific sport. Alternatively, you can find all our sports documents in the sports document library.

Athlete Registration & Medical Forms

One of your responsibilities is to make sure every athlete has a completed athlete registration and medical form as well as an online risk participant acknowledgement form BEFORE they even step onto the practice field or court. This is a safety and liability issue and is SOMO policy. Athletes should NEVER train nor compete without a current physical. By letting them practice and compete without one, you're putting yourself and the organization at great risk. You should always keep your athletes' physical forms on hand during practices, competitions, and when traveling.

Tracking hours

As a coach, you are required to closely track the number of hours you practice. We do this because during our yearly audit, we can use those hours and treat them like donations, helping improve our program percentage. Track your hours here.

A few suggestions to help you manage this task:

Ask a parent to keep track of your physicals and when they are due to your area office.
Get a student to create a spreadsheet for you to track your athletes' physicals and their expiration dates.
Carry a file with you or make copies and keep a file in your trunk, just in case.
If your athletes play for another agency during a different sport season, share your documents with the other coach(es) and request they do the same.
Double check that the medical form is filled out in its entirety, so that it is not returned to you because of missing information.

Deadlines

All NEW online medical forms will be due to SOMO HQ eight weeks prior to the state event in which the athlete will compete. NO athlete shall practice without valid medicals.

Athlete registration and medical forms are valid for three years from the date they are signed by the examiner. Please note: Area offices may adjust deadlines to be able to assure athlete medicals are turned into SOMO Headquarters by the above dates.

If you would like to have input on our policy regarding athlete medicals, please email them to us.

Photo IDs

Over the past few years we have also moved over to photo identification for all athletes. We have made great progress in this area, and we appreciate your patience with us as we make this transition. The majority of athletes have a photo ID, but any current athletes who do not have an ID need to submit a digital photograph as soon as possible. Contact your Area Director for details on how to do this. Any new athlete MUST submit a digital photograph at the same time they send in their medical forms.

Photo IDs must be worn at all SOMO events whenever the athlete is not competing. The purpose of photo IDs is to track meals to your team and to improve safety for everyone at events.

Coach Certification Process

For more information on the coach certification process, which includes the possibility of online courses, open the "Become a Coach" tab at the top of the page.

Training Videos

In order to make your job easier as a coach, SOMO has started the process of putting together training videos for specific sports and rules that are easier to understand by watching them in action. Click here to view the collection of those videos. If you have an idea for a training video, please let us know.