SOMO News
SOMO athletes flourish during ALPs University Weekend
JEFFERSON CITY – Special Olympics Missouri (SOMO) hosted its semi-annual ALPs University Weekend at the Training for Life Campus, March 31 through April 2. ALPs stands for Athlete Leadership Programs.
21 athletes spent two days taking different classes in a college-like setting. The athletes learned about health, finances, social media and much more! In total, SOMO held nine different classes throughout the weekend.
“I love it because you get to meet new people and learn more things,” SOMO athlete Lynn Shuffitt said.
Thank you so much to all of the volunteer mentors and instructors for taking time out of their schedules to be at ALPs University Weekend!
“I like to see our athletes grow to their fullest potential,” ALPs instructor Linda Tyler said. “They are very capable of doing all of these classes. I love to see the differences of where they are when they first begin to where they’ve become.”
SOMO was fortunate to have two ALPs graduates serve in leadership roles during ALPs University. Allen Tobin served as a mentor, and Derek Sandbothe was an instructor.
The ALPs participants also received a fun surprise during the weekend. They had a chance to visit Rusty Drewing Toyota to meet Chiefs standout Willie Gay Jr.
Our next ALPs University Weekend will be Sept. 22-24 at the Training for Life Campus!
Check out our Flickr album to see more pictures!
What is ALPs University?
Special Olympics Missouri’s Athlete Leadership Programs (ALPs) provide an opportunity for all of our athletes to pursue higher education. There are a variety of majors athlete leaders can choose to study to further their education. ALPs University is truly a program for EVERYONE, regardless of their learning style or prior education.
ALPs teaches our athletes how to apply their same passion and ability to learn in sports to the classroom. Our athlete leaders are empowered and challenged through our ALPs University program offerings. Throughout Special Olympics Missouri, athlete leaders take on impactful roles and responsibilities from many different ALPs initiatives, as well as in the workforce.