Facebook logo - link to our Facebook page          Send us your email address          Make a donation

Home Calendar Directions Forms Site Map Links


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up


SOMD Training Oportunities

Periodically, Special Olympics Maryland conducts training for athletes to develop new skills or to enhance current ones - athlete leadership roles, athlete ambassadors, report on competitions.

Also, they offer on-line, sports-specific, presentations for coaches and for volunteers before and during the season for each sport.  A copy of the presentations will be available below, as they become available. Note that we also have links to this page on our Get Involved page that target specific sports' trainings, and the general training courses for traditional coaches and for unified coaches.
 


Coach opportunities

SOMD will be implementing the new Special Olympics Coach Education and Development model, beginning with the sports offered at Summer Games. The model is similar in many ways to how SOMD has been addressing coach training and learning, but also has some key differences. A copy of the model is attached and links to webinars reviewing it are available on the newly launched Coach Resource Page of the SOMD website (www.somd.org/coach/coach-resources/ ). Those webinars were held on January 23 and 24 and coaches are encouraged to view the recording. SOMD provided a copy of one session. Their note follows:

Thank you to everyone who was able to join us for one of the two webinars last week reviewing the new SOMD/SONA Coach Education and Development Progression. As noted during the webinar, this new model will be in effect starting with coaches who are coaching Summer Games sports (athletics, bocce, cheerleading, softball, swimming). The slides and the previously distributed model (with a slight adjustment reviewed during the webinars) are attached for your use and review. They will also be posted to the SOMD Coach Resource Page shortly.
The recording of one of the webinars is also available for viewing:  https://youtu.be/fOOyjOiRveo

For coaches, existing sport certifications will be honored through their current expiration dates. While in future seasons, coaches and head coaches will need to meet the sports certification requirements prior to the start of the season, for the 2019 Summer Games we are allowing until May 6, 2019, for meeting these requirements.

To be registered as an assistant coach, in addition to the standard requirements of volunteer application, protective behaviors and concussion certification, the person must have completed either the Coaching Special Olympics Athletes (CSOA) course (for “traditional” assistant coaches) or the Coaching Unified® Sports course (for “Unified®” assistant coaches) – the CSOA or Unified® course can be completed either via a live class or online.
 
To be registered as a head coach, in addition to meeting all the requirements for an assistant coach noted above, the person must have completed an SOMD approved sport-specific course for the designated sport, via a live class or online.

Athlete opportunities

None at this time.


Sports presentations

Aquatics (swimming)

Below you will find the links to register for this year’s in-person Swimming Coaches Trainings. There will be one held in Allegany County at the Cumberland YMCA as well as our annual training held at Towson University. Both Trainings will count towards coach certification/recertification.
 
Cumberland YMCA
Saturday, February 2nd
10am – 2pm
Cumberland YMCA
601 Kelly Rd, Cumberland, MD
 
Towson University
Saturday, March 2nd
10am – 2pm
Towson University Burdick Hall
291 University Ave, Towson, MD 21204
 
Along with the in-person opportunities for coaches training and recertification, we will also be offering a few online. While we highly recommend and encourage coaches (especially new coaches) to attend our in-person trainings, we want to provide opportunities for all to get the training to best serve the athletes. As a reminder, we will reimburse coaches for SOMD approved online trainings up to $20 upon successful completion of the course and you can check with your Area Leadership if they will reimburse any additional costs (a select number of Areas have the resources available to provide that additional support).
 
NFHS - Coaching Swimming
 
SOMD Recorded Training & Quiz
The link to this training will be available in March

Coaching Special Olympics Athletes (Online) $16.95 (SOMD will reimburse)

http://www.asep.com/courseInfo/purchase_courseinfo.cfm?courseID=233&format=&usaw_status=&orgID=5947
 

Coaching Unified Sports

As a bonus, if you are a Unified® coach or plan to coach Unified® sports, there is a free training through NFHS to add to your tool belt as a SOMD coach!
 
NFHS – Coaching Unified® Sports
 
We will be hosting two webinars reviewing how we will be addressing the space/capacity concerns from the 2018 Summer Games. Content will be the same for each sessions and a recording will be posted following the second session.
 
Monday, January 28, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.
 
Thursday, January 31, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.
 
Pre-season Webinar: Swimming
If you have not marked your calendar and signed up already, please use the following link to register for the Swimming Pre-season Webinar to be held on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6227839863934669826

Bocce
Below you will find the links to register for this year’s Bocce Coaches Trainings. We have two in-person trainings scheduled in different parts of the state.

Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center (canceled)
1000 Forest Glen Road
Silver Spring, MD 20901
Sunday, February 17th
9:00am-11:30am

Farring Baybrook Recreation Center
4501 Farring Court
Brooklyn, MD 21225
Thursday, March 14th
6:30pm-8:30pm

Register here to attend either of the above sessions: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LR62KB6

Star Community Center
13757 Broadfording Church Road
Hagerstown, MD  21740
Thursday, March 28th
To register contact Tracy Speaker at mspeaker@dmpine.net or (301)223-6875

Along with the in-person opportunities for coaches training and recertification, we will also be offering
a few online. While we highly recommend and encourage coaches (especially new coaches) to attend
our in-person trainings, we want to provide opportunities for all to get the training to best serve the
athletes. As a reminder, we will reimburse coaches for SOMD approved online trainings up to $20
upon successful completion of the course and you can check with your Area Leadership if they will
reimburse any additional costs (a select number of Areas have the resources available to provide that
additional support). There is also the opportunity to watch a video of last year’s coaching training and
take a quick quiz after via Survey Monkey to show you watched the entire presentation. All of these
options are listed below.

2019 Coaches Training Live Webinar
Wednesday, February 27th at 7pm
Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5755069655575924226

2018 Coaches Training Video + Post-Training Quiz
Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iDfgsGcobU&t=4s
Quiz link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/summary/2_2F3Mn_2FLeST3W1PpejlvUuheZgYpC6pAux4bA8flIyQkkPDyB3N1nW3HsnTzAIbHA

Coaching Special Olympics Athletes
Coaching Unified Sports

Pre-Season Webinar: Bocce
Tuesday, March 12, 2019 @ 7pm
If you have not marked your calendar and signed up already, please use the following link to register
for the Bocce Pre-Season Webinar: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7261285137173557250

Pre-Competition Webinar: Bocce
Tuesday, May 28, 2019 @ 7pm
If you have not marked your calendar and signed up already, please use the following link to register
for the Bocce Pre-Competition Webinar:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1236577143472654082

Athletics (Track & Field)

Below you will find the links to register for this year’s Athletics Coaches Trainings. We have one in-person training scheduled currently and another one we are finalizing the details for.
 
Towson University – Room Location TBD
Saturday, February 16th
10:00am-12:00pm 
            https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/582SQTK
 

Along with the in-person opportunities for coaches training and recertification, we will also be offering a few online. While we highly recommend and encourage coaches (especially new coaches) to attend our in-person trainings, we want to provide opportunities for all to get the training to best serve the athletes. As a reminder, we will reimburse coaches for SOMD approved online trainings up to $20 upon successful completion of the course and you can check with your Area Leadership if they will reimburse any additional costs (a select number of Areas have the resources available to provide that additional support). There is also the opportunity to watch a video of last year’s coaching training and take a quick quiz after via Survey Monkey to show you watched the entire presentation. All of these options are listed below.
 

2019 Coaches Training Live Webinar
Wednesday, February 20th at 7pm
 
ASEP: Coaching Track and Field Principles
$49.95 (SOMD will cover $20) {SOAAC will reimburse for the rest}

Coaching Special Olympics Athletes
Coaching Unified Sports

Pre-Season Webinar: Athletics
Tuesday, March 12, 2019 @ 8pm
If you have not marked your calendar and signed up already, please use the following link to register for the Athletics Pre-Season Webinar:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6941558150932582914
 
Pre-Competition Webinar: Athletics
Tuesday, May 28, 2019 @ 8pm
If you have not marked your calendar and signed up already, please use the following link to register for the Athletics Pre-Competition Webinar:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8774146066784069378

 

Send mail to mjtree83@yahoo.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 06/20/18