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Coaches Education

Behind every successful athlete is a coach. Being a coach can be one of the most rewarding experiences of a lifetime – both for you and your athletes.  We provide the training you need to be a successful coach. Certified Coach: For all individuals training athletes in a sport; certification as a coach consists of the following components:

  • General Orientation (GO): Complete the online training and take a short test. General Orientation is an introduction to Special Olympics and to the program and structure in North Carolina.
  • Protective Behaviors (PB): Complete a 15 minute online course to learn how to recognize and handle signs of abusive behaviors.
  • Sports specific skills course: Attend a training school that will give you specific instruction in training athletes in a sport as well as Special Olympics modifications to that sport.
  • Ten practicum hours: Time actually spent training Special Olympics athletes after attending a training school.

Coaches must be at least 18 years old to be a certified coach. Anyone age 14 years and up can attend a training school.

Advanced Certified Coach: Required training consists of the following:

  • All Certified Coach Requirements
  • Coaching Special Olympics Athletes (CSOA): Complete an online test. CSOA is a  more in-depth training about how to work with Special Olympics athletes, recognize and accommodate their needs in the sport, and provide them with an effective sport training and competition experience.
  • Principles of Coaching (PoC): Complete an online test. PoC is education regarding the sport management team approach to recruitment and sport development, how to enhance athlete performance, and application of basic principles of coaching. 

If you have received training and are a certified coach in a sport with a different organization, contact Beth Brooker for your certification options.

Check Your Certification Information

If you would like to check your certification status, you may do so by clicking on the document below. This document is updated monthly.

Certified Coaches List (May)

You may notice your name list more than once, one line shows whether or not you have completed  General Orientation, Protective Behaviors, Coaching Special Olympics Athletes and/or Principles of Coaches (there is a date in the column if you have), the other(s) shows a date in the “Sports” column if you have attended a sports specific skills course at a training school.

Sports certification expires every 3 years. You will see when your certification expires in the last column labeled “Expiration”.  If your certification has expired or is about to expire, please contact Beth Brooker to get information about getting recertified.

Protective Behaviors certification expires every 3 years. Add 3 years to the date in the column to see if yours is current or needs to be renewed.

Local Coordinators can use the filter function to see only their program’s coaches. In the “county” column, click on the pull down arrow and uncheck the “select all” box, then but a check in the box for your county. Click “OK”.

  

Training School Calendar

 

 

Coach Recertification

If it has been more than three years since you attended a sport-specific training school, you are required to complete an online test or attend another training school to be recertified.  Contact Beth Brooker to get more information.

Share Your Sport Knowledge!

Are you an experienced SONC or sport coach interested in helping train other coaches in your community or around the state?  Contact Beth Brooker to learn how to become a Certified Clinician.