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We want to thank you for all you do for the athletes and families of Special Olympics Texas.
This PowerPoint contains the updates you will find in the 2014 SOTX Information Guide (SIG).
Certified coaches are responsible for these updates as well as the balance of the important information in the SIG. Contact your area office or the chapter office if you have questions about information contained in the 2014 SOTX Sports Information Guide.
In order to receive credit for attending the 2014 Coaches Recertification:
• You will need to review the PowerPoint and the Terms of Agreement
• Check YES next to each statement
• Enter your contact information and hit SUBMIT. (The form will only SUBMIT if you check YES next to each statement, enter your contact information and hit SUBMIT)
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Additional steps required to maintain your coach certification:
• Every three years, the coach must complete Protective Behaviors
• Submit a new Class A Volunteer Application.
(Contact your Area office to check on your Class A status)
The online 2014 Coaches Recertification will only be available from December 2 – February 28.
Thank you for all you do!
Molly Kuchar
Director of Program Training
Special Olympics Texas mkuchar@sotx.org
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Online Training now available for Coach certification!
• Alternative training option for SOTX Coach certification
• Access online course in the convenience of own home and schedule
• SOTX is not responsible for course expense
Coaching Special Olympics Athletes http://www.asep.com/asep_content/org/SONA.cfm
This is a three hour course offered through American Sports Education Program for $16.95.
Coaching Basketball, Baseball, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Volleyball, Track & Field http://www.nfhslearn.com
This is a three hour course offered through the National Federation of State High School Associations for $50.00.
Coaching Unified Sports http://www.nfhslearn.com
This 90-minute course is FREE offered through National Federation of State High School Associations.
Principles of Coaching for Special Olympics http://continuinged.wvu.edu
This 9-hour course is offered through West Virginia Continuing Education for $35.00.
Coaching Youth Basketball, Volleyball, Softball, Soccer and Tennis http://www.asep.com/asep_content/org/SONA.cfm
These 3-hour courses are offered through American Sports Education Program for $19.95 each.
See complete course description for each online course located in the Sports Information Guide in Section F-3.
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Prerequisites before completing online courses if new to SOTX:
• Complete the Special Olympics General Orientation
• Complete the Special Olympics Protective Behaviors training
• Complete Class A Volunteer Form
• SIG Instructional Course (taken through local SOTX office) http://www.sotx.org/get-involved
Online Certification Procedures:
Once a course is complete, the user will receive an online course certificate.
Please forward a copy of the online course certificate to Director of Program
Training, dir_progtrg.chp@sotx.org. A follow-up letter will be sent to recognize your course accomplishments as a new or returning coach for SOTX.
If seeking new coach certification, a practicum form will be sent to continue the certification process. A ten hour practicum is mandated to capture at least 10 hours of practical experience with intellectually disabled athletes. After
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Project Unify is a national grant-funded project designed to empower students with and without intellectual disabilities to work together as agents of change – fostering respect, dignity, and advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities by utilizing the programs and initiatives of Special
Olympics.
Project UNIFY has three components:
1. Youth Leadership
2. Unified Sports
3. Whole School Involvement
For more information on Project Unify – Meet in the Middle, contact project_unify.chp@sotx.org
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Due to the recent change in Unified Sports, Unified Sports will now be known as
“Unified Programs”.
SOTX encourages all Coaches certified in Unified Sports to attend a Unified Program
Training to ensure they are working from the most updated information.
Unified Program Trainings are offered through face to face trainings and also online for
FREE by the National Federation of State High School Associations, Coaching
Unified Sports www.nfhslearn.com
.
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Unified Programs has three components:
1. Unified Recreation – recreational sport-related enrichment opportunities for promoting social inclusion and increasing sports skills and knowledge, which takes place in schools, the community and private or public organizations.
Example Activities: intramurals, open gym, camps, club activities – Meet in the Middle & Young Athletes
2. Unified Player Development – the level in which players of higher ability assist teammates in developing sports skills and tactics, and in successfully participating in a team environment.
Example Activities: intramurals, open gym, camps, club activities – Meet in the Middle & Local Competitions
3. Unified Sports
– program that combines Special Olympics athletes and athletes without intellectual disabilities
(partners) on sports teams for training and competition.
Example Activities: League, Club Activities
– Meet in the Middle (coaches need to be certified) & Area/State
Competitions
•
See the Unified Program chart in SIG section K-1 for further divisioning components.
•
SOTX Unified modifications are now included with the sport specific information found in the Summer Games,
Fall Classic and Winter Games SIG sections.
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• Thursday, February 20 th , 2014 - Conference Call
• Thursday, June 12 th , 2014 - Conference Call
• Friday, September 5 th , 2014 - Chapter Office – Austin
• Thursday, November 6 th , 2014 - Conference Call
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Special Olympics Texas strives to provide each athlete with the opportunity to excel and reach their personal best. Through conversation and education, coaches, families and athletes will understand the Rabbit Rule and the benefits it provides over the alternative Honest Effort Rule.
For the purpose of equalizing competition and protecting against inaccurate entry scores or sandbagging in preliminaries, SOTX utilizes the
Rabbit Rule for Athletics, Aquatics, Bowling and Cycling.
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In effort to avoid an athlete from “rabbiting”, it is suggested during the 8-12 week training session that coaches track the progress of their athletes at every training.
In addition to team practices, part of the qualifying process involves athletes participating in two scrimmages and a local competition. Participating in these events should give the coaches an idea of how their athletes react in a competition environment.
Because all athletes have the opportunity to improve with proper training, Coaches can adjust entry scores for their athletes. Coaches submit entries; SOTX enters data and sends reports to the coaches asking them to submit corrections. The corrections are submitted; update our system and heat (or division).
Team Registration is the last opportunity for Coaches to update an athlete’s entry score.
Each year it is our expectation for all coaches to educate athletes, parents and families on the Rabbit Rule. As a Coach, we ask you to take the responsibility to explain the
Rabbit Rule among your team to avoid any misunderstanding or discrepancies at competition.
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th
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SOTX is sending 139 athletes to compete at the National Level
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Every athlete deserves the best and most positive experience possible.
When developing a team, consider the minimum and maximum roster numbers. Too few substitutes can impact your team’s experience and impact other teams in your division.
Do you have:
• Enough team members to have an effective scrimmage, game-like situation during practice?
• Enough players to carry even with unexpected injuries or absence?
• Enough members to travel for competitions?
• Enough members to substitute for any fatigued teammates?
• Enough members and substitutes to compete without negatively impacting competition?
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Team Competition
• Half-court: 3-on-3 competition (8 foot and 10 foot goal divisions). A minimum of nine teams must be registered to hold a 3-on-3 competition at Chapter Games.
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• New Competition levels used in 2014 to better guide transition from individual skills to traditional matchplay.
• The 2014 Rating Sheet lists the Suggested Competition Level based on the athlete’s final rating.
• The 2014 Suggest Competition Levels provides an overview of the five levels and their corresponding Court Dimensions, Ball Color and Final
Rating.
• The Suggested Competition Levels and New Rating Form will be used for
Area and Chapter competitions.
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TN Individual Skills (Level 1 Red)
TNINSC
TN Singles (Level 2 Red, Level 3 Orange, Level 4 Green, Level 5 Yellow)
TNSING
TN Doubles (Level 2 Red, Level 3 Orange, Level 4 Green, Level 5 Yellow)
TNDBLE
TN Unified Sports Doubles (Level 2 Red, Level 3 Orange, Level 4 Green, Level 5
Yellow)
TNDBLEU
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all
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Two new divisions have been added to Bocce Competitions:
1.
Half-Court Traditional Doubles
• Can be hosted at Area, Regional and Chapter competitions.
2.
Half-Court Unified Doubles
• Can only be hosted at local competitions because Unified Doubles falls under the Unified
Sports Player Development Model.
Bocce Event Codes
BC Half-Court Doubles…BCHALFD
BC Unified Sports (HalfCourt) Doubles…BCHALFU

Beginning in 2014 teams are required to provide caddies for their Level
4 and 5 athletes who are competing at Area, Regional and Chapter competitions.
The caddies will need to be registered Class A Volunteers with Special
Olympics Texas and included on the Athlete Entry Form with the role code “Caddie”.
The SOI Official Sports Rules for golf now list the maximum entry averages for each level of competition .
Due to the natural level of difficulty inherent in the sport and the amount of practice time it takes one to lower their average SOTX will consider
2014 as a transition year .
SOTX will follow SOI maximum entry averages beginning in 2015.
Level 2: average of 75 or lower
Level 3: average of 120 or lower (18 holes)
Level 4: average of 70 or lower
Level 5: average of 120 or lower
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Because 2014 is considered a transition year, it is recommended for team/individual entry scores not exceed
SOI’s maximum entry average at Area, Regional and
Chapter competitions.
The team/individual athlete must include with entries
6 scorecards in the level in which they wish to compete.
The Fall Classic Golf Organizing Committee will document scores for the 2014 Fall Classic.
If a team/individual scores are above the recommended maximum scores, the HOD and head coach will be notified that the team/individual cannot participate in that Level at the 2015 Fall Classic.
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• Shorthand Rule: Teams should have five Special Olympics athletes and five partners on the field at all times. The SOI rules state that if a team plays shorthanded with either three in the infield or outfield, at least two of the three must be athletes and at least one of the three must be a partner. Also, a team may play with an uneven number of athletes and partners as long as there are more athletes.
• When a partner is walked: Any walk to a partner, intentional or otherwise, will result in a two base award. The next batter, an athlete, will bat. The exception is with two outs, the athlete batter has the option to walk or bat.
• Home Run Rule: A limit of over-the-fence home runs will be used in all Unified divisions.
The following limitations are per team per game: Two (2). Both athlete and partner home runs count toward the Unified limit.
• Additional information on Unified Sports can be found in Section K in the SIG.
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During Chapter Games (Winter, Summer, Fall Classic), we will use text messaging to notify participants of any weather alerts, schedule changes or other important information. To receive these alerts, please text the appropriate word to 888777:
Winter Games: wintergames
Summer Games: sotxsummer
Fall Classic: fallclassic
Once you have signed up for each Games, you will remain signed up unless you remove yourself from the group by texting STOP to 888777.
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1. Return to the Area Conference homepage
2. Review the Terms of Agreement
3. Enter your contact information
4. Select YES under each statement
5. Hit SUBMIT
The 2014 SOTX Information Guide (SIG) can be accessed from http://www.sotx.org
.
Beginning in 2014, SOTX will no longer print a hardcopy.
Contact your area office or the chapter office if you have questions about information contained in the 2014 SOTX
Information Guide.
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Thank you for your time.
Good luck in 2014!
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