Coaches Education

General Orientation Training

The general orientation course is a basic introduction to Special Olympics. It covers the Special Olympics mission philosophy, organization history and structure, intellectual disabilities and eligibility, sports opportunities and new initiatives and rules.

Sport Specific Skills

The sport specific skills course in offered in each sport offered at Special Olympics Rhode Island. The focus of this training is the basic skills and strategies of the sport. It provides the application of the Special Olympics mission and philosophy in a sports specific way. The skills course includes a coach with coach session and coach with athlete session.

Principles of Coaching

The Principles of Coaching course is non-sport-specific. It addresses the basic principles of coaching; coaching philosophy; planning and coaching administration; fitness and conditioning; and safety and risk management.

Tactics

The tactics course is sports specific and focuses on development of higher-level sports skills, game or event tactics and strategies, expand skill instruction and athlete performance enhancement.

Coaching Special Olympics Athletes

This course focuses on what a sports-qualified person needs to know about the athlete, added responsibilities of the coach, training the athlete and preparing the athlete for competition.

Additional Training

Coaches are encouraged and recognized for participating in other approved non-Special Olympics education courses. Special Olympics now offers online courses to Special Olympics coaches through a partnership with the American Sports Education Program (ASEP).