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Thursday. 28 March 2024
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Special Olympics and the American Sport Education Program release new online training course for Special Olympics coaches

Special Olympics has partnered with leading sport coaching education provider American Sport Education Program (ASEP) to develop and deliver a Special Olympics-customized online course aimed at improving the quality and consistency of Special Olympics’ coaches training worldwide.

Through the Coaching Special Olympics Athletes online course, coaches will develop a better understanding of how people with intellectual disabilities learn and how they participate in sports. The course offers an overview of the coaching principles involved in working with Special Olympics athletes, as well as practical ideas that can be used during coaching. The course meets the entry-level certification requirements for Special Olympics coaches.

The course represents much-needed web-based alternative to the traditional in-person training. Special Olympics PDF resources are referenced throughout the course, along with photos, audio, video, and narrated presentations, providing coaches with an engaging online learning experience.

Annette Lynch, Sr. Manager, Sports Partnerships, Special Olympics North America: “The course represents an important first for Special Olympics – by leveraging technology, the training delivery expertise of ASEP and some of the best coaching and instructional minds in sports, we are able to bring quality training to our volunteer coaches in a way we’ve never been able to before,” Lynch added, “traditional training obstacles for volunteers such as geography, time, and money will be removed, allowing for more people to become the quality coaches our athletes deserve.”

“We’re excited to collaborate with Special Olympics and support their efforts to provide quality coaching education,” says Jim Schmutz, ASEP executive director. “24/7 online access to Coaching Special Olympics Athletes provides flexibility that will help reach more coaches with valuable information and practical tools. This athlete-centered course will simply help more Special Olympics coaches bring out the very best in each of their athletes. ASEP is proud to be part of the Special Olympics movement that enhances lives and transforms communities.”

Special Olympics focuses on delivering high-quality year-round competition opportunities in a variety of sports in an inclusive culture that stresses athletic excellence, rewards determination, emphasizes health and celebrates personal achievement.

More than 306,000 volunteer coaches support Special Olympics’ athletes globally. The organization has a strategic goal of increasing the number of certified coaches to 530,000 by 2015.

Special Olympics currently serves 4 million athletes in 170 countries, offers 32 Olympic-type summer and winter sports, and holds nearly 53,000 competitions annually - the equivalent of about 146 competitions a day!

Special Olympics is a global organization that reveals the champion in all of us through the transformative power and joy of sport, everyday around the world. Through programming in sports, health, education and community building, Special Olympics is changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities tackling the injustice, isolation, intolerance and inactivity they face throughout the world. Learn more at www.specialolympics.org.

The American Sport Education Program (ASEP) is the leading provider of youth, high school, and elite-level sport education programs in the United States. Rooted in the philosophy of "Athletes first, winning second," ASEP has educated more than one million coaches, officials, sport administrators, parents, and athletes. For more than 30 years, local, state, and national sport organizations have partnered with ASEP to lead the way in making sport a safe, successful, and enjoyable experience for all involved. For more information on ASEP sport education courses and resources, call 800-747-5698, e-mail ASEP@hkusa.com, or visit www.ASEP.com.


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