The Family Times  - Our Newsletter for Families & Friends
We're Back!

For those of you who have been around for awhile, you may remember The Family Times. Well we thought it's about time to bring it back.  Our goal is to provide one before the start of every sport season so you have the latest information on what is happening in our world of sports, community news and fundraisers.  

If you've never received it before, we hope you will find it helpful and informative.  Please feel free to share with family and friends.  
IN THIS ISSUE





 






QUICK LINKS








registration
Sports Registration Procedures

In order to participate in any Special Olympics sport, athletes are required to register for the sport(s) they are interested in participating in for the upcoming season.  Practice Registration Periods will take place 1-2 months prior to the start of the first practice session for a given sport. 

In addition, athletes must have a current  Application for Participation  on file with SONC in order to register.  Click here  if you need to complete an Athlete Application.  

For information about these procedures, please click on your county page or contact your sports manager for details (see below).  

staff
Sports Staff Contacts

If you have a question about sports trainings or competitions, our sports staff members are here to help.  Below is a list of their contact information and the areas that they serve.

Dylan Kiyomura - Alameda & Contra Costa 
dylank@sonc.org, 925-944-8801 ext. 245

Oscar Hinojosa - Fresno 
oscarh@sonc.org; 559-355-6034

Nate Evans - Marin, San Francisco & San Mateo
natee@sonc.org; 707-578-5941
Julie Rodriguez, Sacramento & Davis
julier@sonc.org; 916-375-1962 ext.203
Steve Ramirez - Nevada, Placer, San Joaquin, & Yolo
stephenr@sonc.org; 916-375-1962 ext. 206
Nicholas Scolari - Santa Cruz, Monterey, Santa Clara & San Benito
nicholass@sonc.org; 408-392-0170 ext. 208
Judy Burton-Andrews - Volunteer Areas
judy@sonc.org; 925-944-8801 ext. 214
Jeff Ruthenberg, Vice President, Sports Program
jeffr@sonc.org; 916-375-1930 ext. 207
Matt Cohen, Sr. Vice President, Sports
mattc@sonc.org; 925-944-8801 ext. 227
seasons
Our Sports Seasons


We offer year-round sports training and competition opportunities in 12 different sports which are offered in four different sport seasons.  

Below are the sports and the seasons in which they are offered.

Winter Season (January - March)
Basketball
Spring Season (March - June)
Aquatics
Bocce
Tennis
Track & Field
Volleyball
Summer Season (June - September)
Golf
Softball
Fall Season (September - December)
Bowling
Flag Football*
Floor Hockey
Soccer

Keep in mind not every sport is offered in every county.  To find the sports that are offered in your county, please click here.

*In 2016 Flag Football is a pilot program in Santa Clara, Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties.
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opinion
Your Opinion Matters


As a  member of our Special Olympics family, we are reaching out to you to assist us in Designing our Future.  Last June, we introduced David Solo as our new President and CEO.  With his leadership, we are committed to growing our program - through more athletes served, more competitions, and introducing more sports.  To accomplish that feat, we look to you to help us shape how we grow.  Although there is no way to accomplish everything at once, we hope to build a path toward success.

If you haven't already done so, we invite you to complete our survey and share your thoughts.  
fundraisers
Support Our Fundraisers!


Do you know that we currently provide sports training and competition opportunities to 19,940 Special Olympics athletes in Northern California? It's true and every one of them gets to play for free.  

We couldn't possibly accomplish this without our family, friends and supporters coming out to our fundraising events.  

Click here to check out our upcoming fundraisers and join us.  

Here are a couple of highlights:

Bike the Bridges & Brew Fest
Riders can select a 25 mile, 50K, 100K (62 mile) or Century (100 mile) ride. The rides start and end at Waterfront Park in Martinez.  After the ride, stick around and enjoy the Brew Fest and live music.  Click here
for more information and to register. 

Bocce anyone?   If you like bocce, or have always wanted to learn bocce, we've got 3 opportunities for you to come out and have a good time.  Our motto is, if you can bowl, you can bocce!  If you need some pointers, we'll have athletes on hand who will be happy to show you the ropes.  Visit www.BocceBashSO.com  for details.

Tip-a-Cops  -  These happen all year round.  What is a Tip-a-Cop? They are fundraising events hosted at various restaurants where law enforcement personnel serve as "celebrity" waiters with their tips donated to Special Olympics.  Be sure and check out our fundraising page as they are added frequently. 
 
athletes
 Speaking of Tip-a-Cops - Athletes Needed


Not only do local law enforcement personnel help out at our Tip-a-Cops, but so do our athletes!  Athletes greet guests, chat with diners along with the officers and generally serve as goodwill ambassadors to showcase our program.  

If your athlete is friendly, outgoing and loves to meet new people, we'd love to add them to our Tip-a-Cop list.  Athletes don't need to be great speakers, just lots of smiles with plenty of personality sprinkled in.  Of course it goes without saying that medals and/or ribbons are a must!

If you think your athlete fits the bill, please contact Donna Romero at donna@sonc.org.
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story

Share your Athlete's Story!


Our athletes inspire us every day, not just on the playing field, but in life. As family members, we all know the challenges they face and overcome throughout their lives and the joy Special Olympics brings them.  


It's more than sports, it's about making friends, it's about feeling accepted and it's about being respected.  As family members, it's a place where we can relax and not worry about our athlete being pointed at or stared at or made fun of.  We also know that it is not necessarily about crossing the finish line first, but simply crossing the finish line at all.  It's not necessarily about making a basket but simply dribbling the ball down the court.  

We've all had those experiences that bring us such joy and that no one else can ever understand.  But we can try and so we invite you to share your story.  Tell us about your athlete.  How does he/she inspire you? What is their favorite sport or what do they like best about Special Olympics! 

We want to showcase our athletes and their remarkable talents on our website.  

If you want to share your athlete's accomplishments please send an email with your story to donna@sonc.org along with a jpg picture.    
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nominate
Nominate Your Favorite Volunteer!


The reason our athletes are so amazing is because of the support and encouragement they receive from our volunteers and coaches.  We are currently accepting nominations for 2015 Volunteers of the Year.  

There are four categories to choose from:
  • Sports Volunteer of the Year
  • Schools Program Volunteer of the Year
  • Law Enforcement/Development/Fundraising Volunteer of the Year
  • Youth (under 18) Volunteer of the year.

Now is your chance to recognize that special volunteer who has made such an impact on your athlete's life.  The nomination process is very simple and will take only a few minutes of your time.  Even if your volunteer doesn't win, they will receive an acknowledgement letter from our President and CEO, David Solo.  

 

Click here to complete the nomination form.  Nominations must be received by March 27, 2016. 

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connected
Stay Connected with Us!
 
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Contacts
Donna Romero
donna@sonc.org
925-944-8801 x 215