Interested in Coaching?

SOMD is pleased to host a “live” virtual session of Coaching Special Olympics Athletes (CSOA), the course which ALL coaches are required to complete at least once in order to earn/maintain Special Olympics Coach Sport Certification. This interactive session will be held on Tuesday, March 4 from 6:30 – 9:00 pm via Zoom and will be limited to 20 registrants.

Coaches may register for this course using the link below (must register no later than Friday, February 28)

             https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CSOA_2025_V 

Coaches who are unable to attend this session may always complete the individual online version of the CSOA course – licenses can be obtained by emailing coaches@somd.org. Additional details are available on the SOMD Coach Resource Page’s Coach Education and Development Section (www.somd.org/coach-resources/).

Note: Due to limited numbers of available licenses, this individual online option is currently limited to coaches/volunteers who have not already completed CSOA.

Volunteer Corner

Welcome to Elizabeth! Elizabeth stepped up to be our Sports Web Content Coordinator. This position was posted in our last newsletter.

Please reach out to Shelly Bogasky at sbogasky@somdmontgomery.org if you would like more information on any of these following open volunteer positions.

New Family Liaison

Someone to help new families navigate the Registration and Signup requirements. This usually requires answering several emails a week to explain the process.

TOPGOLF

Call for Volunteers: Head Coach, Assistant Coach, and Team Manager

We are seeking dedicated individuals to help us continue this recreational program. Some golf experience is needed. Please reach out to John Bogasky at johnbogasky@hotmail.com for more information.

Social Media Contributors

We're looking for family members or volunteers to post occasional pictures and information about their teams.

Volunteer Outreach Coordinator (Multiple Opportunities, Choose one or all)

Represent SOMO at the MCPS Special Needs Fair, and the Spring and Fall Transitioning Youth Fairs. Respond to inquiries regarding volunteer opportunities, reaching out to various groups when needed.

More Coaches Needed

As our programs continue to grow, we need more coaches if we are to accommodate all athletes. Volunteering as a coach not only benefits the athletes but also offers a unique opportunity for personal growth and skill development. We strongly encourage parents to volunteer to help coach their children's sports. Special Olympics will provide the necessary training and support needed. Nearly all of our Head Coaches are parents.

Tips for making the Team



Most of our programs have been reaching capacity, and we’ve had to use our Guidelines for Managing Roster Caps During Signups for several seasons in multiple sports. Many sports reach capacity within hours, and some, like bowling in minutes.

If you want to maximize your chance of making the team of your choice,

here are a few best practices.

• Become a coach or volunteer before signup (subject to Head Coach approval)
• Have current Registration Package on file, valid from the first day of practice through the end of the season. Don’t wait until the last minute, as it can take several weeks to process forms.
• Signup for only one sport
• When space is limited priority is given to athletes that live in Montgomery County

If your sport reaches its roster cap and we have a wait list, all athletes must commit to attending all qualifiers and State Competition in order to make the team.

Athletes that select a team sport must commit to participating in all qualifiers and State Competition. If you know you must miss a competition, talk with your Head Coach at the season’s start. Athletes who miss qualifiers or competitions without this advance notice and approval cannot participate in that sport next season.

Important New Procedures for Athlete and Volunteer Registration

As our program continues to grow, so does the number of forms our all-volunteer team needs to process. To reduce the administrative burden on our volunteer team we need to make the following changes:

• All forms must be submitted together as a single PDF
• Incomplete and non-PDF submissions will be rejected and discarded
• We will not keep noncompliant submissions

Directions for creating PDF files on your phone are included in both the Athlete and Volunteer Registration Packages. You can also snail mail your complete forms to SOMO at P.O. Box 1809, Rockville, MD 20849, this method will increase processing time.

These changes will help reduce the effort required to process each athlete and volunteer package. We appreciate your help with this new process.

Volunteer Corner

Please reach out to Shelly Bogasky at sbogasky@somdmontgomery.org if you would like more information on any of these volunteer positions.

New Family Liaison

Someone to help new families navigate the Registration and Signup requirements. This usually requires answering several emails a week to explain the process.

Social Media Contributors

We're looking for family members or volunteers to post occasional pictures and information about their teams.

Volunteer Outreach Coordinator (Multiple Opportunities, Choose one or all)

Represent SOMO at the MCPS Special Needs Fair, and the Spring and Fall Transitioning Youth Fairs. Respond to inquiries regarding volunteer opportunities, reaching out to various groups when needed.

More Coaches Needed

As our programs continue to grow, we need more coaches if we are to accommodate all athletes. Volunteering as a coach not only benefits the athletes but also offers a unique opportunity for personal growth and skill development. We strongly encourage parents to volunteer to help coach their children's sports. Special Olympics will provide the necessary training and support needed. Nearly all of our Head Coaches are parents.

Spring Sport Season Signups

will open at 6:00 pm on the dates listed below.

Signup will close either the day after the first practice or the day we reach our roster cap for that sport.

Roster spots are limited, please read Tips for Making the Team above.

Swimming and Bowling are two of our most popular sports often ending with a wait list of athletes wanting to participate.

Swimming:

The number of swimmers has been steadily increasing over the last couple of seasons. To ensure that all athletes have a positive experience, we will strictly adhere to our 50-athlete cap. If you want to enhance your chances of making the team, please read the Tips for Making the Team below. Athletes must commit to attending all practices, qualifiers, and state competitions. Athletes who make this commitment and do not follow through will need to sit out the next season.

Bowling:

This season, athletes will be allowed to participate in both bowling and one other sport, provided they can fully commit to both sports. If you have questions about whether your second sport conflicts with bowling, please reach out to the bowling management team at bowling@somdmontgomery.org. Athletes participating in two sports will be added to the team based on the guidelines from our Guidelines for Managing Roster Caps Durning Sign-up

We are seeking dedicated individuals to help us continue this recreational program. Some golf experience is needed. Please reach out to John Bogasky at johnbogasky@hotmail.com for more information

Cheerleading:

We are still looking for coaches and volunteers for all three programs. We have several leads for coaches but need a few more. Experience is helpful but not required. Special Olympics offers training in all of our sports. If athletes choose to do 2 of the above sports, cheerleading must be one of them.

Pickleball: NEW OFFICIAL SPRING SPORT



Call for Volunteers: Head Coach, Assistant Coach, and Team Manager

We are seeking dedicated individuals to help us launch our new pickleball program. Previous experience with pickleball is not required, although it is helpful. Special Olympics offers comprehensive training for all sports.

For more information on pickleball, please visit the Pickleball resource page provided by Special Olympics North America (SONA).  Pickleball - SONA Sports Resource Page - Smartsheet.com

Our goal is to start this sport by the end of April so athletes are prepared for the Pickleball Championships, scheduled for late June/early July. Please note that the Pickleball Championship will be a stand-alone event, separate from the Summer Games.

If you are interested and would like to learn more about the requirements, please email Shelly Bogasky at sbogasky@somdmontgomery.org. Please share this information with anyone who might be interested in helping us launch this exciting new program.

The Montgomery County Hospital Collaborative is conducting its triannual Community Health Needs Assessment and they want to They want to be intentional with the voices they hear and want to be sure they hear from people with disabilities and their advocates.

Our timeline to collect data for this phase of the process is end of February. The voices we hear from will inform the needs, and ultimately, the strategies on how we approach community health improvement with the other hospitals.

Where We Practice

Bequests and Planned Gifts

Legacy gifts enable you to make a lasting contribution to Special Olympics Maryland - Montgomery County at a level you may not have been able to achieve during your lifetime. Naming Special Olympics Maryland as a beneficiary in a Will or Living Trust, Insurance Policy or IRA/Retirement Plan are common examples of legacy gifts.

Discover the many ways you can support Special Olympics Maryland - Montgomery County through your estate plans and leave a legacy of acceptance, inclusion, and tolerance. For more information, please contact Sue Jacobs, VP of Donor Relations, at 410-242-1515 Ext. 104.

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