The health benefits individuals receive from sport and recreation programs are widely known. Participation in physical activity promotes balance, co-ordination, body control and improves total physical fitness.

Athlete Eligibility - Is Special Olympics For Everyone?

In order to be eligible for participation in Special Olympics, an individual with an intellectual disability must agree to observe and abide by the Special Olympic Canada Sports Rules and the Special Olympics Ontario Code of Conduct.

Individuals ages 8 and up, all abilities can train and compete in Special Olympics program with the Aurora community. See the Sports at a Glance section of the Sports Tab for Town of Aurora programs for younger athletes. Athletes train and compete against athletes of similar ability level.

Benefits

   •     Physical fitness and conditioning

   •     Increase in sports skill level and competitive skills

   •     Increase in self confidence and social skills

   •     In-house training and competitive opportunities available

Registering As An Athlete Please Go to the Join Our Team Page (click here)

Coaching & Volunteering

Special Olympics Ontario and Special Olympics Ontario - Aurora are both volunteer-based organizations. Currently, there are some 6000 registered volunteer, coaches, club managers, fund-raisers and administrators across Ontario providing sport programs for over 14,000 athletes. They provide technical support for all the sport training programs and competitions, administrative support services, and host fundraising events. Our success depends on the dedication of our many volunteers. Listed below are general areas in which the talent, skills, and expertise of volunteers are used effectively within the Special Olympics organization:

Sport Program and Competitions

These can be either on-going sport clubs or one-time special events. Positions include: coach, manager, timer, official/referee, meet/tournament coordinator, etc.  If you enjoy being with athletes and have a passion for a particular sport that Special Olympics offers, there is a position for you.  Special Olympics offers courses in working with athletes with an intellectual disability and we can direct you to courses for further sport technical knowledge.  Or if you would like to help out at particular competitions, your assistance is valuable.

Administration

These positions require less sport technical knowledge. If you have strong organizational skills, a background in bookkeeping or public relations, your help in administering a club, community council or regional competition management team is needed. Positions include: Fundraiser, Treasurer, Public Relations, Registrar, Fundraising Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator, Community Coordinator, or Club Manager.

To understand more specifically what each position entails, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator; aurora.volunteer.coordinator@specialolympicsontario.ca

NEW VOLUNTEERS…...are always needed.....and we need to fill positions

Special Olympics Aurora continues to increase in size within the community as more Athletes actively participate in the sports offered.  With the increase comes the requirement to have additional Volunteers.  This is an opportunity to become involved in the local community an opportunity to experience and help Athletes with an intellectual disability achieve their goals and reach their full potential.

Special Olympics volunteers should have the following attributes:

• Enthusiastic, highly motivated individual who has excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• High integrity, is passionate about helping others, and believes in the vision of Special Olympics Ontario
• Interested in assisting in the growth of Special Olympics in the Aurora area and making a difference in the lives of others

What volunteering means?   

• Volunteering brings out the best in everyone. Volunteers act as coaches and organizers, helping our athletes improve their level of physical skill.
• The volunteers of the Aurora District Community encourage athletes with an intellectual disability to participate and compete in sports. They organize activities year round to meet the seasonal needs of the athletes.
• Volunteering means something different for each person involved with Special Olympics. As one volunteer said, “every time I see the smile on the face of a Special Olympics Athlete, it makes the time put into volunteering well worth the effort”.
• Being a trained coach in one of our sports or volunteering to help in a Special Olympics program would be a very rewarding experience for both you and the athletes. Training programs are offered on a regular basis to help develop coaching skills.
• In addition, we are always in need of “behind the scenes” volunteers. Fund-raising, sport program coordination, special event organization, and other vital administrative tasks are all performed by volunteers. These positions help to ensure that Special Olympics Aurora athletes enjoy regular practices and competitions in their favorite sports.

Benefits   

• Have the opportunity to experience and help athletes with an intellectual disability achieve their goals and reach their full potential
• Improve your coaching and/or administrative skills
• Meet new people and contacts
• Participate in recognition events
• Pursue training and continuing education
• Stay active in sport
• Use your skills to help others
• Add meaningful experience to your resume

What do the volunteer opportunities involve?   

Program volunteers and coaches:

• Provide training for athletes in any of our different sports
• Work with athletes to improve basic motor skills and teach sport-specific skills
• Prepare athletes for competitions
• Commit about 1-2 hours weekly
• Commit some weekends for competitions
• Be a part of athletes achieving their goals and capture the spirit of Special Olympics!

Please refer to the coaches page for more details on various volunteer positions.

Event Volunteering

• Experience the energy of a Special Olympics event!
• Spend an exciting day at a competition timing races, measuring long jumps, serving lunches, fundraising, and much more!

Administrative Volunteer

• Share your expertise and talents on a planning committee
• Gain new leadership and organizational skills, or utilize your creative side in organizing on a fund raising event or competition
• Gain skills in fundraising, budgets, planning, coordinating and much more…

Other

We also welcome volunteers with professional skills that can help us match possible needs in the organization:

• Photographers
• Singers
• Graphic designers
• Medical Experts
• etc…