Dear Coaches,

It happens several times a year. During State Games someone comes up to me and says something close to "Wow, if I’d only know about the showers I would have been better prepared." I usually say something totally non-comforting like; "If you’d asked about the showers I could have told you!"

So, here’s my attempt to transfer some information to new coaches that should make life a little more comfortable at State Games. I want to make coaches happy, after all, with no coaches, there would be no athletes at Games. Thanks for all you do to provide sports opportunities to the athletes of our state.

When you’ve collected your own ‘I wish I’d known’ list, send it to me and I’ll include It in this book for other coaches.

Sue Maner This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

At this point in time, you should have begun your regularly scheduled practices: at least once a week. You’ll need to plan a local competition. A preliminary competition is required. Sometimes this is very easy, because you may have two teams within your school/group. Other times, it becomes very difficult because you may have the only volleyball team within 50 miles. Work with your Area Director in making arrangements to travel to a regional event or creating one of your own.

Make a quota request to your Area Director. Let your Area Director know that you would indeed like to go to a State Competition. Do not assume that he/she will know that you want to go. These folks have ‘real jobs’ (that actually pay them for all of their hard work) and they cannot possibly keep up with who wants to go where and when.

You should have all of your medical forms completed and have them with you at all of your practices. Actually, no athlete should attend a practice without a completed medical form.

Decide who will be going to State Games with you. The ratio of coaches to athletes is 4 to 1. If you have a special medical case that requires more, let your Area Director know now. Since the State Program pays for housing and food, your group will be charged for extra coaches/chaperones.

Obtain a tentative schedule from your Area Director or from the state office. This will give you a good idea of everything that will happen during the weekend.

It’s time now to get your registration forms into your Area Director. They will give you the proper forms to complete. Send in your housing forms also. Your input is important in placing athletes in hotel rooms. Both Fall Games and Mid Winter Games require hotel housing. No coach is allowed to sleep in the same bed with an athlete. Cots are often available and some coaches enjoy taking sleeping bags and doing the ‘camping trip’ in the hotel room. This is a nice solution for younger or less mature athletes that do not need to be in a room without a chaperone. Be sure that you read the attached SOSC Housing Policy in this booklet.

Be sure that you list your athletes for your Area Director. Do not assume that he/she knows every one in your group or on your team.

Check with your Area Director to make sure that you are indeed registered. Area Directors receive confirmation of registration so just double check to be sure all of your athletes and coaches/chaperones are included.

You need to assign chaperone responsibilities. It’s easy to lose someone if you have a ‘roamer’ and no one is assigned to him. Also, parents need to know who will be with their son or daughter during the trip. They may know and trust you well, but not realize that you will be at the bowling alley and their child at basketball during competition hours.

You’ll need to arrange transportation at this point. Your Area Director will assist you in this and you may be lucky enough that he/she does all of this for you!! Don’t assume that it’s done. It’s no fun to deal with this the night before Games. If you would like A Brief Review of SO Insurance Coverage, request it now from either your Area Director or the State Office so you will know how much coverage you have when transporting athletes to and from Games. Don’t even think of bringing a 15-passenger van to Games!

Send out a packing list to all of your athletes. You may want to modify the attached one. Reminder that it’s just as important to include what NOT to pack!! For instance, there is little need for money. Olympic Town has items for sale (mostly clothing in the $10 - $20 range). Athletes often like to order pizza in their rooms - even though they’ve just had dinner! Electronic items would be a big ‘no’ for me because guess who has to keep up with them during competition??? Personal items like teddy bears are comforting if they are a sleeping pal. We have little trouble with items ‘disappearing’, but it does happen.

PACKING LIST
Please be sure to pack the following items:

• Towels and washcloths - for Summer Games
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Soap - for Summer Games
• Shampoo
• Clean change of underwear for each day
• Clean change of socks
• Tennis shoes
• Nice outfit for the dance
• One pair of nice shoes for the dance
• Sunscreen
• Deodorant
• Personal hygiene items
• Shorts and t-shirts
• Sleepwear
• Uniform for competition (no jeans for competition)
• Comb, brush, and other personal items
• Jacket or sweater in case of cool weather
• Any medications necessary, with written instructions and times to be administered by chaperone. Please make sure your child’s chaperone is aware that your child takes medication. Hand this to chaperone/coach. (Do not just pack it in weekend bag expecting them to find it.)
• Emergency phone number
• Please mark your child’s name inside clothes and personal items.
• Please do not send any valuables with your child.

If you are attending Summer Games, you will really need to know that the showers are divided but there are no doors!! An easy solution to providing some privacy for yourself and for your athletes is to bring a couple of tension rods and shower curtains. The $10 investment is well worth it!! I also recommend flip flops for the showers in the barracks. Fort Jackson provides bed linens, but everyone will need to bring soap, towels and washcloths. Be prepared for community living. The barracks hold about 60 beds per room and every time one person gets up in the night, anyone that is a light sleeper wakes up, too! Find out if you have anyone that needs a plastic sheet on their bed. SOSC has to replace mattresses that are the victims of bed-wetters!

Buy film for your camera. You won’t want to miss getting these shots.

Check with parents/guardians about any changes in the medical information on their medical forms. Get contact numbers from your parents. Even if they plan to be at the Games, find out where they’re staying. Give them your contact number and in case of an emergency you’ll have my number. Parents need to know that when we’re at The Citadel, no one will be answering the main number. Also, they need to know not to call me to see if their child got a gold medal. My number should be used strictly for emergencies and should they receive my voice mail, they should leave the child’s name, coach and home town.

Get a list of all medications and have the parents put them in small zip lock bags by the day. Let your Area Director know if any medications will require refrigeration. Also, you’ll need to know if any of the medications are difficult to administer and will require the assistance of our medical volunteers. We’ll need to have parental permission for this group to help with medications, so now is the time to get this information to the state office through your Area Director so the medical volunteers will be prepared.

Be sure that you know about any special dietary needs of our athletes. You may have to stop at a grocery store and supplement the meals served. Remember that we will be feeding more than 1,000 people at each meal and cannot accommodate specialized diets. In general, meals will be burgers and chips or baked chicken and green beans. Often we will not have diet drinks.

Decide as a group where you will meet on Friday for the trip. For athletes that may be riding with parents, be sure they know to meet you at registration at the Games. Also, plan when and where you will meet parents on Sunday. You’ll be tired Sunday and will not want to waste much time getting home and into your own bed for a nap!!

Friday You will have received a Coaches Book with a schedule and driving directions. Once you are at Games, go immediately to Registration and find your Area Director. They will have your credentials and will have all of the information that you need.

Ask for an updated schedule. Many a problem has come from coaches going by the schedule in the coaches’ book when we’ve had a complication and had to change that a bit!

Now you’re off to your room (or barracks, in the case of Summer Games). They’ll not be much time to hang around because you’ll have an early dinner and then get on those Area t-shirts. Don’t try to save time by donning the shirts before dinner if you try that, I guarantee you we’ll have spaghetti for dinner! You’re off to Opening Ceremonies then. This usually last about an hour and a half. Get those guys and gals back to the room/barracks and leave someone responsible in charge (Remember that list of chaperone duties back 4 weeks out? This is an assignment you needed to give someone.) You’re off to the Coaches’ Meeting. You may be gone for more than an hour. At least one coach from each sport needs to go to make sure you get all of the scoop from each competition director for the ins and outs of the next day’s event.

Saturday Competition day is finally here. Pack up your back pack with: medicals, schedules, emergency numbers, sunscreen, wet ones, camera, 2 wash clothes, bottle of water and medicines that your athletes will need during the day. You should be aware that in large events like track and field, swimming and bocce, athletes will have to wait for their heat. It will be your job to have them at the holding area at the proper time. Heat sheets will have been provided at the Coaches Meeting on Friday night.

Competition is over, medals and ribbons are hanging on necks and now... THE DANCE! Even if you are dog-tired you’ll get that little bit of energy to join in the best dance you’ve ever been to.

Sunday Back home. Up early, breakfast and hit the road. If you’re at Summer Games, you are invited to attend the worship service on Sunday morning. Deliver your athletes safely home, take a nap and then congratulate yourself for what you did. Then begin making plans for the next State Games.

Here are some SOSC Policies that you should be aware of:

Responsibilities for Coaches and Chaperones
Coaches and Chaperones coming to Games must accept and carry out the following responsibilities:

• Provide for the general welfare, safety and well being of each athlete in their charge.
• Be familiar with information in The Coaches Handbook.
• Provide the following specific services to each athlete; 24 hour supervision of athletes, working in cooperation with other coaches from their area/region
  • assurance that athlete/coaches/chaperone ID’s are worn as instructed
  • assistance in accounting for luggage and personal items at all times
  • assistance in reporting to competition area at the proper time
  • assistance in taking full advantage of clinics and other events
  • assurance that prescribed medications are taken at the proper time
  • assistance in assembling at the proper time for ceremonies.
• Dress and act at all times in a manner that will be a credit to SOSC and their area program.
• Coaches will be responsible for assuring that housing is left in the same condition in which it was found.
• Report emergencies to appropriate authorities after taking immediate action to insure the health and safety of the participants. Be familiar with emergency exits.
• Coaches, chaperones and athletes MUST ABSTAIN from the use of alcohol or any non-prescribed behavior modifying drugs throughout the event including travel time with athletes.
• Smoke only in designated smoking areas.
• Be familiar with Special Olympics Crisis Communication in the event of a crisis.

Language Guidelines:

Special Olympics South Carolina is a year-round training and competition sports organization for children and adults with an intellectual disability. Please refer to participants as athletes.

Crisis Communication:

In the event of a crisis - injury, natural disaster or act of terrorism - your duty is to stay with the athlete or athletes in your charge and send for help. If approached by the media for a comment on a crisis situation, do not make a statement. Instead, please tell them that a statement will be made from the Special Olympics South Carolina State Office regarding the matter. Procedure is for the athlete, coach or volunteer that is in crisis to be tended to first. Then, after the crisis team meets, a statement will be made to the media by the public relations department.

To report an injury or suspicious situation, contact Barry Coats (803-237-4200) or Sue Maner (803-237-4231).

• Only members of the same sex will be housed together with the exception of a parent rooming with their child.
• Coaches and Chaperones will have separate beds from athletes. Area/District Directors or Heads of Delegations are expected to use discretion in the placement of athletes and coaches/chaperones to ensure proper supervision at all times during an event.
• One coach and one athlete will not be housed together, with the exception of: A) A parent as a coach rooming with their child. B) Coaches with wheelchair or severely handicapped athletes that require one-to- one monitoring/care. C) When special permission and a release signed by the parent or legal guardian is given by the Risk Management Director or president of SOSC.
• When 4 or more athletes are housed together, Area/District Directors or Heads of Delegations must ensure that coaches/chaperones are in a connecting or adjoining room with adjoining room being preferred. This should be noted on registration documents so the Event Director can make appropriate arrangements.
• SOSC supervision policy remains in effect, i.e. 4 athletes to one coach/chaperone.
• Housing needs related to severe handicap/wheelchair athletes warrant quota adjustments on a case by case basis. These should be addressed when quotas are received at the Area/District office, discussed with the Event Director and included in the registration documents by the registration deadline.
• Any misconduct of a criminal nature by athlete, coach, volunteer or staff should be immediately reported to the Special Olympics South Carolina President/CEO or designee.
• For athletes requiring medical equipment (hypodermic needles, catheters, feeding tubes, etc.), it is the responsibility of the coach/chaperone to dispose of the medical waste properly. Waste should be bagged in proper red medical waste bags and not thrown away in a trashcan.

It is the responsibility of each athlete participating in a Special Olympics South Carolina (SOSC) event to conduct himself or herself in an appropriate manner that will promote safety and consideration to all others involved in the event.

Any athlete suspected of sexual abuse, physical abuse, verbal abuse, theft or any other criminal act will be suspended from any participation in Special Olympics during an investigation of the incident.

Once the investigation (done by SOSC or an outside source) is completed, SOSC will exercise one or more of the following options, depending on the seriousness of the incident:

1. Mandatory supervision at all times during an SOSC event, by someone approved by SOSC.
2. Suspension from the program. The length of the suspension will depend on the seriousness of the incident.
3. Expulsion from the program.

Special Olympics South Carolina may also enforce the above actions if an athlete is convicted of a crime that does not relate to SOSC events.

The Protective Behavior Guidelines were established to protect athletes as well as other participants at Special Olympics training and competition and other events. Special Olympics South Carolina (SOSC) is responsible for providing appropriate environments in which training, competition and other events are conducted. An important part of their responsibility is to oversee the conduct of staff, volunteers and athletes especially as they interrelate with each other.

Special Olympics, Inc. (SOI) has developed strategies to prevent physical, emotional and sexual abuse. These strategies are designed to protect athletes and volunteers.

1. Corporal punishment or any other form of physical disciplining is not allowed.
2. Withholding water of food from athletes as a form of punishment is not allowed.
3. Only medications that have been prescribed by an athlete’s physician will be dispensed to that athlete as indicated on his or her consent form signed by either a parent or legal guardian.

1. Use of profanity or cursing at athletes for their performance or behavior is not allowed.
2. Special Olympics athletes will not be threatened or intimidated for any purpose.

1. In order to protect both athletes and volunteers, every attempt will be made to provide at least two adult volunteers to be present to supervise activities such as changing into team uniforms, showering or toileting. When it is necessary for staff or volunteers to speak privately with an athlete, they should find a place out of earshot, but within sight of others for their conference.
2. Hugs can be especially important to reinforce the positive nature of athletic competition. Hugs should be open (not secretive) and respect the limits set by the athlete. The staff and volunteers must respect any resistance by the athlete to physical contact.
3. Avoid touching areas normally covered by swimming suits. Kissing on the lips and seductive massages are not permitted (massaging pursuant to an injury or strain is permitted, but should be subject to observation by others.)
4. Volunteers should be positive role models and help develop appropriate boundaries for physical contact. There may be times that an athlete will attempt inappropriate physical contact with a volunteer. In such cases, the volunteer should identify the objectionable behavior, explaining that it makes the volunteer feel uncomfortable and that a better way would be to shake hands, do “high fives” or use other more socially appropriate forms of expression.

Any suspicion of any for of abuse or neglect MUST be reported. The incident should be reported to the President/CEO, or designee at the number for Special Olympics South Carolina listed in the handbook. The President/CEO is responsible for reporting the incident to the appropriate official agency for investigation.

If you are a swim coach, be sure that you wear a swimsuit to competition because you will have to be in the pool for developmental events. Area 6 Coach

It is helpful if you use masking tape on hotel doors with athletes’ names. Not only is it easy for coaches to locate the right room, but older athletes who visit from room to room find it easier to locate friends. Area 14 Coach