7000-308 Provincial Games: Coach Identification Criteria for Provincial Games

Review Date: February 2021             

Effective Date: February 2021

To ensure fair and equitable identification of coaches to Provincial Games the criteria outline in the policy details below will be used to determine which coaches will represent their District Teams at Provincial Games.

Identification Process

The District Developer will receive the quota from Special Olympics Ontario for the number of Coach positions needed for each sport. A Coach Identification Committee (CIC), which will consists of the Sport Specific Conference Team, will identify coaches in each sport.

It is the responsibility of the District Developer to distribute the Application Process to all Coaches within the District. All coaches are required to submit an application to be eligible for identification. Completed application forms must be submitted to the CIC by the date stated on each application.

Members of the CIC will meet (in person or by conference call) to identify the coaches. The District Developer will notify all successful applicants.

Any unsuccessful applicants may request, in writing, within 15 days of identification, an explanation as to why they were not selected. The CIC must respond within 30 days of receipt of the request.

Identification Criteria

  1. Candidates must be registered volunteers with Special Olympics Ontario and eighteen years (18) of age as of the first day of competition.
  2. Candidates shall attend the Provincial Qualifying Competition in the sport the year preceding the Provincial Games. Coaches who volunteered at the Provincial Qualifier are eligible to apply for a coaching position for Provincial Games
  3. Minimum Coach Certifications must be completed. Please see the Volunteer- Training & Professional Development section of the Resource Library for a detailed look at coach certification requirements.
  4. Coaching and management skills observed at the Provincial Qualifier by Local Coordinators and Sport Specific Conference Team members in attendance
  5. Information contained on application form regarding coaching and management of elite athletes
  6. Candidates shall be available to accompany the team for the entire length of the event.
  7. Candidates shall be prepared to chaperone and coach a maximum of five (5) athletes, realizing at times you will be covering for other coaches who are attending other events.
  8. Candidates shall be capable of functioning well in group settings, and as productive and positive team members
  9. Coaches should be knowledgeable in first aid and sports related injuries.
  10. Coaches should have some travel experience with Special Olympics athletes.
  11. When two coaches have equivalent qualifications, priority for identification shall be given to the coach whose athlete(s) are attending Provincial Games.

If teams have coaches that do not meet the minimum coach certification requirements for Provincial Games the following may happen:

  1. A coach or coaches from within the Community may be selected to coach the team.
  2. A coach or coaches from another Community may be selected to coach the team.
  3. The team may not be eligible to advance to provincial games.

Coach Assignment on Team Rosters at Provincial Qualifiers

Each coach must be assigned to one team within the Provincial Qualifier.  The team roster must clearly indicate the coaches assigned to that team.

All coaches who attended the Provincial Qualifier will have the opportunity to be considered for selection to Provincial Games regardless of which team the coach was rostered with and taking into consideration the Coach Identification Criteria listed above.

Endorsement

Community Coordinators are required to endorse all coaches identified from their communities to attend Provincial Games

Vacancies

Coaches may be asked to fill vacant coaching positions at the Provincial Games. Every effort will be made to ensure that coaches asked to fill vacancies meet minimum coach certification requirements, however, some coaches may fill positions without having achieved all certification requirements. In these cases the coaches will be given a one time exemption and must fulfill all certification requirements prior to applying to coach at another Provincial or National games.