SPECIAL OLYMPICS GREATER
DAYTON
Frequently Asked Questions |
 |
If you have a question
that is not listed below, please feel
free to contact us! We are more
than happy to answer any questions
you may have!
When is Special
Olympics?
What is Special
Olympics Ohio Greater Dayton's
Mission?
How many people does
Special Olympics serve?
Is there a fee for
Athletes to participate?
What sports do you
offer?
Who can participate as
an Athlete?
Can my Athlete
participate in a sport he or she
isn't familiar with?
Where are events held
How can I become an
Athlete?
How can I become a
Volunteer?
What is the Protective
Behaviors Training?
Do I need to take the
Protective Behaviors Training?
What is Unified
Sports?
Is my donation tax
deductable?
Where can I
find rules for the events?
Where is the Ohio
Special Olympics Greater Dayton
located?
When
do the Events in Special Olympics
occur?
Special Olympics Ohio Greater Dayton
is a year-round program of sports
training and competition. In any
given calendar year, we conduct many
events. For a complete listing of
events in your area, visit our Upcoming Events page.
What is
SOGD’s Mission?
Special Olympics Ohio
Greater Dayton's mission is to
provide year-round sports training
and athletic competition in a variety
of Olympic-type sports for children
and adults with intellectual
disabilities, giving them continuing
opportunities to develop physical
fitness, demonstrate courage,
experience joy and participate in a
sharing of gifts, skills and
friendship with their families, other
Special Olympics athletes and the
community.
How
many people does Special Olympics
serve?
Special Olympics serves
nearly 4 million persons with
intellectual disabilities in more
than 200 Programs in more than 170
countries. Currently, Special
Olympics Ohio serves more than 23,000
athletes throughout the state of
Ohio.
There are more than one million
coaches and volunteers in Special
Olympics.
Is there a fee
for Athletes to participate?
There is no cost to any
athlete to join Special Olympics Ohio
Greater Dayton or to compete in any
of the competitions. Costs associated
with regional and state championships
are shared by the Special Olympics
Ohio state office and the area
programs. Area programs cover the
costs of training, uniforms,
registration fees and travel for all
levels of competition.
Who
Can Participate as an Athlete?
Special Olympics is open to
every person with an intellectual
disability, regardless of the level
or degree of that person’s
disability and whether or not that
person also has other mental or
physical disabilities.
Athletes
must be at least 8 years old to
compete at a sports competition.
Athletes between 5–7 years of
age can come out for practices, but
cannot compete. There is no
“cap” on how old an athlete
can be. We have some very active
athletes who are in their 50s and 60s
and some are still going strong in
their 70s!
What sports do
you offer?
Athletes can choose from 11
different sports that are offered
throughout the year: Basketball,
Bocce, Bowling, Golf, Gymnastics,
Rollerskating, Soccer, Softball,
Volleyball, Track & Field and
Unified Team Sports. Athletes can
participate in as many sports as they
wish. Go to the S.O. Sports page to find
out about your favorite sport!
Can my Athlete
participate in a sport he or she is
not familiar with?
Absolutely! Special Olympics
firmly believes that everyone can
benefit from being part of a team, no
matter their skill level. Our coaches
and volunteers will work with your
athlete to teach them the skills they
need to participate in their sport of
choice.
Where
are events held?
Events are held throughout
the State of Ohio.
How
can I become an Athlete?
Visit our Athlete section to
enroll.
How
can I become a Volunteer?
You may submit a Volunteer
request form on our Volunteer page!
What is the
Protective Behaviors Training?
Protective Behaviors is a
training program for volunteers to
help prevent the sexual, physical and
emotional abuse of Special Olympic
athletes. It consists of an 18 page
online training and then a 10
question test. To complete the
training, volunteers must correctly
answer 10 out of 10 questions. After
you have finished and submitted the
test, a confirmation email will
be sent to you and SOGD, who will
keep a record of your training.
Do I need to
take the Protective Behaviors
Training?
It is MANDATORY that all
Class A volunteers, 16 years or
older, take the Protective Behaviors
Training. Class A volunteers are
defined as volunteers who have
regular, close physical contact with
athletes; volunteers in a position of
authority or supervision with
athletes; volunteers in a position of
trust with athletes; volunteers who
handle substantial amounts of cash or
other assets of the program. However,
we highly encourage ALL volunteers to
complete the training because it is
an excellent training on how to look
out for and prevent the abuse of our
athletes.
What
is Unified Sports?
Unified Sports® is a
Special Olympics program that brings
together people with intellectual
disabilities and other non-disabled
members of the community on the same
sports team. Non-disabled individuals
training and competing on Unified
Sports® teams are called Unified
Sports® Partners.
Is my
donation deductable?
Yes! Special Olympics Ohio
Greater Dayton is recognized as
tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of
the Internal Revenue Code. 100% of
your donation is tax-deductable.
Where
can I find rules for the events?
To get the rules for all
Special Olympics events, please visit
the National
Special Olympics website!
Where
is the Ohio Special Olympics Greater
Dayton located?
Our offices are located at
3085 Woodman Drive, Suite 212,
Kettering, OH 45420.
