Program Information Guide
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
2020 Spirit of Special Olympics Athlete of the Year 2021-2022 PROGRAM INFORMATION GUIDE OUR VISION Sport will open hearts and minds towards people with intellectual disabilities and create inclusive communities across the state. 2 Program Information Guide Special Olympics Indiana 6200 Technology Center Drive, Suite 105, Indianapolis, IN 46278 Tel +1 800 742 0612 or +1 317 328 2000 Fax +1 317 328 2018 www.soindiana.org Email [email protected] Facebook facebook.com/soindiana Twitter @SOIndiana Created by the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation for the benefit of persons with intellectual disabilities. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page JUST THE FACTS 6-34 Calendar of Events 8-11 Staff Directory 12 Eligibility 13 Participant Registration 14-15 Volunteer Registration 16 Organization 17 Fact Sheet - Special Olympics Indiana 18 Spirit of Special Olympics Awards 19-20 Athlete Leadership 21 Athlete Leadership University 22-25 Athlete Leadership Councils 26-27 Unified Champion Schools 28-29 Unified Sports® High School Championships 30 CHAMPS the new MATP 31 Unified Fitness Clubs 32-33 Healthy Athletes 34 POLICIES 35 - 68 General Policies 36-39 Event Policies 40-43 Volunteer Policies 44-45 Code of Conduct 46-48 Housing Policy 49 Finance & Accounting 50-56 Insurance 57-58 Fundraising 59-65 Public Relations 66-68 SPORTS 69 - 84 Sports Chart 70-71 Coach Education Program 72-73 Event Fees 74 Area Management, Events & Competitions 75-84 STATE COMPETITIONS & EVENTS 85 - 176 Team Indiana 86 Summer Games 87-124 EKS Games 125-159 Bowling Tournaments 160-162 Winter Games 163-165 Basketball Tournaments 166-176 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ENTRY FORMS Polar Plunge Athlete Leadership University - Spring Semester Athlete Leadership University - Fall Semester Area Spring Games Summer Games EKS Games Bowling Tournaments Winter Games Refer to the Resource Library Basketball Tournaments at soindiana.org. All state entry forms will be GENERAL FORMS submitted electronically. Athlete Application for Participation Printer friendly versions of each Athlete Medical Form entry form will be provided Change of Area/County Leadership for County Program use only. Event Application Event Fees Transfer Form Medical Incident Report Code of Conduct Report In-Kind Gift Receipt Form Travel Expense Form Spirit of Special Olympics Award Nomination Unified Fitness Club Roster PHOTOS PROVIDED BY: Charlotte Miller, David Paul,, Tippecanoe County, Washington Township, Special Olympics Indiana 5 NEW & NOTEWORTHY VIRTUAL FITNESS CHALLENGES Special Olympics Indiana will offer at least one (1) virtual or at-home fitness challenge during each sports season throughout 2021. Even when in-person activities resume, we know there will be athletes who are unable to return as soon as others. These virtual or at-home fitness challenges will provide all athletes an additional opportunity to stay active and get fit throughout the year. Keep an eye on the Special Olympics Indiana website for more info on these challenges. Here are the dates to keep on your radar: • Spring Into Fitness Challenge (March 7 to April 17) • Sizzlin’ Summer Fitness Challenge (May 16 to July 10) • Falling Into Fitness Challenge (August 15 to September 25) • Lilly 1000 Mile Challenge (September 23 to October 31) • Winter Warm-up Fitness Challenge (October 24 to December 4) TEAM INDIANA USA Games may not be until 2022, but selections for Team Indiana start this year! Team Indiana will take 100 athletes, Unified partners, coaches, and staff to Orlando, Florida. Team Indiana will compete in basketball, bocce, bowling, golf, softball, swimming, track & field, and volleyball. Selections will take place throughout the year. Check out the Team Indiana Handbook on the Special Olympics Indiana website for more information. SOCCER Soccer is officially moving to Summer Games. Competition will take place on Rose-Hulman’s campus. This move will provide soccer with a more permanent place in the calendar while also giving our athletes another option for team competition in the summer season. Did you know that the roster size for soccer is the same as basketball? After basketball season, keep your team together and utilize many of the same skills to play soccer. FALL SPORTS DATE & LOCATION CHANGES There are multiple changes to dates and locations in the fall sports season. The following are events that experienced a date or location change: • State Softball - moved to August 28 (about one month earlier than usual) • Equestrian - moved to September 24 & 25 (one week later than usual) • Flag Football & Distance Run/Walk - moved to October 17 (about one month later than usual) • Corn Toss - moved to October 17 (about one month later than usual) & new location (Carmel Middle School) ESPORTS Attention gamers! Esports is coming to Indiana! Esports is organized, multiplayer video game competition taking place anywhere with high-speed internet. Popular games include Rocket League, Fortnite, Madden, FIFA, and more. Special Olympics Indiana will be introducing competition for different games on multiple gaming platforms throughout the year. Stay tuned for more info! 6 ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT: LIZ STRONG Many Special Olympics athletes get started at an early age, but that’s not the case for this year’s Athlete of the Year, as she wasn’t born with a disability. Instead, she was the victim of a horrendous crime when she was shot in the head by a fellow teenager. He was incarcerated for a few months while she fought for her life in a coma, and when she woke up, she was sightless and paralyzed on the left side. She was so glad to be alive that, for her own peace of mind, she felt she had to forgiver the shooter. She says that’s “how she got even” - and that positive attitude has served her well in the years since. When she recovered and returned to high school, she joined the local Special olympics program, where she participated in track & field and bowling until graduation. After taking a few years off and focusing on work, she rejoined the program in 2010 and though she continues to work 10-hours shifts three-days a week, she has regularly competed in track & field, bowling, bocce, corn toss, and swimming. Fundraising is an important activity for her, as she has participated in the Butler University Polar Plunge for the past three (3) years. She appreciates the help from the safety team that assists the athletes up and down the pool ladders at the plunge, but she and a fellow athlete were inspired this past year (2020) to make a change and to take the lead in replacing those difficult ladders with steps. The result was a safer, better, and more enjoyable experience for everyone. Her leadership efforts don’t end there, as she is currently studying communications in Athlete Leadership University. Her ultimate goal is to become a global messenger and to use her experiences , he incredible sense of humor, and her enduring optimism to go out and promote Special Olympics locally, nationally, and hopefully at the international level. She is an inspiration to everyone who knows here, and it is truly an honor to present the 2020 Michael Furnish Athlete of the Year Award to LIZ STRONG, from WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP and AREA 8. 7 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Dates subject to change based on changes in facility availability. Jan 18-Feb 14 New Year Fitness Challenge Virtual / At-Home Jan 25 New Year Fitness Challenge Registration Deadline DEADLINE Jan 31 HCAC Unified Bowling Virtual / At-Home Feb 6 Polar Plunge Boonville Feb 9-11 Capital Hill Day Virtual Feb 12 Board of Directors Meeting State Office / Virtual Feb 13 Polar Plunge Fort Wayne Feb 13 Polar Plunge Versailles Feb 20 Polar Plunge Borden Feb 20 Polar Plunge Greenwood Feb 21 Fortnite Unified Duos Tournament Virtual / At-Home Feb 22 New Year Fitness Challenge Results Submission Deadline DEADLINE Feb 22 Team Indiana Basketball Nominations Deadline DEADLINE Feb 27 Polar Plunge Muncie Feb 27 Polar Plunge Petersburg Basketball: Game Records, Individual Skills, Coach-Chaperone Mar 1 DEADLINE Entry Deadline Mar 6 Polar Plunge Indianapolis Mar 6 Polar Plunge West Lafayette Mar 7 - Apr 17 Spring Into Fitness Challenge Virtual / At-Home Mar 13 Polar Plunge Indianapolis Mar 13 Polar Plunge Butler University Mar 13 Polar Plunge Wabash Mar 13 Champions Together Unified Bowling Sectional Virtual Mar 15 Spring Into Fitness Challenge Registration Deadline DEADLINE Mar 20 Polar Plunge Terre Haute Mar 20 Champions Together Unified Bowling State Championships Indianapolis Mar 21 Polar Plunge South Bend Mar 27 Polar Plunge Bloomington Mar 29 Athlete Leadership University Enrollment Deadline DEADLINE Mar 29 Summer Games Bowling Quota8 Request Entry Deadline DEADLINE CALENDAR OF EVENTS Dates subject to change based on changes in facility availability. Apr 3 State Basketball Tournaments Westfield Apr 5 Athlete Leadership University Practicum Deadline DEADLINE Apr 5 Area Leadership Meeting Registration Deadline DEADLINE Apr 10 Polar Plunge Valparaiso Apr 17 Area Leadership Meeting State Office / Virtual Apr 24-25 Athlete Leadership University Virtual / At-Home Apr 26 Spring Into Fitness Challenge Results Submission Deadline DEADLINE May 1, 8, 15, 22 Area Spring Games 10 Area Locations May 10 Summer Games Entry Deadline DEADLINE Team Indiana Bocce, Bowling, Swimming, Track & Field, and May 10 DEADLINE Volleyball Nominations Deadline May 10 Spirit of Special Olympics Award Nominations Deadline DEADLINE May 14 Board of Directors Meeting State Office / Virtual May 16 - Jul 10 Sizzlin’ Summer Fitness Challenge Virtual / At-Home May 22 IHSAA Unified Track & Field Sectionals 8-10 locations May 24 Sizzlin’ Summer Fitness Challenge Registration Deadline DEADLINE May 29 IHSAA Unified Track & Field Regionals 2 sites Jun 5 IHSAA Unified Track & Field State Championships Bloomington Jun 11-13 Summer Games Terre Haute Jun 14 Unified Golf Tour Entry Deadline DEADLINE Jun 18 Champions Together Awards Luncheon Carmel Jun 21 Softball Team Quota Request Entry Deadline DEADLINE Jun 22 IHSAA Student Leadership Conference Virtual / At-Home Jun 24 Breakfast with Champions Evansville Jun-Jul Unified Golf Tour 6-8 sites 9 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Dates subject to change based on changes in facility availability.