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Having well-trained coaches is a key to the success of the Special Olympics Minnesota program. In our continuing efforts to deliver quality training in the most effective manner possible, we have developed or are now offering online training resources for completion of the General Orientation and Protective Behaviors or Level I training, Recertification Tests for maintenance of Level II certifications and American Sports Education Program courses in basketball, volleyball and softball to fulfill the continuing education component of Level II recertification.
The goal of the Special Olympics Minnesota staff is to continue to research and find ways to utilize the newest technologies to provide our coaches with the best training in the most user-friendly format possible. Check back often to see how we have enhanced this page to make the trainings offered even easier to use and to see what new trainings are available to you online.
Online General Orientation
Special Olympics Minnesota is proud to announce that volunteers may now complete the Level I (General Orientation and Protective Behaviors) Training online. This online Level I training allows current coaches to complete the Protective Behaviors portion of the Level I training and new coaches and volunteers to complete the entire Level I training by following the steps outlined below.
Steps to completing the SOMN Level I (General Orientation and Protective Behaviors) Training Requirement
Complete a Volunteer Application.
Review the General Orientation Packet. [ PDF Version | MS Word Version ]
Review the General Orientation PowerPoint presentation. [ MS PowerPoint Version ]
Complete and submit the General Orientation quiz. [ PDF Version | MS Word Version ]
Complete the Protective Behaviors quiz here.
Results of your Protective Behaviors quiz and proof of completion will be sent to Special Olympics Minnesota by Special Olympics Incorporated.
The volunteer application and General Orientation quiz may be submitted via fax to: 612-333-8782, by mail to Special Olympics Minnesota, 100 Washington Avenue South, Suite 550, Minneapolis, MN 55401 or by e-mail to David Martin.
Individuals not receiving a score of seven or better on the General Orientation quiz will receive follow-up training from the state office to better understand the answers to the questions they missed.
Coaches Recertification Tests
The continuing education or recertification component of the Special Olympics Minnesota Coach Education Program contains two requirements. The first is that a coach must complete some form of continuing education every four years in order to maintain their Level II sports certifications. Click here for the Coach Certification program document with a sample listing of courses that satisfy the continuing education requirement.
The second requirement is completion of a 10 question take-home test in sports in which the coach currently needs recertification. Individual Level II sports certifications are good for four years, after which time a coach must take the 10 question test in order to maintain their Level II certification in that sport.
Coaches who do not answer seven out of the 10 questions on the sports recertification test correctly will receive a follow-up from the state office reviewing the information they answered incorrectly. The goal of the test is not to preclude anyone from coaching, but to ensure an understanding of the sports rules as we continue to provide quality training and competition opportunities for our athletes.
Coaches who are certified in multiple sports can take all of their recertification tests at one time instead of over a period of months or years. Coaches who complete multiple tests at one time will not have to take any of them again for another four years.
The four-year certification period for a sport begins from the date that your Level II certification application for that sport is processed. Heads of Delegation and coaches will receive updates from the Volunteer Manager, Coaches and Competitions and their Sports Program Managers throughout the year on the status of Level II certifications. These reports will help to identify those coaches who need to complete the continuing education requirement and/or those coaches who simply need to complete the test for a specific sport.
The tests can be downloaded from Forms Central PDF versions or MS Word Versions.
To complete the test, simply download it to your computer, save it, complete it in Microsoft Word format and e-mail it to Dave Martin, the Volunteer Manager, Coaches and Competitions. You may also download the test in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format, print it, complete it and mail it to Dave Martin at Special Olympics Minnesota, 100 Washington Avenue South, Suite 550, Minneapolis, MN 55401. If you have any questions about the test, the requirements for recertification or are having trouble accessing a test, please contact Dave Martin at 612-604-1266 (toll-free at 800-783-7732, ext. 252).
Online Coaching Courses through American Sport Education Program
Special Olympics Minnesota, in conjunction with Special Olympics North America, is proud to introduce American Sport Education Program (ASEP) online coaching courses designed to meet the continuing education or Level III training requirement of the Special Olympics Minnesota Coach Education Program. These sport-specific Coaching Youth [Sport] e-courses are now available for basketball, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. Click here for more information.
If you have suggestions for content to add to the site, would like more information on becoming a Special Olympics Minnesota coach or to find a local program to coach with, please contact Dave Martin at 612-604-1266.
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