You could change someone's life ... maybe even your own!
Volunteers are the backbone of Special Olympics Minnesota. If you are seeking a volunteer opportunity that can make a difference in your life and lives of others, Special Olympics Minnesota needs you.
Whether you're coaching an athlete or helping with paperwork, handing out awards or celebrating a victory, timing a runner or escorting them onto the track—you’re touching the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics athletes work hard to overcome the odds and can do so with your help.
Whether you have a little time to commit or a lot, there is a volunteer opportunity waiting for you any time of the year. Volunteer roles are based on your interest and availability, as well as the needs of the teams and programs.
Volunteer Opportunity
Description
Coach
Coaches are certified by Special Olympics Minnesota and train athletes in a variety of sports. Each sport season is approximately eight weeks long and athletes typically train for one-two hours per week during the course of each season. We are adding new athletes to the program everyday, and as we continue to grow, we need additional coaches. Please fill out and send in the volunteer form (PDF), and we'll contact you about a team near you.
Trainer/Clinician
All coaches within Special Olympics Minnesota need to become certified. If you have the experience in a sport to help conduct sport-specific training clinics for coaches, please let us know.
Medical Volunteer
For individuals who are licensed or certified medical caregivers, being a medical volunteer at an event is a great way to share time with Special Olympics Minnesota.
Interpreter
We would like to be able to provide the same opportunities for our athletes who are deaf as all athletes in the program. If you are proficient in sign language and would like to assist as an interpreter for a team or at an event, we would like the chance to talk to you about the opportunities.
Merchandise Manager
Volunteers are needed to help sell Special Olympics Minnesota merchandise at competitions throughout the year. We are also seeking people to manage the merchandise program.
Official
Officiating opportunities are available for competitions in many sports, including basketball, poly hockey (similar to floor hockey), softball, volleyball and gymnastics. If you are a certified official or experienced athlete in any of these sports, please contact us to learn how to become an official at an event.
Competition/Special Event Management
As we add new events and seek to improve the programs and events we currently offer, we are looking for volunteers who would like to assist in planning and executing competitions and special events for the state, as well as area events in many regions throughout the state.
Professional Sports Photographers
Having professional photographs of the athletes as well as activities during the course of an event is very important. We are looking for individuals who have a talent in sports photography and would like to donate their time to take pictures for Special Olympics Minnesota.
Day-of Event Volunteer
Thousands of volunteers are needed to assist in many aspects of competitions and special events. These duties include scorekeeping, timing, officiating, escorting, staging of athletes, score runners, awards assistants and presenters, etc. The time commitment is about four-six hours, but the memories last forever. If you have a limited amount of time, but would still like to volunteer, please come out to event near you. Visit our event calendar to see the upcoming schedule.
Area Management Team Volunteers
Area Sports Management Teams provide quality sports training and competitive opportunities to athletes within a local geographic area. The state is divided into 12 Area programs to facilitate these opportunities. Each program is managed by volunteer Area Coordinators and their Area Sports Management Team, which establishes a working structure for the Area and assists in the development and implementation of sports programs consistent with the policies of Special Olympics International and Special Olympics Minnesota. The Area Sports Management Team (ASMT) is the essential link between local programs and the Special Olympics Minnesota State Office.
More Information
To find out about upcoming events across the state of Minnesota, please visit the event calendar.
If you're interested in any of the volunteer opportunities, please contact Jay Pedersen, Volunteer Manager, at jay.pedersen@somn.org, 612-604-1267 or 800-783-7732, ext. 267. If e-mailing, please be sure to include your mailing address, daytime phone number and the opportunities about which you're interested in learning.
