Athlete Leadership Programs - Special Olympics Florida

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Athlete Leadership Programs

Special Olympics Athlete Leadership Programs (ALPs) allow athletes to explore opportunities in roles previously considered "non-traditional." Such participation might come in the form of an athlete serving on the Board of Directors or local organizing committee; or it might find an athlete as a spokesperson, team captain, coach or official. Participation in Athlete Leadership Programs may be in addition to or in place of participation in traditional athlete roles.

A program or initiative could be considered an Athlete Leadership Program if it:

Allows athletes to choose how they will participate (i.e., selecting their sport or deciding to become a coach)
Encourages athletes to serve in meaningful leadership roles other than or in addition to that of "competitor"
Provides training for existing leadership as they welcome and encourage athletes in these new roles

Athlete Leadership Program Initiatives

Below are some initiatives that Special Olympics Programs around the world have already instituted. We are proud to say that we have athletes in Florida that fit every category listed below.

Athletes on the State Board of Directors
Athletes on Board Committees
Athletes on County Management Teams
Athletes on Games Management Teams
Athletes on Games Evaluation Teams
Global Messengers (spokespersons)
Athlete Congress or Input Councils
Athlete sessions at Leadership Conferences
Athletes as Coaches
Athletes as Officials
Athletes as Volunteers
Athletes as Donors
Athletes employed by Special Olympics
Athletes as contributors to newsletters

Special Olympics is about breaking down barriers that others thought were permanent. Athlete Leadership Programs are about breaking down our internal barriers that keep athletes from fully enjoying Special Olympics through self-directed, meaningful participation in virtually any aspect of the program.

Athlete Leadership Program Training Courses

Global Messenger Beginner Course: To provide training and presentation skills for athletes interested in representing Special Olympics and Special Olympics Athletes in formal or support settings.
Global Messenger Graduate Course: Follow-up training to the Beginner Course that works on refining public speaking skills, focusing speeches to get the desired action by the audience, and preparation for various media/presentation situations one encounters as a public speaker for Special Olympics.
Athlete Leadership Workshop (Governance): To prepare athletes to participate in Special Olympics programming and policy dialogue via instruction and practice in forming and articulating opinions, group discussion and techniques for gathering input. Equally important is the enhancement of awareness and listening skills of volunteers, staff and family members as they interact with athletes during this training.
Athlete Leadership Workshop (Experiential): To prepare athletes and other Program leadership to explain and encourage Athlete Leadership Program initiatives. Workshop participants experience various ALPs roles and explore the motivation and requirements for each. The resulting corps of athletes and volunteers/staff are then charged with promoting the Athlete Leadership Program mind set as well as the programs that bring these opportunities to more athletes.
Athlete Congress: To provide a formal, deliberative process for the representation of athlete input in programming, policy and/or governance processes of Special Olympics.
Technology Training 101: Basic training on how to use a laptop computer. The athlete will create an email account, learn how to read and write email while using good habits of email and how to deal with junk mail. They will be instructed in various software including anti-virus software. Websites will be a part of the program as they have to learn how to search the internet to find different sites, especially Special Olympics. This is all done in a safe environment with supervision from instructors and athletes' mentors.
Special Olympics Officials Program for Athletes: To provide athletes with readiness training for participation in National Governing Body programs that result in certification as an official or other skilled personnel.
Athlete Boardsmanship: To provide guidance for athletes/support persons/ Boards of Directors that seek inclusive decision-making through athlete participation on the board.