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    What We Do

    Athlete Leadership Programs

    Special Olympics global messenger, Beth.

    The mission of Special Olympics Athlete Leadership Programs is to empower athletes to develop leadership skills and utilize their voices to assume meaningful leadership roles, influence change in the Special Olympics movement, and educate communities around the world that results in positive life changes.

    Athlete Leadership at Special Olympics Massachusetts provides training and support for athletes who desire to expand their participation in Special Olympics, both on and off the competition field. Through Athlete Leadership, individuals receive instruction and have opportunities to hold positions of influence within the community. In these roles, athletes are given tools to share their experiences, document stories in the community, and encourage others to be their best selves. Athlete Leaders will help spread the mission of inclusion through the voice and perspective of a Special Olympics athlete.

    In 2023 we launched three new athlete leadership programs:

     

    Inclusion Ambassadors
    Known throughout the movement as Global Messengers, athletes undergo training to act as spokespeople on behalf of Special Olympics. The Special Olympics MA Inclusion Ambassador Program is for athletes passionate about their own Special Olympics journey and want to share the mission of inclusion with community organizations. This opportunity will empower athletes to build inclusive relationships with Special Olympics MA partners, businesses, and community organizations. Through training, athletes will sharpen skills such as public speaking and storytelling, which they will use both within and outside of the Special Olympics community.

    OVERVIEW 

    This opportunity will focus on two key initiatives for revenue generation for Special Olympics Massachusetts: Fundraising and Corporate Engagement.  We want to help enable athletes to be able to tell their stories in the community by building inclusive relations in the community.  Training will be in early 2023, where athletes will learn skills such as public speaking and storytelling, as well as learn more about SOMA’s fundraising events and initiatives. 

    REQUIREMENTS 

    • Must be self-motivated and have an interest in fundraising initiatives for Special Olympics Massachusetts
    • Must have a mentor that checks in with them 
    • Must be able to attend fundraising events or corporate partner events when asked upon (in-person and virtual) 
    • Must be able to find their own transportation to events or corporate engagement opportunities 

    EXPECTATIONS 

    • Attend and participate in all training sessions associated with becoming an Athlete Ambassador for fundraising initiatives 
    • Represent SOMA and elevate the experience for corporate partners during engagements by visiting businesses (lunch and learns, promotional/fundraising campaigns for SOMA), telling their stories and sharing inclusive experiences with employees. 
    • Become a team captain or champion for certain fundraising initiatives in their community by recruiting and rallying people to participate in fundraising events (I.e. Polar Plunge) 

    * Mentoring an athlete leader – lending your time and talents to a most-important element of the Special Olympics vision – ensuring that people with intellectual disabilities are seen as respected and capable members of their community. Must be someone who will push the athlete to complete tasks, check-in with their thoughts and help guide them. Mentor can be parent, sibling, coach, teacher, etc. 

    2023 Inclusion Ambassador Training Sessions

    Inclusion Ambassadors will meet a total of 2 times before athlete leaders are expected to bring their new skills into the real world.

    Meeting 1

    • Date: Tuesday, January 31st
    • Time: Evening (exact time TBD)
    • Location: Zoom

    Meeting 2

    • Date: Sunday, February 5th
    • Time: TBD
    • Location: Yawkey Sports Training Center (512 Forest St. Marlborough, MA)

    For any questions about the Inclusion Ambassador athlete leadership program, please contact: stephanie.esposito@specialolympicsma.org and/or christian.mccormick@specialolympicsma.org

    Content Squad
    This program is designed for athletes who love storytelling and are interested in learning about sports media, including social media takeovers, broadcasting, and more! This program will teach you the basics of storytelling & content creation. Following course completion, athletes will be considered content creators for Special Olympics Massachusetts and will be able to pitch story ideas & create content for the Special Olympics Massachusetts website and social media platforms.

    OVERVIEW 

    6-week course that teaches the basics of storytelling & content creation. With completion of the course, athletes will be considered content creators for Special Olympics Massachusetts and will be able to pitch ideas/create content for Special Olympics Massachusetts Social Media platforms. 

    REQUIREMENTS 

    • Must be self-motivated and have an interest in covering sports 
    • Must own smartphone 
    • Must have *mentor that checks in weekly 

    EXPECTATIONS 

    • Attend and participate in all training sessions 
    • Have their own public Twitter, Instagram & Tik Tok account that they will be posting on weekly 
    • Complete “homework” assignments given each week 

    * Mentoring an athlete leader – lending your time and talents to a most-important element of the Special Olympics vision – ensuring that people with intellectual disabilities are seen as respected and capable members of their community. Must be someone who will push the athlete to complete tasks, check-in with their thoughts and help guide them. Mentor can be parent, sibling, coach, teacher, etc. 

    2023 Content Squad Training Sessions

    Content Squad will meet a total of 6 times before athlete leaders test out their skills in the real world.

    Meeting 1

    • Date: Sunday, January 22nd
    • Time: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
    • Location: Yawkey Sports Training Center (512 Forest St. Marlborough, MA)

    Meeting 2

    • Date: Tuesday, January 31st
    • Time: 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
    • Location: Zoom

    Meeting 3

    • Date: Tuesday, February 7th
    • Time: 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
    • Location: Zoom

    Meeting 4

    • Date: Tuesday, February 14th
    • Time: 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
    • Location: Zoom

    Meeting 5

    • Date: Tuesday, February 28th
    • Time: 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
    • Location: Zoom

    Meeting 6

    Meeting 6 will give athlete leaders the ability to test out their new content squad skills in the real world. We will choose one of the many winter events happening at Special Olympics MA to attend, and athletes will have the ability to cover the event through story-telling, social media, photography, and more.

    For any questions about the Content Squad athlete leadership program, please contact: Charles.Hirsch@specialolympicsma.org

     

    Fitness Captains
    Known globally as Health Messengers, Fitness Captains at Specia Olympics Massachusetts are eager to stay active and healthy, and want to motivate the Special Olympics community to do the same! Fitness Captains will unlock key insight regarding the importance of hydration, nutrition, and fitness routines. Through various training sessions, they will learn how to motivate teammates, coaches, and the community! Untap your potential as a leader for all things fitness through one of the three different paths fitness captains can take.

    OVERVIEW 

    An 8-week course that provides athletes with a technical skill set that enhances their ability to be a leader and advocate for themselves and others in all aspects of health. After the training, athletes will have the knowledge and skills necessary to promote healthy habits to their fellow athletes, coaches, and community!

    There are three paths you can take as a Fitness Captain:

    1. A Social Media Fitness Captain
    2. An Event/Program Fitness Captain
    3. Dual: An Event & Social Media Fitness Captain

    REQUIREMENTS 

    • Have an interest in sharing either your own fitness journey and or general wellness tips
    • Must have *mentor that checks in weekly
    • Must be active at least once within the first year after completing training.
    • Complete any evaluations/assignments as needed

    Social Media Path Additional Requirement:

    • Must own smartphone
    • Must post at least 2x a month
    • Must have their own public Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter accounts (this is only required for social media paths!)

    Event/ Program Path Additional Requirement:

    • Have own transportation
    • Feel comfortable speaking to a crowd
    • Be active at least 2x within the year (either at a Special Olympics MA event at a fitness station, or hosting your own fitness event)
    • Complete other non-in person assignments given during bi-monthly meetings

    EXPECTATIONS 

    • Must be self-motivated
    • Attend and participate in all training sessions
    • Participate in bi-monthly Fitness Captain meetings.

    * Mentoring an athlete leader – lending your time and talents to a most-important element of the Special Olympics vision – ensuring that people with intellectual disabilities are seen as respected and capable members of their community. Must be someone who will push the athlete to complete tasks, check-in with their thoughts and help guide them. Mentor can be parent, sibling, coach, teacher, etc. 

    2023 Fitness Captain Training Sessions

    Fitness Captains will meet for a total of 8 times (one hour a week, for 8 weeks) before athlete leaders are expected to showcase their skills in the real world. Exact dates are TBD, but are expected to begin mid-February and will likely be held virtually on Tuesday nights.

    For any immediate questions about the Fitness Captain athlete leadership program, please contact: vicky.dinatale@specialolympicsma.org

    Additional athlete leadership opportunities

    Athletes on the Board of Directors

    Two Special Olympics Massachusetts athletes serve on our Board of Directors at all times.

    Athletes as Coaches

    Through the Special Olympics Massachusetts Coaches Education Program, athletes can receive training to serve as certified coaches for Special Olympics Massachusetts sports teams throughout the year.

    Athletes as Volunteers

    Athletes join the volunteer forces of Special Olympics Massachusetts by helping out with sporting events, fundraising events and other activities throughout the year. Many of our athletes put together teams to participate in fundraising events.