News from the Field Department - June 2021
As we return to activity in full swing, this is a great time to examine all of the new opportunities this restart provides. Set aside some time at your next Management Team meeting to discuss some of these ideas:
- Start new sports
- The athletes have been away for almost 2 years - now is the time to give them something new and exciting to try that you never did before. Look at this as an opportunity to strengthen and diversify your program offerings. Be sure to use your Athlete Representative to do a Sports Interest Survey.
- If your venues are closed and coaches are not returning - this can be an opportunity to get more people involved. New venues can broaden your impact on the community and new coaches can energize your program.
- Start new traditions
- Zoom meetings have become invaluable for us. The chance to have your meetings without driving in the dark or the weather, the chance to have your meetings virtually makes it easier for everyone to attend. Almost everyone has experience with Zoom meetings now.
- Bringing new athletes and volunteers into your program has always required a process of on-boarding. Now is a great time to formalize that process. Present new athletes and volunteers with program t-shirts, hats, towels, etc. Pass out a calendar with all events for the year. Have a couple of volunteers prepared to help new people through the clearance and online processes. Make new people feel welcomed and valued.
- Start new offerings
- If you haven’t tried a Young Athlete program yet, you should look into it. It becomes a terrific tool for starting young age-appropriate teams and lets families learn about the Special Olympics and what it can do for their child at a very early stage.
- Fitness, Health and Walking clubs will be popular as we return to activity and they are a great way to deal with the sad truth of health issues in our population. Athletes love to be social and can develop healthy habits together. Start a fitness and walking club for your athletes and their families. Your Health and Fitness Coordinator can help facilitate this.
As always, your Field Team is here to help and support you in any way that we can! We have lots of small steps to help you get started again.
Your Field Team