News from the Field Department - April 2021
- Management Team Meetings:
- If you haven’t been meeting as a Management Team, you need to be meeting.
- Local program Management Teams are required to meet a minimum of 6 times every year...this is even more important during this time when lots of program decisions need to be managed and made.
- You should be meeting virtually. In person meetings are not permitted yet. If you need help with virtual meetings, please contact your Field Director for assistance.
- Agendas should be shared with attendees prior to the meeting. If you need a draft Management Team agenda contact your Field Director.
- Minutes should be recorded, shared with everyone on the Team and sent to the Field Director within 7 days.
- Past minutes, Treasurer Report and any expenditures must be voted on.
- Important Topics You Should be Reviewing at Your Meetings:
- Return to Activities Guidelines, Training Site Availability, Virtual and In-Person Training Options
- Fundraising & Program Budget
- Leadership Conference
- Competition Updates, USA Games Eligibility
- Coach & Athlete Commitment, Renewing Medicals
- If you haven’t been meeting as a Management Team, you need to be meeting.
- Evaluate Open Positions on Your Team
- Check in with your team. How are they feeling? Are they still able to commit to the team? Do they need to adjust their role?
- Identify if you have any additional support that is needed for the team.
- Work with your team and your Field Director to create a plan to fill key positions
- Coaches:
- Determine your coach needs - do you have enough? Are they all returning after the pandemic?
- Do they need certification or other training? Are they working on the coach progression?
As always, contact your Field Director with questions, concerns or issues. We are here for you.
Your Field Team
Staff Updates – March 2021
WELCOME TO THE TEAM
Andrew Cader, Director of Strategic Fundraising Events and Corporate Stewardship
It gives us great pleasure to introduce Andrew Cader as our new Director of Strategic Fundraising Events and Corporate Stewardship.
In this new role for SOPA, Andrew will lead and oversee all state event strategy, planning, and execution to maximize revenue generation and fully integrate events into our donor relations efforts. Andrew will lead an ongoing assessment of both major and minor events and will make recommendations and changes to strategic priorities within the State Event portfolio. Specific events that will fall under Andrew’s leadership include our Plunges, Beaver Stadium Run, UNCathlon, and some NEW events within the plan for this year.
Andrew can be reached at
Christine Anderson, Director of Foundation Relations
We are very happy to announce that Christine Anderson has joined us as our Director of Foundation Relations. For those of you who have been with SOPA for a while, you’ll remember Christine. She’s returning to the position after a brief hiatus, during which she gained experience in government grants management, and made contacts in government as well. We will be the beneficiaries of those things, as well as the 10½ year experience she’s had working at SOPA.
Christine can be reached at
Please join us in welcoming our new staff on-board!
News from the Field Department - February 2021
Diversity & Inclusion Makes Us Stronger
As an organization we pride ourselves in being inclusive. Having diverse athletes, volunteers and staff members helps make our team stronger. To be the best we can be, we need to continue to work to expand our network.
Strengthen Your Program Through Inclusion and Diversity:
Inclusion:
- Reach out to athletes/volunteers from other parts of the county that may be under represented
- Reach out to athletes who are At-Home or High Risk and unable to participate in In-Person activities and engage them in communication and programming (Fitness Heptathlon/SONA Moves).
Diversity:
- Target other organizations like the YMCA, local leadership programs or businesses to fill Management Team or coach positions. Don’t just rely on the parents of your athletes.
- Change up your programming: Try new ways to train, connect and fundraise.
- Train: Virtual Training
- Connect: Zoom, Facebook, Email
- Fundraising: Utilize revenue share opportunities like UnCathlon, Beaver Stadium Run and the Polar Pop!
- Athlete Leadership Team: Consider term limits to give other athletes the chance to share their voice, or invite new athletes to join!
We hope you are eager to become more inclusive and diverse in your program. If you are looking for more ideas, suggestions or simply need support in executing an idea, your Field team is ready to help!
News from the Field Department - October 2020
The Importance of Connection:
From Hugs, High Fives and Fist Bumps to a Virtual World
What a challenging 6 months this has been! The global pandemic of coronavirus (COVID-19) has forced us to navigate everything differently. We are missing people and activities, and that leads to sadness and isolation for many. With all the changes you may be feeling overwhelmed, tired and defeated. You are not alone.
We are here to support you, and we know you are working hard to support your team and your athletes. In order to best support each other, we need to effectively communicate. As a Field Team, we are working hard to connect with our programs regularly to check in and offer support. Let us help you by being honest about what you need. If you are feeling overwhelmed let’s work together to find solutions. We are a team and we need to lean on each other.
One of the ways you can connect within your program is through your program Management Team meetings. Local Programs are supposed to have at least six Management Team meetings a year. We know many of you have put your meetings on hold, but it is important that you are virtually meeting. The meetings may look different, but they are important. Connecting with your team and talking about your needs and the needs of the athletes will allow you to support each other and also ask for support if you need it. There is still business that needs to be managed within your program. We hope you are finding creative ways to use Zoom, Facetime, and use other technology platforms to connect. These are great tools to create virtual meetups, celebrate birthdays or accomplishments, to share jokes, music, stories, and simply talk about anything other than coronavirus. If you are not familiar with these platforms, we can help.
We are an organization that is focused on building connections and freely sharing hugs, high fives and fist bumps to celebrate success and to show our support. Although we can’t connect through these physical connections, staying socially connected is even more important. If we support each other, communicate regularly and ask for help when we need help, we will get through this challenging time together.
News from the Field Department - September 2020
WORKING WITH YOUR LOCAL ARC
Interview with Michelle Jordan, Program Manager for Special Olympics Armstrong/Indiana and Executive Director of The Arc of Indiana County
- What are some of the reasons for Special Olympics Local Programs to develop a relationship with their local Arc? The Arc is a service provider (usually) and therefore connected to Group Homes and other athlete groups. The Arc can act as a check and balance for a local program by providing legal information that protects athletes and their families. The Arc also provides some workshops, employment help and training and public awareness.
- What should Local Program Managers do or not do when connecting with The Arc? Self-advocacy for athletes is important and sharing your opportunities for leadership, coaching, travel and state events will help get Arc staff excited. Be persistent, but have a good message. Tell the story of your program.
- Don’t lead with what the Arc can do for you. This is not the place for gaining volunteers or athletes - at least at the beginning.
- What ways can The Arc work together with Special Olympics Local Programs? Every Arc is different, research your local organization and find out what age groups they serve, what services they provide and whether they have in-school advocacy. The Arc can partner with Special Olympics on events and might consider adding an athlete with leadership experience to their Board. Many Arc meetings are open to anyone and a representative from your program could attend and even speak.
- The Arc of Indiana County hosts a Community Disability Awareness meeting. Tell us about that. Each month we hold a meeting to raise disability awareness issues in our community. We have representatives from PATTAN, ADA, ARIN and other service organizations. We discuss best methods, early intervention and ways to raise awareness in Indiana County.