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Planning a Bowling Training and Competition Season
As with all sports, the Special Olympics bowling coach develops a coaching philosophy. The coach's philosophy needs to be consistent with the Special Olympics philosophy, which is that quality training and opportunities for fair and equitable competition are guaranteed for each athlete. However, successful coaches include having fun along with an athlete's acquiring sport-specific skills and knowledge of the program's objectives.
A season plan provides the road map to aid you in meeting your program's goal and objectives as well as goals for individual athletes. Although the minimum training requirement is eight weeks, serious consideration should be given to establishing a longer program; for example, a yearlong bowling program divided into fall, summer, spring and winter seasons. Using the bowling handicap system, it is simple to form teams that provide fair competition.
- Improve your knowledge of bowling and of coaching athletes with intellectual disabilities by attending a Special Olympics training school.
- Arrange for a bowling facility that will accommodate your needs throughout season.
- Arrange for equipment and include adapted equipment if necessary.
- Recruit, orient and train volunteer assistant coaches.
- Coordinate transportation needs.
- Ensure that all athletes have been medically approved before the first practice.
- Obtain copies of medical and parental releases.
- Establish goals and develop a plan for the season.
- Consider establishing a bowling league sanctioned by your national bowling association or federation with the season lasting longer than eight weeks.
- Establish and coordinate a seasonal schedule, including league play, training practices, clinics and demonstrations, and confirm any planned dates for local, area, sectional, state, national and Special Olympics Unified SportsŪ bowling competitions.
- Hold orientation for families, teachers and friends of athletes and include information about the Home Training Program.
- Establish procedures for recognizing each athlete's progress.
- Establish a seasonal budget.
- Use skills assessments to identify each athlete's skill level and to record each athlete's progress throughout the season.
- Design an eight-week training program
- Plan and modify each session according to what needs to be accomplished.
- Emphasize conditioning as skill is learned.
- Develop skills by progressively increasing difficulty.
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