Role of the Special Olympics Head Coach
The head coach is ultimately responsible for the total practice environment of the athlete. The following responsibilities should be used as a checklist to ensure your athletes are being instructed in a safe and competent manner:
Know, understand and abide by the Special Olympics Sports Rules, the rules of the sport you are coaching and any modifications set forth by the international governing body of that sport. For more information on rules and the governing body for your sport, see the
Special Olympics Official Sports Rules.
Know and understand the sport being coached, and develop a training program for each athlete that includes:
- conditioning
- instruction on competition and rules
- a minimum of eight weeks of training prior to any competition
Execute the legal duties of a coach:
- provide a safe environment
- properly plan the activity
- supervise the activity closely
- oversee and evaluate all assistant coaches for the sport
Coaches have a legal responsibility to be sure athletes know, understand and appreciate the risks of any sport in which they participate. You must repeatedly warn athletes of the potential for injury or harm, and teach them to recite back to you the safety precautions and the injuries that can occur if these procedures are not followed. Effective group teaching and safety depend on learning the rules of safety and etiquette for each sport.
The head coach may also be responsible for creating and managing the Special Olympics budget for your sport or team (Check with the local Special Olympics Coordinator to see if this is the case.). Below is a simple template that can help determine the cost of your program.
