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 		 Special Olympics Participants...
Volunteers are the backbone of our program. Currently over 13,000 people in Mississippi
have discovered the rewards of working with a Special Olympics athlete. Because our
program is year round, help is valuable at any time. There is a place in Special Olympics
for volunteers of all ages, abilities, interests and schedules.

To be eligible to participate in Special Olympics, you must be at least eight years old and identified by an agency or professional as having one of the following conditions: mental retardation, cognitive delays as measured by formal assessment, or significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delay that require or have required specially designed instruction. It does not cost anything to participate.

Contact us to learn more about getting involved!
 

Participant Activities

Category Description Approximate Time Commitment
Coaching Work directly with athletes to improve their skills in specific Special Olympics sports. Participation is seasonal for each sport. The minimum commitment is two hours per week for eight weeks.
Competitions

Perform short-term tasks associated with conducting competitions (i.e. time for track meet.)

 Eight-hour shifts, one or more days each year.
Competition & Event Planning/Management Work with Competition/Event Management Committees to plan and manage competition and competition related special events. Commitment begins 4-6 months before competition or event date. Specific hours will vary with position.
Fundraising Plan and/or implement activities to raise financial and in-kind support. Commitment ranges from three to four hours for a single event to one year as a committee member.
Medical Provide basic first aid at competitions. Please note that this category requires medical training and certification. Four- to eight-hour shifts one or more days a year.
Office Support Tasks associated with supporting administrative and program functions. Generally, four pre-scheduled hours per week.
Public Relations Prepare and/or convey information about Special Olympics to various media outlets. Commitment ranges from a few hours for one specific activity to a year long commitment as a committee member.
Sports Management Plan, develop, implement and/or monitor sports programs, activities, events, and competitions. Length of commitment ranges from two to three months for specific sports; six months to one year for overall sport or games management.
Sports Volunteers Assist coaches during practice. Participation is seasonal for each sport. Generally, two practices per month throughout the season.

 

Special Olympics is unique in that it accommodates competitors at all ability levels by assigning them to competition divisions based on previous performances or preliminary heats.  In this way, even athletes in the lowest division may advance to Chapter and World Games.
 



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
     
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