Introduction to Athlete Leadership
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Introduction to Athlete Leadership
ALPs University 2011
Definition of ALPs
· Allowing athletes to choose HOW and in what ROLE they participate in Special Olympics.
· Encouraging athletes to take meaningful positions of influence and leadership throughout the organization to help determine policy and set direction.
· Providing training for coaches and volunteers as they welcome athletes in their new roles.
Roles for Athletes
Input Council Member — You can improve your local program by making suggestions and discussing problems. Find out if your county program or area has an input council and become a participating member!
YOUR INPUT IS VALUABLE AND IS NEEDED!
Athletes as Global Messengers — Do you like to talk? You can be trained by Special Olympics in presentation skills to become an expert speaker. We’ll even teach you to use PowerPoint to give presentations to schools, community groups, parents, churches.
GIVE A TALK & GET NEW PEOPLE INVOLVED IN SPECIAL OLYMPICS!
Athletes as Coaches — You can become a coach or assistant coach if that is your dream! You will need to make a commitment to attend certification training by your state office then apply your training. There are many Special Olympics athletes in various states who have become coaches.
BECOME A COACH IF THAT IS YOUR DREAM!
Athletes as Officials — You can become an official if that is your dream! Special Olympics will provide athletes information so they can participate in sport National Governing Body certification programs as an official or other skilled sport personnel. At the 1995 World Games in New Haven, Connecticut, there were 39 officials who were Special Olympics athletes!
BECOME AN OFFICIAL IF THAT IS YOUR DREAM!
Athletes on Board of Directors or local/area committees — You can become a representative of athletes on these very important groups. Training is provided to prepare athletes to participate in Special Olympics programming and policy meetings. Training focuses on awareness and listening skills and reading financial reports. Many states have had several athletes on its Board of Directors.
BECOME A BOARD MEMBER; MAKE IMPORTANT DECISIONS!
Athletes in the Media — You can get the Special Olympics WORD out. You can write articles, do television or radio shows, or work with the newspapers. A Special Olympics athlete in Rhode Island produces and hosts his own monthly TV show on cable.
JOIN US AND HELP GET THE WORD OUT TO EVERYONE!
Athletes on management teams — You can be a valuable asset on a Special Olympics Summer Games management team. Some athletes are filling important roles by helping the state office conduct the games that you compete in. More than half the management teams have an athlete representative.
ASK SOIN WHAT YOU CAN DO TO IMPROVE SPECIAL OLYMPICS!
Athletes as Special Olympics employees — Someday you might be employed by Special Olympics. Several states, including Indiana, and the national office have athletes on their payroll as regular employees.
Athlete Congress Member — The congress exists in several states and there’s a world congress. It provides a formal, deliberative process and place for athlete input on programming, policy and other processes of Special Olympics. Indiana athlete leaders have attended 2 world congresses. In 2010 two more attended the world congress.
Athletes as volunteers or donors — Some of you have already done this maybe without realizing it. You’ve maybe helped with candy sales in the past. Perhaps you helped chaperone other athletes for a little while. Many of you have done these leadership roles for Special Olympics when you are not competing.
Athletes as mentors or advocates — You can help fellow athlete leaders by being their mentor at ALPs University or advocating for their rights when they are having sports or leadership problems.
Area 13 ALPS Input Council
April 20, 2010
Sample Agenda
Approve minutes from last meeting
Announcements – History of ALPs in Indiana
Old business
Picnic – where, when?
Athlete Newsletter on Web – report plus see note on minutes
Floor hockey
Divisioning of girl’s state basketball tournament – any better?
Unified Sports rule – substituting an athlete
Disqualification because of circumstances beyond your control
Sectional Basketball tournament in Area 4
Wrestling
Bowling – what is being done so more can participate?
Other state games
Sponsor for Area Games T-shirts
New business
Next meeting date
Adjournment
ALPS Input Council
Standard Operating Procedures
(a sample – you should customize for your program)
Mission: To improve the quality and integrity of Special Olympics training, competition and organization
Through: Recommending new ideas and changes to present procedures to the County Management team
Athlete Input Council structures
Membership:
Members should be at least 15 years old. If younger than 15 years, he/she should be escorted by an older athlete or volunteer.
Training for members:
All members should have attended “Introduction to Athlete Leadership” or the old ALPs 101 class at some time.
Meetings:
There will be 12 meetings per year. We encourage you to attend as many meetings as your commitments allow. Meetings will generally be the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Central High School room 222. Changes will be announced at each meeting. A Chairman will lead the meetings and a facilitator will take minutes. The chair will provide a meeting agenda, which will include approval of minutes, old business and new business as well as other topics as brought forward to the Input Council. Members will raise hands to speak. If general agreement is not reached during discussion, a vote will be taken on the topic being discussed. A simple majority will win a vote.
Officers and duties:
The Chair will be elected by members of the Input Council for a four-year term and can be re-elected one time. A former Chair would be allowed to run for chair again after sitting out a term. If Chair leaves before the four-year term expires, the Vice Chair takes over and the new Chair can appoint a new Vice Chair. At the end of the full term a new election will take place. Duties of the chair would be to make meeting agendas, to run the meeting, to report at the volunteer meeting, and to mentor the Vice Chair in the duties of the Chair.
ALPS Input Council
Standard Operating Procedures (continued)
(a sample – you should customize for your program)
A Vice Chair will be elected by Input Council members. The Vice Chair will run meetings in the absence of the Chair and report at the volunteer meeting. The Vice Chair will move to Chair when the Chair’s term expires.
Chair has the option to let members of the Input Council run certain parts of the meeting with override powers.
Discipline and dismissal:
If a member causes a disturbance, a verbal warning will be given. If it continues, the member will be asked to sit out a meeting before coming back. If problems continue and the chair believes a member is not working out, he or she will direct the problem member to not attend additional meetings.
Responsibilities of Council Members:
To attend meetings, to select a chairperson and vice chair, to approve the facilitator, to participate in ALPs training as possible, to discuss issues related to Special Olympics in Indiana, to make recommendations in writing to the County Management team.
Approved August 18, 2010 by the Sample County Input Council as signed below:
Chair ______
Vice Chair ______
Members present:
______
______
What are MY greatest strengths?
What have been some of the happiest moments in MY life?
What things are the most important to ME?
How can I best contribute to Special Olympics?
My Special Olympics Mission Statement today’s date / /
by ______and ______
(your name) (mentor name)
(Record your Special Olympics Mission Statement. Your mission statement is what you want to be and do in your life with regard to Special Olympics. Make sure it is specific. Your mission statement will empower you to become the leader you want to be in Special Olympics.)
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