Weekend athlete? Former high school or college player? Pure lover of sport? Our coaches run the gamut. At present over 1,700 Oklahoma residents have made the decision to enrich a Special Olympics athlete's life by becoming a certified coach. In addition, many other Oklahomans serve in coaching capacities throughout the state. Come join us and get inspired!

Coaches are the key to a successful sports experience for the Special Olympics athlete.

Coaches Education...because the athletes deserve it!

Special Olympics, Inc. has created a policy enforcing mandatory coach’s certification for all Accredited Programs. The Special Olympics Oklahoma (SOOK) Board of Directors, through the work of the Board Program Committee, has approved and begun implementation of the following policy for Special Olympics Oklahoma.

Each SOOK Team must have a minimum of one certified coach for each official sport. All official sports offered by SOOK will require mandatory coach’s certification within the timeline below. An athlete and/or team will not compete in Special Olympics Oklahoma in any sport without being registered and trained by a Special Olympics certified coach within the timeline below.

Certification requirements – A coach must complete level 1 and level 2 training in order to become certified.

Lolieta Miller, 2011 Coach of the Year and
Stan Clark, Eskimo Joe's.

Level 1 is a General Orientation to Special Olympics. This is a one-time training that takes approximately 2 hours. This course can be completed at home.

Level 2 is a sport specific skills course. The course takes approximately 5 hours and includes 10 hours of practicum coaching experience and filing appropriate certification paper work with SOOK. Certification will remain in effect for a maximum of four years, unless, the coach takes a Level 3 course, Principles of Coaching or Unified Sports®, or retakes the level 2 course within the four year period of time. Level 2 is specific to each sport and each team must be represented by a minimum of one certified coach in each official sport prior to an athlete competing in that sport.

Please refer to Addendum 1 for Special Olympics Oklahoma coach’s certification levels and options

LEVEL 1
GENERAL ORIENTATION
Every Coach must complete the General Orientation
program to become a certified coach 
Approximately 2 hours 
Coach can complete independently at home 
Remains in effect as long as Coach remains Certified

LEVEL 2
SKILLS COURSE
Every Coach must complete the sport specific skills course
in the sport they wish to coach 
Approximately 6 hours with a certified trainer
and a 10 hour practicum 
Remains in effect for 4 years at which time the coach must recertify or 
move to Level 3

LEVEL 3
PRINCIPLES OF COACHING
or
UNIFIED SPORTS®
Approximately 8 hours classroom instruction
Remains in effect for 4 years at which time the Coach
must recertify by taking a
Level 2 or Level 3 course,
or moving to Level 4

LEVEL 4
COACH MENTOR
The Coach Mentor program will ask a 
Level 3 Coach 
to act as a mentor to a new coach. 
The Level 3 coach 
will provide advice on all Special Olympics 
programs, Training, Competition, and all activities
involving Special Olympics. 
The Coach Mentor will mentor a new coach 
for a 2 year period of time at which 
time the Mentor will 
receive LIFETIME CERTIFICATION