Special Olympics Washington

	Code of conduct		Winter Games Volunteer Registration
	Interacting with Special Olympics Athletes		Volunteer Opportunities - Online - Online form - fill out electronically and submit.
	Insurance		Volunteer Opportunities - PDF - PDF - printable form (You may complete the form electronically and then print it out.)
	Registration & Screening Process		Volunteer Registration - Complete the form electronically, then print. Signature is required
	Summer Games Volunteer Registration		Washington State Patrol's National Background Clearance - Complete the form electronically, then print. Signature is required


Eastern Washington Opportunities
	Softball Tournament - August 2 Lawrence Scott Park, Kennewick
	Golf Tournament - August 2 Columbia Point Golf Cource, Richland

Volunteers are a key source of support for SOWA athletes across the state of Washington. Over 8,500 people volunteer as coaches, assistant coaches, chaperones, committee members, fundraising volunteers, as well as many other areas. On a local level, many types of volunteer opportunities are available and the community is encouraged to get involved in neighborhood Special Olympics Washington programs.

Coaches are required to go through a training and certification process prior to working with Special Olympics athletes. General sports tournament volunteers are usually trained the day of the event, however some activities may require pre-event training. Special Olympics Washington adheres to the following standards regarding age requirements for volunteers:

		Children 10 and under are not eligible to volunteer, but are welcome to attend the games as spectators. (Exception - Unified Partner participants may be 8yrs. or older)
		Youth 11-13 are eligible to volunteer, for certain positions, if accompanied by parent/adult chaperone.
		Teens 14-17 are eligible to volunteer for certain positions.
		Youth groups need to provide a minimum of 1 adult chaperone for every 4 youth.
		Adults are defined as 18 years of age or older.

Code of Conduct
Special Olympics Washington expects volunteers to abide by the following code of conduct:

	Embody the mission of Special Olympics Act in the best interest of Special Olympics athletes while enabling and encouraging their participation and success. Model good sports behavior by adhering to Special Olympics sports rules and regulations. Fulfill your volunteer commitment to the best of your abilities.

	Uphold the dignity of the athletes Respect each athlete as an individual. Applaud their accomplishments, promote their safety and respect their right to privacy.

	Promote a safe and healthy environment at events Refrain from any knowing or deliberate act that may create dangerous or unhealthy situations or behaviors for Special Olympics athletes. This includes use of tobacco products, consumption of alcoholic beverages and non-prescribed controlled substances, carrying a weapon, assaulting another individual or otherwise disregarding the safety of other persons or their property.

	Maintain confidentiality Refrain from disclosing any personal or confidential information about the organization, athletes or other volunteers.

	Act in the best interests of Special Olympics Washington Refrain from knowingly influencing Special Olympics staff, sponsors or participants so as to bring financial benefit to yourself or any person, corporation or entity with which you are affiliated. Refrain from misrepresenting the organization in any way. Do not use Special Olympics events to promote personal politics or other views.

Interacting with Special Olympics Athletes

Volunteers are to be friendly and engaging towards Special Olympics athletes. Volunteers should introduce themselves and ask the athlete his or her name. Start conversations by asking about their sports, their coaches, their teams, their results or what they like about the event. Congratulate athletes for their participation and success or wish them well in their upcoming competition. Treat children as children and adults as adults. If you need to set limits regarding appropriate behavior, be pleasant and firm. Some helpful tips on how to interact with Special Olympics athletes include:

	Refer to Special Olympics participants as "athletes" rather than "kids".
	Refer to Special Olympics participants as “Special Olympics athletes” not “Special Olympians”.
	A person "has an intellectual disability" rather than "is suffering from," "is afflicted with," or "is a victim of" mental retardation.
	A person "uses a wheelchair" rather than "is confined to" or "is restricted to" a wheelchair.
	A person is "disabled" or "physically challenged" rather than "crippled."
	A person who is partially sighted is "visually impaired" rather than "blind."
	A person is "hearing impaired" rather than "deaf" or "deaf-mute."
	A person has a "seizure disorder" rather than "is epileptic."

Insurance

Insurance is maintained by Special Olympics Washington to cover all aspects of the organization’s operations, i.e. commercial general liability, non-owned and hired automobile liability, volunteer medical malpractice, and participant accident insurance. To be eligible for coverage volunteers must be in compliance with the following process:

	Volunteer Registration (Form completed and approved)
	Washington State Patrol's National Background Clearance (Form when applicable, completed and approved)
	Incident/Accident Report (Form completed and submitted to SOWA for any injury or accident)

Special Olympics Washington's policy provides protection to employees, athletes, and registered volunteers of Special Olympics for liability claims arising as a direct result of the use of a non-owned or hired automobile. For coverage to be effective, the vehicle must be used for Special Olympics' business with the permission of Special Olympics and driven by an employee, athlete or a registered volunteer of Special Olympics. It also provides coverage to registered Class A Volunteers of Special Olympics who are using their personal vehicles to transport individuals on behalf of, and with the permission of, Special Olympics.

Regardless of whether one uses a rented or personal automobile when conducting Special Olympics business, all drivers are expected to use good judgment, maintain a valid driver’s license, adequate collision/comprehensive coverage and adhere to all state laws and safety recommendations.