Coach Recertification
 To maintain skills, provide athletes with effective training and understand any rules changes, SOPA requires coaches to be re-certified in their sport every four years.
There are several ways to obtain recertification or to receive your initial training as a coach in a specific sport as follows:
* Attend an approved training school (registration form) taking one of the following at a Training School. The next training school in our area is September 26 at Freedom High School in Bethlehem. Sports offered: Sports: Aquatics, Golf, Floor Hockey, Athletics, Bocce, Tennis, Softball, Basketball, Volleyball, Bowling, Soccer, Long Distance Running/Walking, and Powerlifting. Contact Scott Otterbein (sotterbein@comcast.net) to register.
- New Coach (skills) - Specific to your Sport
- Coaching Special Olympics Athletes - this course is an overview of four components: athlete, coach, training and competition. If you are a new coach with sport experience you are encouraged to take this course instead of a basic Skills Course. Pre-approval is required.
- Continuing Education Training - this training is for certified coaches. Coaches must receive continuing education training every 4 years to maintain their certification. Without this training coach certification expires which means the coach would need to take the new coach course over again.
* If there is enough interest and assistance in hosting a training session we will make every attempt to bring the training to the county. Sessions planned for 2009 include bocce and soccer. Email our Training Coordinator, Scott Otterbein (sotterbein@comcast.net) if you would like to set up a session for your sport.
 * Online training is available for recertification. Certified Coaches may take online courses to maintain their certification in their respective sports. There is a charge for these courses. Special Olympics does not receive any portion of those charges. Please note: Upon receipt of a copy of certification completion, coaches will be reimbursed by SOMC. Contact our Training Coordinator Scott Otterbein (sotterbein@comcast.net) if you plan to use the online option. Be sure to save a digital confirmation of successful completion of any course so it can be forwarded to the County Manager for approval of reimbursement. Once you have completed your Sports Training Application (STA) attach the certificate of completion to it and submit it to the address or email listed on the current STA (which is available here) and at the SOPA website. The online course hosts do no automatically notify SOPA of your course completion. Continuing education credit is approved for all sports by successfully completing the Positive Coaching Alliance's online Double Goal Coach or Second-Goal Parents course. The American Sport Education Program's online Coaching Youth is for sport specific coaches in the following sports: basketball, softball, tennis, volleyball and soccer.
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