Special Olympics cannot function without the time, energy, commitment, and enthusiasm of the many volunteers who accomplish a wide variety of tasks.  It could be a called a job but it is more than this job description: Besides teaching, training, motivating and otherwise working with the athletes, there are a host of responsibilities: chasing down basketballs, timekeeping, scorekeeping, chaperoning, travel for away tournaments, entry forms, attendance forms, providing for meals, first aid and program management. Few coaches can do it alone. Volunteers work closely and under the direction of a coach, along with other volunteers.

Team Montgomery is an entirely volunteer organization and relies on volunteers at all levels to ensure that every athlete is provided with a quality sports training and competition experience. Current and new volunteers update or complete background clearances and online trainings by visiting the Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA) online portal. You can see the status of your background clearances, the expiration date and the status of any sports coach certifications you have attained. You can also change your contact information and password. Proceed to SOPA’s portal here:  SOPA Online Portal 

Your User ID is your email address (use the same one consistently with Special Olympics). If you have forgotten your User ID, please contact vsyshelp@specialolympicspa.org. Click on the “Forgot password” and follow the instructions to create a new password. 

The three trainings required of all volunteers are general orientation (a one time requirement), protective behaviors (every three years) and concussion (every three years.) The portal incorporates links to all three trainings and the results are automatically saved to your online portal record.