1. Special Olympics Athlete Leadership Programs
Introduction to Volunteering
If you are going to provide handouts for the workshop (which is recommended!) Make a copy of this presentation and delete the answers to the questions! Have them fill in their own answers and then you can show the answers that athletes have given in the past. If you show these answers, you will be limiting the creative process for your participants.

2. Learning Objectives: Volunteering
Understand what volunteering is and the impact of doing it well
List some objections and barriers that people might have to volunteering - and some strategies to overcome them
Describe characteristics of effective volunteers
Note that these objective relate to volunteering in general and not JUST Athletes as volunteers. This will help athletes get a sense for the overall volunteer recruitment process so they can then see how they might be desirable volunteer recruits.
Design an effective recruitment message that would work on you

3. Learning Objectives: Volunteering
Understand what is expected of volunteers and the commitment required
Discuss the process of becoming a volunteer in your local or State Program

4. Definition: Volunteer
Someone who gives their time and talent to help your Special Olympics program.
Make a list of people who give their time and talent to help your Special Olympics program.

5. Definition: Volunteer Opportunities
Games Volunteers
Escorts
Stagers
Awards
Competition Venues
Officials
Medical
Clean-up
Games Management Team
Evaluation Team
Food Service
??? Other ideas
Just put up the GAMES VOLUNTEERS heading and let the group brainstorm. This is one of those places where their handout needs to have only the heading.

6. Definition: Volunteer Opportunities
General Volunteers
Coaches/Assistant Coaches
Fund-raisers
Public Relations
Board Member
Outreach leader
Local Coordinator
Office Support
??? Other ideas
ditto

7. Definition: Good Volunteering
How do you know someone is a good volunteer?
What can Special Olympics provide to help YOU be a good volunteer?

8. What are some WRONG reasons to volunteer?
I want the T-shirt
I want to help “those poor kids out there”
I will get to tell people what to do and where to go
I will get to hang out with the staff and be cool
Ditto on the heading thing – have some fun with this – maybe even have people act out an interaction with a volunteer who is there for the wrong reason. BE careful though not to go too far on the volunteer bashing thing. Remember that we need these people and they ARE there!
What are some reasons YOU have encountered?
I want the free trip

9. Why do you as an ATHLETE want to volunteer?
To give back to the organization
To set an example for other athletes
To improve the games
To educate people about all the benefits
It’s fun!
We like to be able to contribute to the program
There is a support system among volunteers
People who volunteer are more like me than others
Meet celebrities
A sense of accomplishment in a job well-done
Heading only please in handouts.

10. Effective Volunteering
Until you address any roadblocks or fears you may have of volunteering, you will not enjoy your volunteer experience.
For a volunteer experience to be successful, the needs of the organization and the needs of the volunteer must both be met.
Effective, knowledgeable people should recruit, place and train volunteers.

11. Matching Skills with Needs
Divide a sheet of paper into three columns
List things (jobs) volunteers do now or could do to help run your local Special Olympics Program.
Next to each “Job” write the skills the person would need to do that job.
Next to the skills, write the name of a person who has that skill and might do that volunteer job. Could it be an athlete?
This can either be done by the whole class or in groups of The point is to develop a sense of how targeted recruitment works and that the athletes themselves have skills that we need.

12. Group Activity
Identify roadblocks people might face that keep them from using their skills to volunteer with Special Olympics.
How do we help them overcome those roadblocks so they can enjoy being a volunteer?

13. Group Activity
As a group, come up with a volunteer recruitment ad (poster, TV ad, whatever!) to recruit athletes to become volunteers.
Share your recruitment campaign with the workshop!

14. Definition: Volunteer Requirements
Application
Screening (Police?)
Orientation to Special Olympics
Orientation to your volunteer position
Sign Volunteer Code of Conduct
?? Others by State

15. What do you need to do to become a volunteer?
At your local games?
In your local Program?
At the Area or Regional Games?
In the Area or Regional Office?
At the State Games?
At the State Office?

16. What do you need to do to become a volunteer?
ROLE PLAY!
You want to volunteer for the local games.
The Local Coordinator is hesitant

17. What do you need to do to become a volunteer?
ROLE PLAY!
You have been accepted as a volunteer for the local games.
The Local Games Volunteer Coordinator wants to know what you want to do.

18. What do you think might get in the way of YOU actually becoming a volunteer?
Make a list of the things that you think might slow you down.
ROLE PLAY solving or overcoming the things on your list here or with a friend or mentor at home BEFORE YOU FACE IT!