Spring is here and summer sports training and competitions are underway! The CDR Summer Games in Clifton Park and the State Summer Games in Utica will be here before we know it! Leah DeCosta, your new Capital District Region Director of Program, has been steadily making her way through the region to meet and get to know you, to hear from your volunteer teams and to learn more about the amazing athletes that you work with. She is eager to connect with each and every committee and training club in the region to hear your stories, learn more about your unique perspectives and implement a strategy for success for all stakeholders. You can help with this process by reaching out to Leah via email at ldecosta@nyso.org to introduce yourself and also by providing her with your training club rosters. These rosters will give us insight on the size and potential needs of your training club and will help us to allocate the resources you need throughout the sports training and competitions seasons to make every experience a great one for our athletes. To obtain a roster form, click here. We are looking forward to a great Summer Sports season and a fantastic year! SONY Capital District Region Program | | 2010 Summer Games Coming to Utica | |  Special Olympics New York has announced that in June of 2010 and 2011 the State Summer Games will be held in Utica. More than 1500 athletes and coaches from across the state will attend the Games, the largest Special Olympics competition held annually. The Games will be held from June 4 to 6 this year. 2000 volunteers will be needed. All events are, as always, free and open to the public. Read more here!
| | Upcoming Events, Competitions, & Community Outreaches | Basketball Training Club - Saratoga County 2 to 3 pm, Skidmore College Athletic Center Downstairs Gym All athletes, volunteers and coaches are welcome. Medicals and consents will be required for ongoing participation. Please contact Coach Sean Finnegan at sfinnegan212@gmail.com for more info. *Make and Take Workshop - Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) Wednesday, April 21, 2010 The Desmond Hotel and Conference Center Albany-Shaker Road, Colonie, NY With assistance from CARD staff, participants will learn about and create Social Stories and Power Cards, visual aids that support the individual's development relating to routines, social interaction, behavior expectations, and the "hidden curriculum". For details on session time options and a registration form, click here. *Autism Conference - Parent to Parent NYS "No More Meltdowns: Handling Challenging Behaviors and Teaching Social Skills" Jed Baker, Ph.D. Desmond Hotel & Conference Center, Wolf Road, Albany For detailed conference info and registration form, click here. Super Regional Volleyball Competition The Western Region invites all other regions and areas to participate in Volleyball Team Pairing Games, Team Competition and Skills Competition. This event provides another opportunity for athletes to compete and is a team qualifier to be eligible to compete at State Games! Registration due date is April 26th. To register, contact Shelby Baker at sbaker@nyso.org. Capital Region Summer Games Saturday, May 22, 2010 Shenedehowa Schools, Clifton Park Regional Competitions in Basketball Team and Skills, Volleyball Team and Skills, Athletics (Track & Field), and Aquatics. Please contact Anita Soler at asoler@nyso.org to receive a Delegation Registration packet. Volunteers will be needed on Friday evening May 21st from 5 to 9 pm and also for blocks of time throughout the day on Saturday May 22nd. Click here for more info on volunteering and to download a volunteer registration form. Satins, Silks and Stars Gala Submit Your Event
Don't see your event on the calendar? Let us know about it! Send an email to Anita Soler at asoler@nyso.org with the Event name, date, location and time. We'll see to it that it gets on the calendar and in the newsletter! *Events marked with an asterisk* are not sponsored or hosted by Special Olympics NY. For more information on these events, please refer to the contact information provided. | | Local Celebrity Supporting SONY! | | The ValleyCats have created an 18-participant Bobblehead Doll Contest to coincide with the upcoming NCAA March Madness Tournament. The contestants include members of the Capital Region's most prominent figures in television, radio, and print media. Each local celebrity got to choose the charity of their choice. If they win, their charity gets $600. John Gray from Fox 23 News has chosen Special Olympics New York. Thanks, John!
Beginning Monday, March 15th, fans will have the opportunity to vote online at www.bobblevote.com or by calling the ValleyCats front office at (518) 629-2287. Each round of voting will last one week until a champion is crowned on April 12th. Voting results will be updated on the ValleyCats website as well as through the Tri-City ValleyCats Facebook and Twitter pages. For more information, please visit www.tcvalleycats.com | | More Volunteer Opportunities | | The SONY Headquarters office in Schenectady is always looking for volunteers to assist us in the behind-the-scenes work that makes what we do possible. Check out our current opportunities to get involved and make a difference: Duties include but may not be limited to general office work, filing, data entry, light phone duty, scanning and faxing documents, and inventory & sorting of supplies. You must be available to volunteer at least 2 hours per week within the hours of Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. If you would like to set up an interview, please email asoler@nyso.org. MEDALS PROJECT VOLUNTEER Saturday April 17th, from 1 pm to 5 pm Special Olympics NY is looking for volunteers to come to our headquarter offices on Balltown Road in Schenectady to assist us in organizing and taking inventory of our award medals and ribbons. Everyone is welcome. Volunteers under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult. This is an excellent opportunity for families to get involved in something they can do together. To register, please email asoler@nyso.org. | | SONY 40th Anniversary Athlete Art Contest | | Special Olympics NY is please to announce that we will be conducting another art contest to celebrate or 40th Anniversary during State Summer Games. If chosen, the athlete's logo design will be featured on the 2010 State Summer Games T-Shirt to be sold at the merchandise tent during the Games in June. The winner will also receive a personalized SONY jacket. Click here for an athlete entry form. | | Young Athletes Program Spring Session Starting! | |  Young Athletes is an innovative sports play program for children ages 2-7 with intellectual disabilities, designed to introduce them to the world of sports prior to Special Olympics eligibility (age 8). The program is FREE and siblings between the ages of 2 and 7 are welcome too!
- Engage Children through developmentally appropriate play activities
- Welcome family members to the Special Olympics network of support
- Raise awareness about the abilities of children with special needs
- Provide children with a sense of self-esteem and confidence
The Spring Session starts Sunday, April 24th from 1 to 2 pm at Skidmore College Gymnasium, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. | | Spread the Word to End the R-Word | | Special Olympics New York's SPREAD THE WORD TO END THE WORD campaign developed from Project UNIFY and the efforts of our youth advocates. This campaign has been created to raise awareness about the hurtful effects of using the word "retarded" to refer to people with intellectual disabilities. Although we have made great progress with educating our youth and communities on the impacts of such language, the change is too slow. Each use of the R-word as a synonym for a stupid action, a schoolyard taunt, or the punch line of a joke, slows our progress immeasurably. To combat the usage of such derogatory language, Special Olympics New York is recognizing March as its awareness month for SPREAD THE WORD TO END THE WORD, with March 3rd being the official statewide kick off. Throughout the month, youth and friends of our global movement will be hosting rallies and encouraging members of their communities to take the pledge to stop using the "R-word" in a deeming manner. The New York pledge and more information on events occurring throughout the state can be found at http://www.nyso.org/spreadtheword.php. | | Officials Needed for 2011 World Games | | Special Olympics International is requesting applications for volunteer sport officials for the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece, June 25th to July 4th, 2011. The following sport competitions will be conducted for 7,000 athletes around the world.
Aquatics Judo Powerlifting Athletics Rollerskating Sailing Badminton Table Tennis Basketball Bocce Bowling Volleyball Cycling Equestrian Soccer(Football) Golf Gymnastics Kayaking Softball Handball Tennis Beach Volleyball
International and/or National Sport Federation Officials' Certification, if issued by the sport, and/or Special Olympics officiating experience is required for all applicants for officials' assignments at the 2011 World Summer Games. The majority of the competition technical officials will be recruited, trained and selected from the host country. However, expenses associated with airfare, accommodations, ground transportation and meals will be provided for only a limited number of selected officials from Programs outside of Greece and Special Olympics athletes participating as qualified officials (SOOPA) and their mentors.
Application forms can be downloaded here. The application form must be received no later than April 1, 2010. The processing of application forms will begin immediately, thereafter.
Submit completed applications and supplemental documentation via email to Worldgamesofficials@specialolympics.org
An auto response from this email address will confirm receipt of the application. | | Capital District Website |  Did you know that SONY Capital District has its own website? This website contains headlines about the Capital District, a full calendar of events, and news about the regional transition. The website can be found by clicking here.
| | Donate Online | | 
Did you know that during any given day, all year round, and at no cost to athletes, families, or caregivers, people are experiencing Special Olympics New York?
Your donation empowers athletes by providing year-round training and competition opportunities, but it doesn't stop there. Special Olympics has an impact on every single person who witnesses an athlete in action. Our athletes teach the world a new way of thinking about people who are different. These new attitudes are helping to create a more accepting, joyful world for us all.
| | About this Report | | You have been included on this report because you are either a coach or volunteer for the Capital District, or have expressed an interest in becoming a coach or volunteer. This report is meant to provide information to all coaches and volunteers in the Capital District. Is there a feature you'd like to see? Let us know! Contact Anita Soler by e-mail at asoler@nyso.org or by phone at 518-388-0790 x115. |
| | Thank you for your participation in SONY Capital District. Special Olympics is a grassroots organization that relies on the support of a talented, involved volunteer network in order to serve our athletes. Special Olympics New York |
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| | | Featured Article | | NEED HELP PURCHASING ADAPTIVE SPORTS EQUIPMENT? | The Colburn National Foundation is offering a wonderful opportunity to Special Olympics athletes through age 21. The Colburn Foundation's goal is to assist children with disabilities up to and including age 21 and their families through direct support or supporting organizations. If your child is in need of adaptive equipment to better facilitate their participation in any of our sport programs, please contact Susan Koppi at (518) 226-0252. For more info on The Colburn National Foundation click here. |
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