

Special Olympics BC-Mission

The Mission Athlete Registration form and Please save the Mission Athlete Registration form to your computer.
Then fill it out and save it again when you are finished.
Once you have finished the registration form, send it to Jennifer Burns by email attachment.
SOBC has instructions on their page if you need help saving: https://www.specialolympics.ca/sites/default/files/SOBC_FillablePDFInstructions.pdf
or this link https://www.specialolympics.ca/british-columbia/registration
We are back to 1 FORM to be filled out: 1.
If you have any questions, please ask me!
Jennifer Burns
Registrar Coordinator
Mission Special Olympics
Email me at jennifer@woodennickel.ca
or you can contact our fill in for local coordinator that is temp
Chelsea Rogers, Community Development Coordinator (Based in Burnaby)
For Special Olympics BC
Phone:604-802-4226
Email: crogers@specialolympics.bc.ca
Special Olympics British Columbia
Annual Plan 2022-23
Supporting Strategic Plan 2017-23
Meet Athlete Dan Catarig
Special Olympics BC – Mission’s Dan Catarig is a hardworking athlete who loves to help others.
Catarig serves as Athlete Representative on SOBC – Mission’s Local Committee. He says he felt honoured and surprised when he was elected to the position by his fellow athletes.
“I was pretty happy,” Catarig said. “I had a new opportunity to try new things and have a new role. I just want to help, and if you can help people, then why not?”
Catarig says some of his most important duties include representing athletes’ points of view at Local Committee meetings and being a mentor to other athletes. Catarig believes it is important for Locals to have an Athlete Representative because they have a good understanding of issues that affect athletes.
Catarig participates in basketball, Club Fit, floor hockey, soccer, and softball through SOBC – Mission. His favourite SOBC sport is floor hockey, and he enjoys teaching new players about sportsmanship and helping them work on their skills.
Catarig says good sportsmanship helps athletes have fun and succeed at their sports. Catarig believes when players allow themselves to get worked up, it can affect their judgement, which can lead to mistakes. Catarig says when athletes show good sportsmanship, everyone can feel good after a game.
“It is important to me because good sportsmanship, like even for a tournament, helps you not get frustrated. There is always a next time.”
Catarig says his most memorable experience with Special Olympics was attending a basketball tournament hosted by SOBC – Mission in November, 2017. He said the event was run really well and everyone had a great time.
Catarig’s team finished first in their division. He said his team passed the ball very well, and he is proud of how they played.
“Everybody in the beginning was pretty calm, and right after we got through the first game and we won, everybody’s emotions changed right away and everyone was smiling,” he said.
Catarig originally got involved with Special Olympics in Alberta, and he started up with SOBC – Mission when his family moved to British Columbia. He says he felt very welcome at his first practice with SOBC – Mission, and the athletes and coaches were very excited to see him. He says the fantastic support he has received through Special Olympics has encouraged him to participate in more sports and get more involved with his Local.
“Special Olympics is important because there are lots of really kind people, it is always welcoming, always fun, and coaches always have fun stuff to do!” Catarig says. “It is really good for athletes, and it is also good for your health because you are not just sitting on the couch and you are always getting out for various events.”
Outside of Special Olympics, Catarig recently earned his “L” through ICBC’s graduated licensing program. Catarig loves cars and he studied extremely hard for the knowledge test. Catarig wrote about his achievement in this Selfadvocatenet.com blog post.
Meet Coach Dianna Reed
28 June 2016
Dianna Reed jumped at the chance to become the Head Coach of Special Olympics BC – Mission’s basketball team.
When Reed was offered the position, she had already gotten hooked on volunteering with Special Olympics through helping out with SOBC – Mission’s athletics and swimming programs.
The basketball coaching position was a great fit for Reed, as she is passionate about the sport, played the game in high school, and already had experience as a basketball coach.
Reed says coaching basketball with SOBC – Mission has been a highly rewarding experience. Basketball is a new sport for the Local, and Reed has enjoyed watching the athletes develop their skills and grow their love of the game.
Reed has enjoyed the experience so much that she recruited her sister and some friends to help her coach the team. Reed says they now love coaching with SOBC as much as she does, and they all can’t wait for the next basketball season.
When did you start with Special Olympics, and how did you get involved?
I started volunteering with Special Olympics in 2014. My friend Nolan really got the ball rolling for me. One night we were discussing how we would like to volunteer, but we didn't really know with what organization. He made some calls and a few weeks later I was helping with swimming every Friday night. After that I was pretty much hooked.
What has been your most memorable Special Olympics experience?
Some of my most memorable moments so far have involved bringing a new sport to SOBC – Mission. We had never had a basketball team as far as I know, and watching the athletes enhance their skills in a sport that was new to them was so amazing to watch. Also, I have enjoyed coaching so much that I actually convinced my older sister and a few of my best friends to come and help me coach basketball. Now they love it as much as I do and can't wait to get started in the fall again.
What is your favourite thing about being involved with SOBC?
My favourite thing about being involved with Special Olympics is the dedication, perseverance, and work ethic the athletes show. It is a constant reminder of just how incredible these athletes really are and how they will let nothing stand in the way of their success.
What would you like others to know about SOBC – Mission?
I would want people to know that SOBC – Mission is such a fun group to be involved with. We are always laughing and I can't wait to watch the program grow.
SOBC Athlete Leadership Academy
Special Olympics BC Athlete Leadership courses help athletes develop new skills, confidence, and tools to share their own insights, stories, and sport knowledge. Athlete leaders make a big difference in their communities and throughout the Special Olympics movement!
In order to help athletes get the most out of their courses, and to inspire and recognize ongoing commitment and achievements, Special Olympics BC has launched an Athlete Leadership Academy!
The Special Olympics BC Athlete Leadership Academy includes and links all of the courses that SOBC has traditionally offered.
Athletes are invited to register for a specific stream that matches their interests. Participating athletes will complete Level 1 course(s) before moving on to the Level 2 courses in their stream. After completing the required number of courses in their stream, athletes will be recognized as program graduates and will receive an Academy diploma and swag!
New courses will be added as opportunities arise, and can be counted as credits within streams.
Participating athlete leaders must have:
• A mentor to support their journey and work with them on course material
• The endorsement of their Local
• The desire to complete their Athlete Leadership Academy stream within three years
At the 2022 SOBC Athlete Leadership Conference, dedicated athlete leaders and volunteers completed SOBC’s Athlete Speakers Bureau 2 public speaking training and the SOBC anti-bullying course, while the SOBC Athlete Input Council and fellow athlete leaders completed governance workshops to help them share perspective and guide Special Olympics in our province.
Congratulations also go out to the athlete leaders in Trail, Castlegar, and Victoria who completed Athlete Input Council training in spring 2022, building their skills to help inform and guide Special Olympics in their communities and Regions!
We sincerely congratulate these athlete leaders on their accomplishments. And heartfelt thanks to all the volunteer facilitators and mentors, as well as the valued sponsors who make SOBC Athlete Leadership opportunities possible, including the Government of Canada and the Coca-Cola Foundation.
Watch a few moments from the great speeches in Athlete Speakers Bureau 1:
Meet an Athlete: Matthew Burns
To learn more about Athlete Leadership and engage local athlete leaders, contact SOBC's Chelsea Rogers by email or by phone at 604-802-4226.
SOBC athlete leaders are active in a wide range of roles all over the province, country, and planet, providing important and inspiring athlete perspectives.
About Athlete Leadership
Part of SOBC’s job is to encourage athletes to take part in leadership training programs so they can have a voice within their own communities and become representatives of Special Olympics in B.C., Canada and all over the world.
Through SOBC Athlete Leadership programs, athletes develop the skills and abilities to take leadership positions in a number of roles including public speaking, sitting on Local Committees, and assisting as fundraising and program volunteers.
These programs are proven to have a lasting benefit to participants by increasing confidence and self-esteem as well as providing input and insight into athlete issues – a valuable resource to Special Olympics BC. Learn more
.







