Athlete Congress 

Integral to Special Olympics is a dedication to empowerment and dignity; the Athlete Congress is the epitome of that effort. The athletes who take part are nominated by their peers and voice the opinions and concerns of their fellow athletes and volunteers.  The Athlete Congress is a forum where delegates with intellectual disabilities from throughout Florida work to recommend policy and set direction for the Special Olympics movement. 

The goals of Athlete Congress are:

• Demonstrate that athletes can be the leaders within the Special Olympics movement and Special Olympics Florida
• Create an opportunity for Special Olympics Florida leadership at all levels to learn from the wisdom and experience of athletes
• Share ideas for improving the policies and procedures of Special Olympics programs at the county, area and state levels
• Develop recommendations and communicate them to the Special Olympics Florida Board of Directors and staff, the Florida Program Advisory Board, and the County Management Teams
• Represent and report back to the athletes in each county represented by athletes attending the Congress
• Continue the process of creating an inclusive environment in which athletes are full and active participants and play a role in guiding their own future and the future of Special Olympics Florida

Special Olympics Florida has held Athlete Congresses in the Florida Senate Chambers in Tallahassee in 2006, 2007 and 2008. The next Athlete Congress is slated for 2009.

Overview

The Athlete Congress is a forum for 26 selected athletes with intellectual disabilities from 17 counties to discuss and propose policy for enhancing Special Olympics Florida.  

All the delegates attending the Special Olympics Florida Athlete Congress 2008 have been trained to implement an Athlete Input Council in their home county, with the assistance of a trained mentor.  Athlete Input Council members (athletes) will represent school age and adult Special Olympics athletes from all sections of their county, regardless of gender or socioeconomic background. The purpose of the county Athlete Input Council is to provide athletes a way to give feedback and input to the County Management Team, the Florida Program Advisory Committee, the staff and Board of Directors of Special Olympics Florida. The Council will help other athletes become aware of non-competitive roles and opportunities they have in all aspects of the program. These althete leaders will become role models for other athletes and help them voice their opinion on sports, health, and quality of life issues. Athletes will grow more comfortable communicating with local Special Olympics, school and agency leaders about their needs as athletes and citizens in the community. 

During the Congress Prep Course delegates developed and prioritized a list of issues for gathering feedback at town meetings including athletes, coaches, and key leaders from their communities.  Athletes will use this feedback as a departure point for discussions and debate in their committee meetings and for a final vote on each issue.
 
Delegates convened for three days in the Florida State Capitol using the Senate Committee Rooms and the Senate Chamber as their forum for discussion and voting.

Issues for Discussion at Athlete Congress 2008

The four issues the delegates discussed with constituents in their county (athletes, coaches and key leaders) for debate at the Athlete Congress 2008 are:

• Issue #1:  Florida county programs must have uniforms that fit athletes properly for all levels of competition.
  
  Vote Results:  The delegates voted unanimously to expand Special Olympics’ current uniform standards to require all athletes to have properly fitting uniforms at all levels of competition. Delegates cited self-confidence and safety as primary factors behind their decision.
  

Suggested Action Steps for County Implementation

• Go back and meet with management team and establish a plan.
• County management team must establish goals and objectives and a budget for uniforms for new sports, replacement of certain uniforms on team, outdated uniforms, and ill-fitting uniforms.  Plan should be a phase-in plan and should include fundraising projects.
• Determine who cares for and keeps uniforms so that they are not lost and kept in good condition
• Check with all coaches/staff to keep uniforms to standards
• Global Messengers would go to groups to show proper fit and give examples of improper fit 
• Acquiring new uniforms could include assistance from athletes, families, volunteers, management team, and coaches.
• Fundraisers:  car washes, bake sales, pancake breakfasts, BBQ dinner, spaghetti dinner, raffle, bowl-a-thon, auctions.  Need volunteers and manpower.
• Seek donations/sponsorships from companies, civic and fraternal organizations, and grants
• Go to sporting goods stores and professional sports team for donations and gifts in kind
  
  
• Issue #2:  Wristbands must be replaced at area and state competitions with a permanent ID card provided by the county to include name and county. S ticky labels will be added to each ID card at each competition to include heat and events provided by SOFL for state competition and the area for area competition.
  
  Vote Results:  Delegates voted down the measure, citing an increased chance of athletes losing an identification card as a serious safety concern.
  
  
• Issue #3:  At State Games all athletes must have a choice between smaller and regular-size lunches.   
  
  Vote Results:  The delegates determined the measure to be an unnecessary and excessive burden on volunteer manpower.
  
  
• Issue #4:  For advancement to state competition the lottery system will be replaced by a point system to reward athletes’ participation at all practices, county and area games with bonus points being awarded for placement and points being deducted for discipline reasons based on code of conduct with exceptions for excused absences such as death in family and illness.  A county committee shall be formed to track its athletes earned points. This committee will be made up of coaches, training director, members of Athlete Input Council (number based on county need).  After area games this committee will prepare a ranking list of all athletes in preparation for state quota given to their county.
  
  Vote Results:  This issue did not pass with the delegates.  They determined the measure would place and unnecessary and excessive burden upon volunteers and that the current process was fair to athletes.

Day 1 Recap (Wednesday, January 30, 2008)

Special Olympics Florida athletes concluded day one of the third Special Olympics Florida Athlete Congress in Tallahassee.  The three-day Athlete Congress began with a private tour of the Capitol and officially commenced with an Opening Session on the floor of the State Senate where the Congress was addressed by Faye Blanton, Secretary of the Senate; Director Emory Gainey of the Office of the State Attorney General; Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell; Jane Johnson, Director of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities; Special Olympics Florida President Monty Castevens, and other dignitaries.

After the Opening Session, the delegates deliberated over the first of four issues which will be covered during the Congress. The delegates voted unanimously to expand Special Olympics’ current uniform standards to require all athletes to have properly fitting uniforms at all levels of competition. Delegates cited self-confidence and safety as primary factors behind their decision.

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Day 2 Recap (Thursday, January 31, 2008)

Day 3 Recap (Friday, February 2, 2007)

The Congress concluded with a Ceremonial Closing Session which included the presentation of certificates to all delegates, facilitators, congressional aides and recorders, as well as a PowerPoint slideshow encapsulating the week's activities.

Special Olympics Sr. Vice President of Programs, Nancy Sawyer, challenged all delegates to go home, share what they had learned with their County Management Teams and to recruit fellow athletes to become involved with their local Athlete Input Councils.

Special Olympics Florida wishes to thank the Secratary of the Senate, Faye Blanton and her outstanding staff for being such gracious hosts: Tracy, Rynelle, Jay, Thomas, Brandon, Amerlia and Amber. Also, a very special thanks to our Congress liaison, Nate Jordan.