Saturday, September 12, 2015

2015 Special Olympics Vermont Fall Soccer Tournament

Location: Norwich University, Northfield, VT

Date: Saturday, September 26, 2015


Events: 5-A-Side Team Soccer, Unified 5-A-Side Team Soccer,
Individual Skills: Dribbling, Shooting, Run & Kick

Schedule:
9:30 – 10:00am Delegation arrival and Check – In
10:10 – 10:30am Opening Ceremonies
10:35 – 10:45am Coaches/Officials Meeting – Team Practice
10:45 – 12:00pm Skills Divisioning Round / Team Competition
12:00 – 1:00pm Lunch
1:00 – 4:30pm Skills Final Round / Team Competition
*Awards to be given out upon completion of the divisions’ games
Reminders:
  • Skills athletes compete individually. Athlete will go through a preliminary divisioning round on-site before being placed into a division and then repeat the skills stations twice more for medal placing.
  • 5 a-side Soccer Team competition is for Traditional and Unified Competition. Please submit Soccer Rating Summary Form – you do not need to submit Skills Assessment Forms for each individual.
  • An athlete with Down syndrome who has been diagnosed with Atlanto-axial Instability may not participate in football (soccer) events.
  • Athletes/Partners without medical/consent forms will NOT be eligible to compete
  • Coaches and support volunteers must have signed consent forms, a volunteer background check on file (if age 19+) and have completed the online protective behaviors course (if age 16+) to participate
Directions:
From Interstate 89: Take Exit 5 off of I-89 (Northfield Exit). Go West on VT-64. Turn Right onto VT-12N. Use the FIRST entrance to access Shapiro Field House (where Opening Ceremonies will be taking place).


2015 Special Olympics Vermont Annual Conference

The Special Olympics Vermont Annual Conference and Awards will be Saturday November 14th from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Stoweflake Resort. This year the conference is a one day event open to all involved in Special Olympics and is free to all who attend. 

Each year, Special Olympics accepts nominations for awards which will be presented at the conference. Anyone may make a nomination. The Awards nomination is available on-line at: 

http://www.specialolympicsvermont.org/athletes-families/annual-award-nomination/

Prior annual conferences were Friday evening to Sunday afternoon with an accompanying registration fee which limited attendance. This year, Special Olympics Vermont is offering the one day no fee format in the hopes of expanding attendance. Please mark your calendars and consider attending. 

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Vermont Floor Hockey -

*** NOTE *** This is not a Special Olympics Vermont sponsored event but it may be of interest to our athletes:
Vermont Floor Hockey is pleased to announce that it will be conducting a floor hockey clinic for participants with intellectual disabilities starting in October. 
Registration is now open for the eight-week program. Participants can register online using this link:
The program will run on Saturday afternoons from 1:15 pm to 2:30 pm from October 3 to November 21. It will be held at the Edge in Essex located at 4 Gauthier Drive. The cost to play per participant will be $30.00 for the entire eight-week program and is being charged to cover the cost of renting the gymnasium.
Each week, the clinic will be divided into two segments. During the first portion, participants will learn and practice one of the key hockey skills (such as shooting, stick handling and passing). In the second segment, we will make teams and play a game.
The volunteers who will help conduct the clinic are members of Vermont Floor Hockey. We will also have high school hockey players that will come help out.
The attached Clinic Flyer has additional information.
Any question concerning the program can be directed to gbfloorhockey.com.
Vermont Floor Hockey is a non-profit social club that was created in 2002 to permit interested individuals to play floor hockey. The club has leagues in Burlington, Montpelier and St Albans.  Visit vermontfloorhockey.com to find out more.



Mario Dupigny-Giroux
Club Treasurer
Vermont Floor Hockey, Inc.
PO Box 462
Williston, VT 05495
www.vermontfloorhockey.com
 Floor Hockey Leagues                            
 Burlington - Montpelier -  St Albans 

Thursday, August 13, 2015

2015 Fall Calcutta

You are invited to an evening of fun to support a great cause!

The 2015 Special Olympics Chittenden Calcutta

Saturday, October 24th

Elks Lodge

925 North Ave, Burlington

Doors open at 6:00 PM


Featuring host Jamie Polli from GameShowsVT!
Tickets $100 for two dinners and one game ball
$2000 Grand Prize
Prizes throughout the evening

Choice of:
  • New York Sirloin Strip Steak - Choice cut, seasoned & chargrilled - a 12 oz mouth-watering steak cut & aged in-house 
  • Baked stuffed Chicken - Baked chicken breast stuffed w/spinach, wild rice and ginger topped w/a white wine cheese sauce 
  • Baked Haddock w/Lemon & herb crumb topping

      Also featuring:
      • Silent auction
      • 100th ball raffle
      • 50/50 raffle
      • Cash bar
      Contact:

      Karen Bogdan
      802-865-3840
      kraze1@comcast.net

      or 

      Dave Bogdan
      802-598-9571
      dbogdan@ieee.org

      Wednesday, August 12, 2015

      Coach Maggie Trayah - 2015 Milton Community Champion Award winner!

      Congratulations to coach Maggie Trayah, a 2015 Milton Community Champion Award winner! Maggie was nominated by Christian, Julia and Leigh and I'd like to share their nomination as it beautifully tells Maggie's story:

      We would like to nominate Maggie Trayah as a 2015 Community Champion.  Maggie is a long-time volunteer coach for Special Olympics Vermont, Chittenden Division.  She coaches swimming, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and soccer.   As a coach she works with the program coordinators to plan each season and devotes time from her weekends and evenings year-round to collaborate with other coaches, encourage and teach athletes of all ages and ability levels, and lead practices. She often goes above and beyond this volunteer role, assisting athletes with transportation to and from practices.  

      Many of Maggie’s athletes live in Milton and she contributes to these residents’ wellbeing by encouraging physical activity, healthy life-style choices, and inclusion in a group and in the larger community.  Volunteering with Special Olympics is a community service that allows social opportunities, chances for athletes to improve fitness, coordination, and self-esteem, and encouragement of sportsmanship and collaboration for individuals who often do not get a chance to shine.  Without volunteer coaches like Maggie, the program would not run, and many Milton residents and their families with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders would not have opportunities to swim, bowl, ski, and participate in other athletic activities at no cost to them.  The rest of the Milton community would miss out on the confidence these athletes gain, a confidence that allows them to be stronger, healthier and more positive contributors to our community.

      Christian Georges, a Milton resident and one of her swimmers, has this to say about Maggie: “My favorite thing about Maggie is that she takes time to teach me how to swim.  She always says I do a good job and makes me want to try harder.  She stays in the water with me if I am tired so I don’t give up.  She says ‘Keep on trying! You are doing a good job!  Keep on trying!’ She is a wonderful swimming teacher and we love her!” Jill, another athlete who has been on Maggie’s snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and swim teams says, “She is a good snowshoeing teacher and cross-country skiing teacher and swimming teacher.  She is nice.  I trust her and I want to make her proud of me!”  

      As fans of Special Olympics Vermont and caregivers to an athlete, we see her dedication and the respect the athletes have for her at every practice and competition.  Maggie is genuine and kind, and from our observations we are sure the quotes from the athletes above are sentiments most of the athletes share.  Maggie embodies and models the Special Olympics oath “Let me win.  But if cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt” for her athletes, their caregivers, and our community.  For these reasons we nominate her as a 2015 Milton Community Champion.


      Christian Georges, Leigh Thackaberry, and Julia Kimball

      Tuesday, August 11, 2015

      Soccer Practice Canceled today, Tuesday 8/11/2015

      All, coach Giles is canceling soccer practice today due to the poor field conditions. Practice will resume on Thursday. Thanks, Dave

      Tuesday, July 7, 2015

      2015 Chittenden Individual Bowling Practice

      Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMugChittenden's individual bowling practice will be on Wednesday evenings at Champlain Lanes, 2630 Shelburne Road, Shelburne beginning in August, then transition to Sunday mornings:

      Wed, Aug 19, 15 06:00 PM 08:30 PM
      Wed, Aug 26, 15 06:00 PM 08:30 PM
      Sun, Aug 30, 15 10:00 AM 12:30 PM
      Wed, Sep 2, 15 06:00 PM 08:30 PM
      Sun, Sep 7, 15 No Practice
      Sun, Sep 13, 15 10:00 AM 12:30 PM
      Sun, Sep 20, 15 10:00 AM 12:30 PM
      Sun, Sep 27, 15 10:00 AM 12:30 PM
      Sun, Oct 4, 15 10:00 AM 12:30 PM

      The bowling tournament will be held on Sunday, October 12th at our home turf of Champlain Lanes!

      Pre-register please!
      Please contact Karen or Dave Bogdan by phone (865-3840) or email (dbogdan@ieee.org) to sign up. We plan on having lane assignments for the first practice.  August is a busy month for many of us with camps and vacation so please contact Karen or Dave if you want to bowl but have conflicts in August.  We will work something out.  Our competition registration is due mid-September so we need at least 5 weeks of practice by then for averages!

      Coaches:
      Karen and Dave Bogdan - 865-3840
      Karen Cutler
      Gary DeCarolis
      Brian Conroy