Chittenden Cross Country Ski and Snowshoe practice at the University Mall, 12/30/2017

Hi all, due to the extreme temperature conditions, we will have indoor practice at the University Mall, 9:00 - 11:00 AM, Saturday 12/30/2017. See you there!

Cross Country Ski and Snowshoe practice rescheduled from 12/23/2017 to 12/30/2017

Hi all cross country ski and snowshoers, we are canceling practice this Saturday, 12/23/17, due to the winter storm hitting our region. Stay warm and safe. We will add a practice for next Saturday, 12/30/17. I'm not sure why we left that off the schedule. Stay tuned for a location. If the snow sticks, we may be able to do Catamount Outdoor Family Center again! 

Cross Country Ski and Snowshoe practice at Catamount - 12/16/2017

Hurray, our first cross country ski and snowshoe practice this Saturday, 12/16/2017, will be outdoors at the Catamount Outdoor Family Center, 9:00 - 11:00 AM. Dress warmly!

Floorball Scrimmage and breakfast snacks - 12/16/2017

To celebrate our floorball season, Coach Mario will host a floorball scrimmage with breakfast snacks the week after our competion at the Baird School Gym, 10:00am - 12:00pm, 12/16/2017!

Watch coach Mario play Floor Hockey - 7:00 PM, Thursday 12/7/17

You are invited to come watch a Vermont Floor Hockey game. Come watch and cheer for Coach Mario and the Admirals as they play floor hockey against the Grizzlies Thursday, December 7th at the Mater Christi School, 50 Mansfield Ave, Burlington. The Game starts at 7:15 and is 50 minutes. You may stay and watch the second game of the Coke vs the Griffins if you wish.  

2017/2018 Cross Country Ski and Snowshoe practice

Saturday's beginning December 16th from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Leddy Park. We plan on transitioning to the Catamount Outdoor Family Center on January 6th. Our trail tickets are graciously donated by the Catamount Outdoor Family Center. We will be handing out towels at the Penguin Plunge Saturday February 3rd.  

Registration

Contact Dave Bogdan by phone or email to pre-register for Winter Sports! 

Phone: 802-865-3840
Email: dbogdan@ieee.org

Venue

This year we will use three practice venues depending on weather and snow conditions:

1. Catamount trails open and acceptable temperatures @ Catamount
2. Catamount trails closed and acceptable temperatures @ Burlington Bike path starting at Leddy Park and walking to north towards the Winooki River and return.
3. Unacceptable weather @ University Mall

Please watch this blog and your email for notices!

Schedule

December 16th - Leddy Park - December 23rd - Leddy Park
January 6th - January 27th - Catamount Outdoor Family Center 
February 3th - Penguin Plunge - Burlington Waterfront
February 10th - March 10th - Catamount Outdoor Family Center
March 18th - March 20th - Winter Games, Pico Mountain, 73 Alpine Dr.
Killington, VT United States

COACHES

Cross Country: 
Karen and Dave Bogdan, Phone: 865-3840 email: kraze1@comcast.net or dbogdan@ieee.org
Katie De Carolis, Phone: 802-862-9916 email: decarolisk@gmail.com

Snowshoe: 
Maggie Trayah, Phone: 524-3142 email: riahwind1@comcast.net

2018 Alpine Ski and Snowboard practice

ALPINE SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING

Special Olympics Vermont and Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sport are partnering again to provide Chittenden Alpine Ski and Snowboard practice this year. Practices will be at Sugarbush Mount Ellen. On mountain practice will be from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM Sunday's beginning January 21st, 2018. 

We are providing transportation, to those who requested transportation, from the Special Olympics Vermont office to Sugarbush and back. We will depart at 11:30 AM, arrive at 12:30 PM, immediately get ready for practice and return to Special Olympics Vermont by 5:00 PM. Athletes may bring a lunch and eat in the vehicles on the way to Sugarbush or eat before arriving. 

Our schedule is:

Vermont Adaptive Registration

Due by December 17th 2016, see Registration below

Practice

January 21st 2018 - March 11th 2018, 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM, Sugarbush

Winter Games

March 18th - March 20th, Pico Mountain 73 Alpine Dr. Killington, VT United States

Alpine end of season party

March 25th 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM, Sugarbush

REGISTRATION

Please pre-register with Chittenden by calling or emailing Dave Bogdan, Phone: 802-865-3840, Email: dbogdan@ieee.org. If you leave a message, I will want to know if you plan on taking the bus and also if you will want to take advantage of the Alpine Shop free lease option.

Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sport will require a separate registration due to them by December 17th 2017. The registration includes a Guidelines document, a Race Team registration form and a Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports waiver are required again this year. If you were on the team last year, your client profile only needs to be updated if you moved, have a new phone number or email or have new emergency contact information.

Client Profile: https://www.vermontadaptive.org/users/client-profile-step1.php
Guidelines: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B33_m6DsP8ZAdlNFcXFUc0FhaHc
Race Team registration: https://drive.google.com/open?id=17KWwxCnVIEk0TBujFfhlZ05dsvUa9z9K
Waiver: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1BFi-P9V6hcbAeP3sYP9iMl3-imkxl-av

Chittenden Program Coordinator:
David Bogdan: 802-865-3840, dbogdan@ieee.org

Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports Program Coordinator:
Olivia Joseph: 802-343-1193, north@vermontadaptive.org

2017 Special Olympics Vermont Holiday Games

2017 Holiday Games Schedule (tentative) 

SOVT is still finalizing the 2017 Holiday Games Event Guide. To aid in your planning, here is a tentative schedule of the Games below. Please note: this schedule is subject to change; however, it should give you a general overview of the day.

Sunday, December 10th 

7:15am – 3:30pm Bus shuttle will run between Saint Michael’s College and Spare Time Lanes 

BOWLING – SPARE TIME LANES 

7:30am – 8:05am  Bowling Check-in @ Spare Time Lanes  

8:05am – 8:15am  Coach Meeting – Bowling 

8:15am – 8:25am  Welcome Address 

8:25am – 12:30pm  Bowling Competition 

11:15pm – 1:30pm Lunch available @ Saint Michael’s College 

12:00pm – 2:30pm  Bowling Session 2 – tentative based on registration numbers 

All awards presented at Saint Michael’s College. Shuttle will run between Saint Michael’s College and Spare Time Lanes.  

SWIMMING & FLOORBALL – SAINT MICHAEL’S COLLEGE 

7:30am – 8:15am  Swimming and Floorball Check-in @ Saint Michael’s College 

8:15am    Coach meeting – Swimming & Floorball  

8:25am – 8:40am  Welcome Address 

8:40am    Athletes to their venues, locker rooms 

9:15am  Swimming Competition Kick-off  See Swimming orderof events PDF

9:15am – 11:30am  Floorball Coach & Athlete Skills Clinic 

11:30am – 12:30pm  Swimming and Floorball Lunch 

12:30pm  Floorball Competition – All awards presented at end of competition 

12:30pm  Swimming Competition Resumes – All awards presented at end of competition 

4:00pm  Estimated end of day for all venues 

The 2017 Holiday Games are sponsored by Community Bank. 

Esex Alliance Night to Shine Dance, 2/9/2018 - Registration opens 12/3/17

KOC TO HOST CHRISTMAS PARTY FOR AREA PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

The St. John Vianney Knights of Columbus will host a Christmas Party for Special People. The party is Sunday, December 10th. It will be held in the Parish Center of St. John Vianney Church at 160 Hinesburg Road. 
The party will start at 1 PM and go until 3 PM. 
This Christmas Party is designed for people with intellectual challenges or developmental disabilities. All ages are encouraged to attend. The party will consist of a Holiday Safe Foods Buffet, live music by the Gravelin Brothers Band and even a visit from Santa! Each partygoer will receive, while supplies last, a gift to take home. This event is free and open to all area special needs people. Reservations are a must! Please call Bernie at 777 - 8181 or email to sbknights7525@gmail.com to confirm your special person’s attendance.

UVM SAAC Women's Hockey - Floorball Skills Clinic 11/20/2017

The UVM Student Athletic Advisory Council will host a Floorball Skills Clinic with the UVM Women's Hockey Team Monday evening, November 20th. Our Floorball team, the BFA St. Albans Floorball team and anyone interested in floorball are invited!

Time: 6:15 - 8:00 PM, Monday November 20th, 2017
Location: Baird School Gym, 1138 Pine St., Burlington, VT 05401

Bowlng Time Change - November 5 and November 12 only

Attention all Chittenden Bowlers, as was announced this past Sunday, our bowling practice time will change on Sunday, November 5th and Sunday, November 12th. Practice will start at 4:00 PM on these two weekends only. Practice will resume at 10:00 AM on Sunday November 19th. As a reminder, there will be no practice Thanksgiving weekend, Sunday November 26th.

Recreational Unified Soccer Tournament - 10/1/2017

The UVM Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) invites you to a Recreational Unified Soccer Tournament. Special Olympics athletes and UVM athletes will form teams and compete against each other. 

Date: 10/1/2017
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location: UVM Field 6 (next to Gutterson)

Please contact Rachel Hamm Vaughan to register:
802-861-0270
rhamm@vtso.org

2017 Holiday Sports - Swimming Practice

Chittenden's swimming practice will begin at 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM, Saturday afternoon at The Edge South Burlington Eastwood Drive, starting September 30th through Saturday, December 2nd. We will not have practice Thanksgiving Weekend. The tournament will be held Sunday, December 10th at Saint Michael's College. 

We will also be offering Bowling and Floorball for Holiday Sports. Athletes may participate in only one sport (swimming, floorball, indivudual bowling or team bowling). 

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.  We also need to know your whether you plan on competing in individual bowling, team bowling!

Coaches:
Shasta Fowler
Sarah Kelso

2017 Holiday Sports - Floorball Practice

As you know, with the reorganization of the sports calendar, floorball has been added as a new sport by Special Olympics Vermont and is now an official Special Olympics sport! 

Here at the Chittenden Local Program, we offered floorball to our athletes for the first time last fall. Several of our athletes of different ages and abilities joined us to learn the sport. It is fair to say that everybody had a great time and enjoyed it a lot. 

We are looking forward to a new floorball season. Practices will start after the Fall Games and there will be a competition at the Holiday Games on December 10 against other delegations at St Michael’s College. 

It is now time to sign up for floorball and we hope that you will consider taking up this new sport. If you enjoy soccer and basketball, you will like floorball too. 

Please contact Dave Bogdan (dbogdan@ieee.org or 802-865-3840) to pre-register so that we can have your medical at practice (Special Olympics requires that a current medical be on site at every practice and competition. We no longer allow athletes to begin practice without a current medical. Medicals are good for three years from the date of exam).

Everybody who signs up will get a floorball practice shirt. Click here to select your size and pick a color.

We are pleased to announce that practice will begin Saturday, September 30th, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Baird School Gym, 1138 Pine Street, Burlington. Practice will be every Saturday through the Holiday Games Competition. There will be no practice the weekend of Thanksgiving.

Continue reading to find out more about floorball or click on one of the links below to watch a video.

Floorball is a type of hockey sport. It is played with a short, light stick that comes up to the player’s waist and with a small plastic ball similar to a wiffle ball.

Like in ice hockey and soccer, two teams compete against each other with the objective of creating scoring chances and scoring more goals than the other team.

The rules of the game are similar to soccer in several ways and they make floorball safe and promote good sportsmanship. For example, players must keep their stick below the waist, they cannot play the ball above the knee and they are not allowed to hit the stick of their opponents with their own sticks.

Watch the two Special Olympics Floorball videos below to see floorball in action.

So what do you think? Does floorball sound like fun? Come play floorball, be part of the team, you will enjoy it. Contact Dave Bogdan (dbogdan@ieee.org or 802-865-3840) to sign up. 

Thank you, Coach Mario