There has been a venue change for the Special Olympics Iowa Mid-Winter Tournament, March 10-11 in Iowa City.
Basketball skills will now be conducted in the Main Gym of Iowa City High School located at 1900 Morningside Drive.
Please make sure your athletes are in the staging area, in the auxiliary gym at Iowa City High School, at the appropriate time for their competition with their name tags on the front of their shirts.
As we get ready for another Mid-Winter Tournament, I would like to touch base with you on the Cheerleading and Dance Competition. My name is Katie Rasmussen and I am one of the venue directors for the Cheerleading and Dance competition that 
takes place at the Mid-Winter Tournament in March. We have completely revised our Cheerleading and Dance manual that you can locate on our website here.
All Special Olympics Iowa Cheerleading and Dance competitions will be ran according to the rules and regulations in this manual.
Here are some helpful reminders to keep in mind for cheerleading:
On Tuesday, February 7 Special Olympics Iowa (SOIA) athletes, family and friends are invited to attend the Drake University Men’s Basketball game against Illinois State. The game begins at 7 p.m. at the Knapp Center on Drake’s campus.
To purchase tickets to the game, go to www.draketix.com/promo and enter the promo code “Olympics.” Tickets are $5 each. There is a processing fee of $1 per ticket order.
Tickets will also be sold at …
I remember the very first time I attended a Special Olympics Iowa event. I had signed myself up, along with my two children, to be volunteers at the State Summer Games in Ames. This was when we were using an outdoor track at ISU. As we walked toward the track, we continually had athletes come up to us telling us they were there to compete or to ask us what we were there for. We heard nothing but positives about how hard they had worked, how much fun they were having, and that we could be their friend. I was hooked before I ever got started.
Little did I know what they meant by the word friend. For eight years, we kept coming back. Every year I made more “new friends.” I ran the 50 meter dash and worked the relay races on Saturday. Later I became a member of the Summer Games Steering Committee. I was amazed at how much work went into just putting together the Summer Games. I couldn’t get enough of Special Olympics. I dreamed of working for them full time, but in reality, I knew the odds were slim.
But one Saturday morning at the State Summer Games, the CEO at that time, Bob Ligouri, was standing beside me as a race was going on. I was my usual obnoxious self, screaming at my new friends to keep up the good work. When the race was over, he asked me if I had ever thought about switching careers. I looked at him, very puzzled as to why he would ask that. He then asked me, “How would you like to work for Special Olympics Iowa?” I told him I dreamed of working for them, but knew I wouldn’t qualify. He said yes you would and asked me to meet with him and Pam Wagner the following Monday. On Monday morning he offered me the job, and I said yes.
Thus began the most wonderful 27 years of my life. …
Over 300 athletes from across the state are set to compete in the 2017 Special Olympics Iowa Winter Games January 9-10 in Dubuque. More than 130 coaches and chaperones, as well as 150 volunteers, will donate their time to serve the athletes and make the event a success.
Children and adult athletes of all abilities will participate in sports like Alpine skiing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, short track speed skating and figure skating. The Grand Harbor Center, Sundown Mountain, Albrecht Acres and Mystique Community Ice Center will host the competitions and activities.
“Our athletes are very excited to showcase their skills and abilities at the Winter Games,” said SOIA Director of Sports & Advanced Competitions, Rhonda Schwarzkopf. “Their dedication is amazing to watch. Winter Games would not be possible without the support and commitment of athletes’ families, coaches and our volunteers.” …
West Region Director of Field Services, Bruce Wilson, was inducted into the Simpson College Coaches Hall of Fame in October. Before joining the Special Olympics Iowa staff, Wilson served as the head coach of Simpson’s men’s basketball team for 25 years.
Membership in the Coaches Hall of Fame at Simpson is reserved for coaches who have made significant contributions to the college, athletic program, his or her sport, and the students of the college. Wilson is the winningest coach in the school’s history. He went 341-305 in his 25 years as head coach, won three Iowa Conference Championships, and made three trips to the NCAA Tournament. He’s been named the Iowa Coach of the Year three times and was named the Division III West Region Coach of the Year in 1992. …
As the schools and facilities start gearing up for another fantastic year of Special Olympics Iowa sport competitions, I have one item to refresh/remind you on – the 
Class A Volunteer Application. My name is Sally Briggs and I process all the Class A applications. We have updated our website with the Class A Volunteer information. From the home page hover over “Get Involved” and click on “Class A Volunteers” or use this link.
Here are some common tips to remember when filling out the Class A Volunteer application:
Nancy Shannon (middle in red) with SOIA athletes.
Do you know someone who has done it all? We sure do! Our Area Director of the East region here in Iowa, Nancy Shannon, has done just about everything. She’s been coaching and volunteering with Special Olympics Iowa since 1978, has served on the Board of Directors, and has traveled with athletes to State, National and World Games.
Nancy, a native of Long Grove, Iowa, got involved with SOIA while she was working as a special education teacher. When she attended a class where Special Olympics athletes were training her curiosity was peaked, leading her to sign up to volunteer for a Special Olympics event. It wasn’t long before she was hooked and started coaching.
Today, Nancy serves as the Area Director for SOIA’s East region. Her job entails many duties, including organizing and running four or five events each year from things like bowling and track and field to golf tournaments and Challenge Days. “I have a really good group of coaches that work well together and really care about the athletes,” she says.
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