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April 13, 2023
Good Afternoon Everyone-
Hope your Easter was amazing and relaxing. Please see a few important updates.
 
LTP Schedule(s)- EVERY LTP, please complete the following form below so that we can capture your event/practice dates. Please complete a different form for each of your upcoming events and practices for each sport. Our goal is to have our website calendar populated with your event and practice info so families and athletes on our website can see the activity and connect with you guys as new athletes/volunteers.
                Link to complete form: https://forms.monday.com/forms/0685918eb58ee9a1e4923eaaf460bdfe?r=use1
 
Summer Games Shirts- The SOLA office is selling special Summer Games shirts for this year. Please see the attached graphic. If you’d like to order please utilize the below link. All shirts will need to be pre-ordered. Feel free to share and publicize this. Additional pickup info will be announced soon.
                Link to pre-order shirts: https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MTgwNzY4
 
Summer Games Entries- Just as a reminder, Summer Games entries are due to Max Fernandez no later than tomorrow, April 14th. Please reach out to Max if you have any questions. (max.fernandez@specialolympicsla.org)
 
Tennis Invitational Postponed- The tennis invitational scheduled for 4/22 in Lafayette will be postponed until the fall due to low registrations. If you are a program that has tennis, please be on the lookout for the new date. 

March 22, 2023

Hello Everyone, hope your spring is coming right along. Below are some important updates. Thanks!
 
Summer Games Quota- The State Summer Games Quota process is now open. Please complete the form below to make your requests on how many athletes/unified partners/coaches you want to bring to the games. We just need numbers in this quota request. This will remain open until Wednesday, April 5th. If you have any questions, please reach out to Brock Banos or Max Fernandez.  
Summer Games Reminders- Just as a reminder, entries will be due to Max Fernandez no later than April 14th. Please read through the packet below to ensure you have all the information you need.  
Tennis Clinic and Invitational- Special Olympics Louisiana has teamed up with Acadiana Serves and will be hosting a tennis clinic for new athletes and an invitational tournament for experienced athletes. The event will be held on April 22nd in Lafayette, LA. Please see the below link to access the flyer which has the registration link on it.  For any questions regarding this, please email Brock Banos.
February 24, 2023
Good Afternoon Program Leaders, please see the below important updates. Thanks!
 
  • Summer Games Update- The state summer games packet was released last Friday by Max Fernandez. Please see the below links for the packet, entry form, and volleyball rating form. Please note entries are due no later than 4/14. Quota requests will begin March 22nd. Please contact Max Fernandez at mfernandez@laso.org for any questions related to registration, etc. Please remember we will be hosting an information session for summer games on March 8th at 6pm. Please see the below link to register. We are asking that EVERY program interested in attending the games, please have one program representative/leader on the call. This will be vital as we will cover the entire weekend and discuss housing protocol, registration on site, expectations, etc.
 
  • Tennis Clinic and Invitational- Special Olympics Louisiana has teamed up with Acadiana Serves and will be hosting a tennis clinic for new athletes and an invitational tournament for experienced athletes. The event will be held on April 22nd in Lafayette, LA. Please see the below link to access the flyer which has the registration link on it. For athletes registered for the invitational, I will be emailing their coaches to get proper level assessments in mid-March. For any questions regarding this, please email Brock Banos at bbanos@laso.org
 
  • Virtual Fitness Program- Special Olympics Louisiana has partnered with Damon Vincent and Train Unique and will be hosting a 6-week virtual workout series starting March 22 and ending April 26. Every workout will be Wednesday night from 5:30-6:30 on Zoom. Each workout will focus on different exercises (strength, endurance, agility, etc.) and end with sports specific workouts to help prepare our athletes for their upcoming seasons. Registration Link can be found below. For any questions, please contact Rebecca Kalifeh at rkalifeh@laso.org
 
  • Branding and Products- We are working with a company to streamline orders for things like tents, signage, tablecloths, etc. These can be branded with the SOLA logo and your local program name. I was hoping to have information today but haven’t received it yet. I will be sending out information to everyone as soon as I get it all. Essentially, you will be able to reach out to this company directly and they will bill us directly for the orders after we approve. It should make the process for this much easier moving forward. 
February 10, 2023

A few quick updates regarding Summer Games. Please read if you plan on attending.
 
  • State Summer Games Packet (Athletics, Bocce, Tennis, Golf, Volleyball, May 19-21, Southeastern Louisiana University)- We finalized the golf facility today. With that, the information packet will be distributed by early next week at the latest. Please read through the entire packet thoroughly when it is sent. Once received, please direct any questions to Max Fernandez.
 
  • State Summer Games Informational Call- Because we haven’t hosted a full blown 3 day state summer games in almost 4 years, we will be holding a State Summer Games Informational Call on Wednesday, March 8th at 6pm. We are asking that every program that intends on attending Summer Games, be present on the call. This is more for local training program leaders, so please don’t distribute to all of your coaches, rather keep this to the program leaders. We will cover everything from schedules, to registration, to housing policies/process, to food, etc. Zoom registration link is below:
 
  • Golf Competition at Summer Games- The packet will contain all registration information but wanted to give you advance notice on this. We will be hosting golf at Summer Games. In an effort to build golf participation, we will be hosting the golf competition on the Friday morning of Summer Games rather than Saturday and Sunday. With that, athletes that participate in golf can also participate in a second sport on Saturday/Sunday. We will cover more information in the packet and the call on 3/8 however I’d like to know if you have interest in sending some golf athletes to play. Ideally we would have unified golf teams (one athlete/one partner) playing unified 18 hole or unified 9 hole. Please let Max or I know if you have any athletes interested in registering for golf at Summer Games and please give us an estimated number.
 

February 6, 2023
Good Morning-
 
First, I’d like to say thanks to all who came to our leadership conference, it was a great motivator and everyone seemed to have a good time. The athletes did a great job leading all throughout the Saturday sessions. Please see the below local training program update.
 
  • State Bowling: Registration for this event has closed. Please be sure to communicate with Max Fernandez in regards to any information related to State Bowling.
 
  • State Basketball: Our State Basketball Tournament will be March 25th at the New Orleans Pelicans Training Facility in Metairie, LA. Please see the attached packet and entry form. Entries are due to Max Fernandez on 2/11. There will be no quota restrictions for this event on number of teams your group can bring. Please contact Max Fernandez with any questions related to state basketball. 
  • State Powerlifting: Our State Powerlifting Meet will be on April 29th at Spoga Fitness Center in Hammond, LA. Please see the attached packet and entry form. Entries are due to Max Fernandez on 3/31.
 
  • State Summer Games: Packet with information will be coming soon. Stay tuned!
 
  • Welcome our New Inclusive Health Manager: SOLA recently hired a new Inclusive Health Manager, Rebecca Kalifeh. Rebecca comes with a background in both health and adaptive sports. Rebecca will be overseeing the implementation of Healthy Athletes, Fitness and Wellness programming, as well as Athlete Leadership. She can be reached at rkalifeh@laso.org or at 985-345-6644 ext 113. If you are interested in having any of the above programs in your program or at your events, please reach out to Rebecca and y’all can start collaborating. Please welcome Rebecca!
January 3, 2023

Hi Everyone-
 
Hope you all had a great Holiday season. I’m feeling energized and so ready to make 2023 a great year! Please see the below important updates.
 
  • State Leadership Conference: please see the below registration link for our 2023 State Leadership Conference which will be held January 27th and 28th at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Baton Rouge, LA. Please register by next Monday, January 10th. For our local programs, on Friday, January 27th, we will have a GMS training from 1pm-4pm. For this training, only users with GMS need to be present. I will get with you in the next two weeks to ensure you have the correct GMS program loaded up on your computer and be prepared for the training. A full agenda will be provided soon. Only 40 LTP spots for housing will be available so please register ASAP if possible. LTP’s should register no more than 2 people per program, with 1 person per program preferred. Please note, if needed, more than 40 LTP members can sign up, however we only have housing for 40 LTP members.
 
  • State Bowling: Our State Bowling Tournament will be March 4th at All-Star Lanes in Baton Rouge, LA. Please see the attached packet and entry form. Entries are due to Max Fernandez on 1/20. The quota request process will now begin for this event. Please email me how many athletes your Local Training Program wants to have attend the state bowling tournament. The quota request process will close on Wednesday 1/11. Confirmations on how much quota your program will receive will be given before the 1/20 entry deadline.
 
  • State Basketball: Our State Basketball Tournament will be March 25th at the New Orleans Pelicans Training Facility in Metairie, LA. Please see the attached packet and entry form. Entries are due to Max Fernandez on 2/11. The quota request process begin for this event soon.
 
December 1, 2022
​
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving break. Please see the below important updates. Thank you to everyone who has sent me their accreditation forms and budget. If you haven’t sent me one or either of those, please send to me ASAP.
 
  • State Leadership Conference- please see the below registration link for our 2023 State Leadership Conference which will be held January 27th and 28th at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Baton Rouge, LA. For our local programs, on Friday, January 27th, we will have a GMS training from 1pm-4pm. For this training, only users with GMS need to be present. I will get with you in early January to ensure you have the correct GMS program loaded up on your computer and be prepared for the training. A full agenda will be provided soon. Only 40 LTP spots for housing will be available so please register ASAP if possible. LTP’s should register no more than 2 people per program, with 1 person per program preferred. Please note, if needed, more than 40 LTP members can sign up, however we only have housing for 40 LTP members.
 
  • Signage Order- If you attended the November 12th meeting one thing that was brought up was programs interested in A-Frame signage to have at their events/programs. I’m looking at doing a bulk order and will let you know the price if your program would like to order a few. Please complete the link below if you are interested. I’d like to get these ordered before Christmas so please complete the link by December 15th.
 
  • State Bowling- State Bowling is finally back!!! We will be hosting our State Bowling tournament on Saturday, March 4th, 2023 at All Star Lanes in Baton Rouge, LA. All entries will be due 1/20/2023. Please click here for the packet. Max will also be sending out another email to everyone with the entry form, etc. For any questions regarding State Bowling, please contact Max Fernandez at mfernandez@laso.org or at 985-345-6644 ext 109. Thanks!
 
  • Local Training Program Links- A few things we went over on 11/12 that everyone needs to know. They are below.
    • LTP Self Service Link- Please use this link to submit expenses for reimbursement, insurance requests, among other things. Please take a look at this. This will be a one-stop shop for programs. All programs should begin using this link. If you don’t see your program name in the drop-down menu, please let me know.
    • LTP Coordinator Login- This is where you will find updated athlete and Class-A certification reports every 2 weeks along with GMS people updates (as of 1/27/23). We are trying to limit the amount of people with access to this link because of the information in it. If you haven’t received an email link access this page and need this information for your program, please let me know so I can get you access.
 
I think that is it for now. Thank you all, I truly appreciate working with y’all!

October 21, 2022
Good Morning-
 
Hope you have had a great fall so far. Wanted to follow up from my last update with information regarding the LTP Meeting on November 12th in Baton Rouge. Please read the details as I will be attaching important documents with this as well that need to be updated for all Local Programs.
 
  • The Local Training Program In-Person meeting will be Saturday, November 12th from 11am-4pm at the LSU UREC (102 Student Recreation Complex, Baton Rouge, LA 70803). We ask that all local programs send one representative. I’m including a tentative agenda below. We will not be focusing on GMS as initially thought as we will offer another day/time for that as that will consume so much time. We will cover information around GMS procedures in the Program, Sports and Competition update section though. Please RSVP with me and confirm your programs attendance. This will be a vitally important meeting for us to move forward next year as we continue growing back to pre-pandemic status. We will have sandwich trays, snacks, and drinks on site.
    • Agenda (subject to change)
      • 11:00-11:30am- Staff Intros and Welcome (.5 hour)
      • 11:30-1:00pm- Program, Sports and Competition Updates (1.5 hours)
      • 1:00pm- 1:30pm- Accounting and Budgeting (.5 hours)
      • 1:30pm-2:00pm- Social Media, Marketing, and Branding (.5 hours)
      • 2:00pm-3:30pm- Quality Games/Competition Training (1.5 hours)
      • 3:30pm- 4pm- Questions- Open Discussion (.5 hours)
 
  • LTP Registration Form – DUE 11/12/22: This is a simple form to complete for accreditation. This will update us on the status of every program. You can return to us at the meeting if you’d like or you can email to me whenever you complete before 11/12.
 
 
  • Budget Worksheet (includes budget, contacts, calendar and inventory) – DUE 11/23/22: Please use the document referenced above to assist you in coming up with a budget for 2023. Please think through everything your program will participate in as well as may need. We will be discussing this on 11/12 so if you have any questions, please bring them to the meeting on 11/12 and we can answer.
 
 
Thanks everyone, because of you, the program is growing back to pre-pandemic status. We can’t wait to see what’s in store next year! Let me know if you have any questions.
September 20, 2022
​
LTP Meeting- We are looking to host a Local Training Program Meeting on November 12th in Baton Rouge, LA. We are looking at an 11am-4pm timeframe. I’m still working on a location so once that is set I’ll let you know but please block this day/time off on your schedule. If this is a scheduling conflict, please send another leader from your program. We really want to have as many program leaders there as possible. We will have a full agenda so we can all be on the same page heading into 2023. More details to come but please block this off on your calendar.
 
State Events- Please note remaining state events in 2022 are State Swimming- 9/24, State Softball and Horseshoes- 10/15, and State Flag Football- 12/10. Some key early State Games dates in 2023 are: State Bowling- 3/4/23, State Basketball- 3/25/23, and State Summer Games- 5/19-5/21. More info to come soon on the 2023 dates but you can use them to plan your spring activities.
 
Calendar- We are looking to build our website calendar to be as full as possible. With this, we want to ensure you have sent in all of your local competition dates. We also want you to send us your practice dates and locations with a contact(coach or leader) so if anyone is interested in joining, they know who to contact. I will be building a form that y’all can submit this info to. Please begin gathering this info and I will send another update soon with the link to submit.
 
That’s it for now. More info along with updated certification reports(athletes and coaches) will come next week. Thanks. 
August 18, 2022
A few quick updates-
 
  1. If you want to register for the Southcentral Regional Conference I need to know by this Friday, August 19th! Please see flyer at this link!​
​
​Important - We have been consulting on our athlete registration process and please be advised that moving forward only online athlete registration will be accepted. With the online process, the athlete/family will complete the athlete registration pages and the health history pages online. They will then print the physical exam page, get it completed by the doctor, then that physical exam needs to be turned in to us at athlete@laso.org. A few key notes below:
  1. We will take the PDF/paper copy of our medical form off of our website on September 1st, 2022.
    1. You can access the online registration at this link on our website:   .https://medform.specialolympics.org/
    2. We will be checking online registrations weekly to ensure everything is up to date.
  2. As a note, if you already have a current registration packet you will not need to convert to doing the online registration until the current packet expires (3 years after the doctor signature). 

Just a reminder that State Swimming Entries are due August 26th. Please contact Max Fernandez at mfernandez@laso.org for any questions.
 
State Flag Football has a date and location! Our State Flag Football tournament will be held December 10, 2022 at Pelican Park in Mandeville, LA. Please contact Max Fernandez if you have any questions about bringing teams. 
July 28, 2022
  • South Central Regional Conference- The 2022 South Central Regional Conference will be hosted October 7-9 in Dodge City, Kansas. If you have never been, this is a conference attended by SO Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Louisiana. This is a great opportunity for LTP leaders and coaches to learn and network. Please see the attached one pager which highlights the key information. Please note, that in order to register and attend, the cost comes from your LTP budget. Many of you have a surplus of funds so this would be a great opportunity for professional development. Registration deadline is August 15th. Click here for more information.
 
  • Little Caesars Pizza- We have partnered with Little Caesars Pizza for a fun (and new) fundraiser! Starting August 1st, we will be selling Little Caesars Pizza Kits to raise money for SOLA. To reach our goal and be successful, we are asking for everyone's help! This fundraiser will last 4 weeks total, throughout the month of August - so, plenty of time to share & sell. To get started, follow the link below, you can customize your own Sellers page, upload videos, create an avatar and watch how many kits you've sold. You will get your own special link to send to family, friends and share on social media so they can purchase pizza kits and support SOLA at the same time! Pizza Kits will be delivered directly to their home by FedEx, so send the link to your out of state family and friends, too. Every kit we sell earns $6 profit and makes an impact. Don't forget to buy some for yourself as well.  Click HERE to purchase!  View Flyer Here.
 
  • SO Yard Sign Fundraiser- One of our River Parishes athletes, Mikey Love, has created a project that is a fundraiser that he is doing as part of the Athlete Leadership program. The goal of this project is to spread awareness and information about Special Olympics in Louisiana and to generate conversations about what SO offers for people with intellectual disabilities. Please share within your programs, the link below is where you can order the signs. Thanks for your great work Mikey. Please support Mikey’s efforts!  Click HERE to purchase!
July 12, 2022
Good Afternoon-
 
Hope everyone had a relaxing July 4th. We are officially in the 2nd half of the year. Below are a few key updates:
 
State Swimming Info: Please see the links for the State Swimming Packet as well as entry form. Please be sure to check these out. If you have any questions, please contact Max Fernandez at mfernandez@laso.org.
 
Upcoming Local Program Zoom Call: Reminder that we will have a Local Training Program Zoom call on Wednesday, July 20th at 5:30pm. Please register at the  below link:
 
Upcoming Events- Please send me your upcoming local event dates so that we can put them on our calendar and record for census purposes. 

June 22, 2022
Good Afternoon Everyone,
 
It’s been a long few months and I hope everyone is enjoying the summer. First thank you to everyone who has been active and participating over the past few months. There have been many school, local based competitions, and camps happening and we are so excited to see that. In addition, we want to thank everyone who attended our summer games. I know we had some challenges with weather but that is something out of our control. Next year, for Summer Games, we plan to return to a 3-day event like in the past so hopefully any weather we get moving forward can be dealt with in a better way since we will have more time. We also had USA Games, which for many that went, was an experience of a lifetime. Now that we are past this, I wanted to send you all some information that will be helpful for the upcoming months. They are below:
 
State Volleyball- Max sent everyone the packet back in April however, I’ve linked another copy of the volleyball packet below. The State Volleyball tournament will be held at Team Automotive Sportsplex in Baton Rouge on July 16th, 2022. Entries are due this Friday, June 24th. I’m also relinking the entry form as well. For any questions/concerns regarding State Volleyball, please contact Max Fernandez at mfernandez@laso.org.  
State Swimming- Max will be sending out the packet for State Swimming in the next week so please be on the lookout. I will also send out another LTP update once this packet is sent out.
 
Local Program Zoom Calls- We will plan on hosting a local program zoom call every other month starting in July. This can serve as a good opportunity for updates, continued development of programs, as well as answering questions of things that come up over time. Over first zoom call will be Wednesday, July 20th at 5:30pm. Link for the zoom call is below. You must register to attend:  
Local Program Meetings- I would also love to use this time to meet with our programs in person. If anyone would like to request an in-person meeting, please let me know so we can put something on our calendar. 

MARCH 29, 2022
Hope everyone is off to a good spring. We are so excited to see all the amazing things happening around the state. Please see below for some important updates. These will also be added to our LTP Communication site soon.
 
Summer Games Quota: We are roughly 8 weeks out from State Summer Games so that means that the quota process is open. Please email Brock Banos (bbanos@laso.org) and Max Fernandez (mfernadez@laso.org) your training roster of athletes, partners, and coaches as well as how many athletes/partners you want to bring to State Summer Games. Please break it down by sport (athletics, bocce, tennis) The quota process will close on Friday, April 8th. After this point, we will approve/make adjustments to quota and you can begin planning the registration process to register your athletes/partners/teams for the event. Just as a reminder, the entry deadline for State Summer Games is April 22nd.
 
State Swimming Date: We have officially booked a date for our State Swimming Meet. The meet will be held Saturday, September 24th at UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans. More detailed information and the packet will be sent out in May.
 
***Updated Athlete Certification Report and Class-A Volunteer Certification Reports will go out in a separate email tomorrow. Please be on the lookout for these. ***
 
Thanks! 

FEBRUARY 23, 2022
Good Afternoon,
 
It’s crazy we are almost in March already as Mardi Gras is next week. Here are a few updates that are super important for this spring. I will be sending out an update next week with updated medicals and Class-A certifications as well along with the opening of the quota request process for State Powerlifting.  
 
  • State Basketball- Thank you to programs who have submitted entries for State Basketball. The entry deadline passed last Friday so no new entries will be accepted at this time. For programs attending, stay tuned to an email from Max that will contain more information regarding the event. We are excited to see you!
 
  • State Powerlifting- Just a reminder that entries for State Powerlifting are due 4/8/22. The quota request process will open up next week so stay tuned for an email regarding the opening of the quota request. Below are the links to the packet and entry form. For any questions, please contact Max Fernandez (mfernandez@laso.org)
   
  • State Leadership Conference- Just a reminder that if you interested in attending our State Leadership conference on March 18th and 19th in Lafayette, LA and representing a local training program, please let me know so I can reserve a spot for you. If you have already reached out to me about this, you don’t have to let me know again. The flyer is below. We will need to know if you want to attend by Monday, February 28th by Noon!
JANUARY 18, 2022

State Basketball Quota Opens: As mentioned in a few updates before Christmas, we are working on a few things differently than in the past. We are 8 weeks out from our State Basketball tournament so that means that the quota process is open. Please email Brock Banos (bbanos@laso.org) and Max Fernandez (mfernadez@laso.org) your training roster of athletes, partners, and coaches as well as how many athletes/partners you want to bring to state basketball. We also will need to know how many teams you plan to have. The quota process will close on Friday, February 4th. After this point, we will approve/make adjustments to quota and you can begin planning the registration process to register your athletes/partners/teams for the event.
 
LTP Uniforms: The local training program uniform site is now available. Please use this site to order uniforms in the future for your different sports. The attached sheet has the site as well as the instructions on ordering.
 
2022 Local Event Calendar: Just a reminder, if you have events scheduled for 2022 for your local programs/areas, please email them to Brock Banos (bbanos@laso.org) so we can add them to our calendar. As we are requiring advancement to state events, please remember that you must attend a local program to qualify to advance. 

DECEMBER 21, 2021

Good Afternoon,
 
Thank you all for a wonderful 2021! We made huge strides getting back to the program you all know this past year. We still have a lot of work to do and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2022! We hope you have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year’s! Below are some updates discussed in the previous update.
 
State Basketball Packet: Please see the link below for the state basketball packet, entry form, rating forms, and rules. Please contact Max Fernandez at mfernandez@laso.org for any questions regarding the state basketball tournament.
 
State Powerlifting Packet: Please see the link below for the state powerlifting packet and entry form. Please contact Max Fernandez at mfernandez@laso.org for any questions regarding the state powerlifting competition.
 
Athlete and Class-A Certifications: I’ve emailed everyone the most updated athlete and Class-A certification reports today. We are working to get these posted to our site securely. In the meantime, you will continue receiving these via email. For the athlete certifications, I only included the athlete on there if they had a valid medical. Some had turned in consents, but we didn’t have medicals, so we didn’t include them on this list. And for class-a volunteers (coaches and unified partners), these are the individuals who have fully completed the basic requirements on our VMS platform on our website which is where you would go to get certified as a coach/unified partner. I also want to note, we haven’t input all of our USA Games medicals into our GMS system yet so those are still a work in progress. You should see those put in GMS in the month of January. Beginning next month, we will start pulling these reports twice a month to keep you as updated as possible. Also, if you are turning in medicals in the future, please email them to our athlete medical email address at athlete@laso.org. 

DECEMBER 8, 2021
Hello Everyone,
 
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Please see the below update that will contain a lot of important information so please read through all of it.
 
2022 State Competition Schedule- Please see the dates of our 2022 State Games with locations. We don’t plan to change anything however there could be minimal changes throughout the way. Please begin to plan your local events around these dates. Also, please note bowling isn’t included in these dates however the plan is to begin hosting state bowling again in January 2023.
  • March 12th- State Basketball Competition- Baton Rouge, LA (Team Automotive Sportsplex)
  • April 30th- State Powerlifting Competition- Hammond, LA (Spoga Fitness Center)
  • May 21st- State Games (Athletics, Bocce, Tennis)- Covington, LA (Christ Episcopal School)
  • July 16th- State Volleyball Competition- Baton Rouge, LA (Team Automotive Sportsplex)
  • September (mid-late, exact date TBD, will know by March)- State Swimming Meet- New Orleans, LA
  • October 15th- State Softball and Horseshoes Tournament- Carencro, LA (Pelican Park)
  • December 10th- State Flag Football- Alexandria, LA (Exact Location TBD)
 
Assessment Fees: As mentioned in our previous updates, assessment fees will be charged to programs coming to state events in 2022. Please see the below assessment costs per delegate for each event. Please plan your budget accordingly:
  • March 12th- State Basketball Competition- $25
  • April 30th- State Powerlifting Competition- $25
  • May 21st- State Games (Athletics, Bocce, Tennis)- $35
  • July 16th- State Volleyball Competition- $25
  • September (mid-late, exact date TBD, will know by March)- State Swimming Meet- $25
  • October 15th- State Softball and Horseshoes Tournament- $25
  • December 10th- State Flag Football- $25
 
Program Timelines: Please see the timelines for what we are looking to do in 2022 in regards to quota requests for state games, etc. This goes hand in hand since we are looking to reinstate the advancement process to state games. Please do your best to accommodate this process. We realize this will be a new process so we will work with everyone as much and as best as possible. With State Basketball roughly 3 months away, this should leave enough time to get started on this. In addition, we will be sending out the state basketball packet next week (3 months before event) and moving forward, each state event packet will be released 4 months in advance of the state event. So the powerlifting packet will be release before Christmas. This should allow all programs to meet these timelines.
  • 8-12 weeks prior to state-level event- Programs begin practicing
  • 8 weeks prior to state-level event - Programs submit training rosters to SOLA listing all athletes, partners and coaches participating in the season; quota requests open
  • 6 weeks prior to state-level event - Quota requests close
  • 5 weeks prior to state-level event - SOLA confirms quotas for local programs
  • 4 weeks prior to state-level event - SOLA sends list of eligible athletes out to programs which will be used for registration. (athletes that have current medicals)
  • 3 weeks prior to state-level event - All registrations due to SOLA; only athletes, partners and coaches with proper registration, physicals and certifications will be allowed to register
  • 2 weeks prior to state-level event - Details event/Head of Delegation (HOD) information published
 
Updated Certification Information: Before Christmas, we will be sending you all, the most up to date athlete certification expiration dates (medical and consent) along with updated Class-A certification dates (coaches and unified partners). Similar to our plan prior to COVID, we will send updates of these certifications every two weeks beginning in mid-January. This will allow programs to track these certifications along with what certifications we have at the state office.
 
Meeting Deadlines: Please be aware moving into 2022, we will be enforcing deadlines in regards to state competitions. During 2021, we have been extremely loose with them to accommodate everyone as much as possible. While we will still accommodate to the best of our abilities, meeting registration deadlines, etc will have to be enforced. We plan to have a very busy year in 2022 between events and hopefully growing again similar to pre-covid. Along with that, we have several new staff members and volunteers in place so being on time will be necessary for a successful year.
 
Local Training Program Zoom Call: We will be hosting a zoom call for our local training programs on Wednesday, January 19th at 6:00pm. We will take a deep dive into the upcoming year as well as answer any questions you may have. Please see the registration zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZApc-6qrzwpE9M_uroMXZVUncuX79vQtaAn  
 
Thank you all for a wonderful year. Stay tuned for one more update before Christmas. Will be in touch!
NOVEMBER 9, 2021
Please see below for several important updates as we near the end of 2021:

State Flag Football: Reminder that entries are due November 19th. Please contact Max Fernandez (mfernandez@laso.org or call at 985-345-6644) for any questions. Also, if you already haven’t and plan to come, please let Max know how many teams your group plans to have. Please see the packets, assessment form, and entry form below.  
2022 Schedule: We are finalizing our State Competition Schedule for 2022. The setup in terms of timing and one day events will be similar to 2021. We are awaiting two dates and will have the complete schedule out to everyone by the end of this month. Please let me know if you have scheduled local/area events for 2022 so we can begin compiling all events on our calendar.
 
Assessment Fees: Beginning at State Basketball in 2022, we will be reinstating assessment fees to local training programs attending state level events. I will be emailing everyone at the same time the 2022 schedule goes out with exact assessment fees cost per state event so you can budget accordingly. Although the cost may vary from before, the process will be similar to how we used to assess areas attending state games in the past.
 
Qualification Process State Games 2022: Beginning at State Basketball in 2022, we will be reinstating our qualification process to qualify for state games. The last time we had this in place was March 2020 before COVID. Similar to the assessment fees, I will be sending out a copy of the qualification process when the 2022 schedule goes out. I just wanted to include this as it’s important to note so that LTP’s can begin making plans to host/attend local events in the respective sports leading up to the state events so that the athletes/partners/teams can qualify for those events. We realize that 2020 and 2021 have been very challenging for all of our programs but we can begin to get back on track in 2022 similar to pre-covid times to the best of our ability.
 
Sports, Training, and Competition Manager: As mentioned in the prior update, Max Fernandez has taken over as our Sports, Training, and Competition Manager. Please contact Max if you have any questions regarding state level events, coaches training, or general sports related questions. You can always email me as well as I will still be the local training programs liaison to our central office. 
OCTOBER 26, 2021
Below is everything you will need to get your teams ready for our flag football tournament on December 11th in Alexandria. You will see the entry form, flag football packet, the updated flag football rules, and the flag football rating forms. Please note that we will need all entries by 11/19/21 at 4pm. Athlete packets, all coach and unified partner certification requirements, participant and coaches Covid waivers, and flag football team rating forms are due on 11/29/21 at 4pm. ​​
2021_state_flag_football_packet.pdf
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2021_state_flag_football_entry_form.xlsx
File Size: 14 kb
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flag_football_rating_forms.xls
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flag_football_rules_2021.pdf
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MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2021

Thank you all for a wonderful weekend filled with tons of memories! Please see the below information for upcoming events/opportunities reminders.
 
Unified Sports Experience- Southwest- We will be hosting a unified sports experience at Sulphur High School on Saturday, November 13th from 2pm-4pm. This will be a fun event where we will go through clinic style stations and have some unified fun together. Please register at the following: Fill out form
 
eSports Tournament- Please see the below flyer for the eSports Tournament that will begin on November 1st. Please use the following link to register: Fill out form

Unified Fitness Club- New Orleans: New Orleans Recreation Development Commission is offering Fitness Programming at their facility for SOLA athletes. The Fitness Programming is once a week and will take place from the month of October to the end of December. If you have any questions, please contact Carson Phills at cphills@laso.org. Please register by clicking here.
 
State Flag Football Tournament: Just as a reminder that our State Flag Football Tournament will be held Saturday, December 11th in Alexandria, LA at Hunter Park. A packet will be coming this week. In the meantime, please email Max Fernandez at mfernandez@laso.org letting him know if you plan on bringing any teams and if so, how many.
 
Staffing Update: A few updates on staffing here at SOLA. Max Fernandez will now manage all State-level competition, coaches trainings, state event volunteers, and other aspects of the sports program. Brock Banos will still be the primary contact for all Local Training Program matters along with assisting Max and other staff on various program related items. Finally, we have hired a Law Enforcement Torch Run Manager, Emily Brock. She comes from a Law Enforcement background and will be working hard re-ignite the LETR programs around the state.
 
Thanks!
MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021

Upcoming State Events- As you all know, we have two state events upcoming in less than two weeks. We have State Softball and Horseshoes (October 16th @ Pelican Park in Carencro, LA) and State Swimming (October 17th @ Crawfish Aquatics in Baton Rouge, LA). I’ve emailed each program leader in regards to missing athlete packets. I need those packets by this Wednesday, October 6th at 5:00pm or I will have to scratch the athlete from the event(s). Also, although it’s a very short list, I will be reaching out to local programs today to have their coaches missing certifications complete theirs as well. I do want to mention and reiterate that all COVID paperwork is due before the event as well (This applies to all athletes, coaches, and unified partners). I’ve attached a copy below for you all. The COVID paperwork includes both the COVID-19 Code of Conduct and the Communicable Disease Waiver. These must be signed in order to participate. If you have signed it previously, there is no need to re-sign. I’ve received a lot of partial things such as COVID Code of Conduct but not the communicable disease waiver. Please send these to me ASAP if you already haven’t.
  • Swimming Details- We will be starting warmups at 10am and competition will begin at 11am. I am meeting with our swimming team tomorrow evening to finalize the rest of the details and will release those Wednesday. Those details will include COVID procedures such as spectator seating, check-in times, food, concessions, awards, etc. A coaches meeting date will also be announced Wednesday.
  • Softball Details- Event Check in will begin at 9am. Competition for softball will begin at 10am. If your game isn’t scheduled for 10am, please arrive 30-45 minutes early. Brackets with exact team times will be released by this Thursday, October 7th. They will be emailed to registered programs and will be posted on our website. Lunch will be provided for athletes, coaches, and unified partners. Concessions will be available. I would like to schedule a zoom coaches call for softball next Wednesday, October 13th at 6pm. This will entail all competition details and will provide updates regarding COVID protocols.
  • Horseshoes Details- Event check in will begin at 9am. Competition for horseshoes will begin at 10am. We will place athletes in 4 person brackets. Competition will be expected to run until 2pm. Lunch will be provided for athletes, coaches, and unified partners. Concessions will be available. I would like to schedule a zoom coaches call for horseshoes next Wednesday, October 13th at 7pm. This will entail all competition details and will provide updates regarding COVID protocols.
 
Unified Fitness Club- New Orleans: New Orleans Recreation Development Commission is offering Fitness Programming at their facility for SOLA athletes. The Fitness Programming is once a week and will take place from the month of October to the end of December. If you have any questions, please contact Carson Phills at cphills@laso.org. Register by clicking here.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021

State Swimming Update (PLEASE READ): We are right at 4 weeks away from the swim meet. I will begin going through registrations this week and emailing you regarding updated medicals/releases along with the missing COVID waivers. Also, I left registrations as is, meaning I haven’t removed anyone due to the storm. If your delegation can’t make the event due to the storm even after the event date change, please let me know so I can officially update the registrations and begin preliminary divisioning. I need to know this information ASAP.
​
State Softball and Horseshoes: Just a reminder that entries are due today, September 20th. I have spoken with several of you regarding having a few extra days to turn them in. Just let me know if that is the case for some of you that I haven’t spoken with. Also, I’m extending the athlete medical/release and coach/partner paperwork extension to October 4th which give everyone two extra weeks to get them in.
 
Thank you all!  
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2021


State Swimming: Due to the effects from Hurricane Ida on several of our programs and the effects it has brought to everyone in SE Louisiana, we will be postponing the state swim meet. The new date is Sunday, October 17th. Same time and location as before. We did not want to cancel so we felt this was our best route to move forward. If this effects any of your entries, please let me know. I realize this is the same weekend as state softball and horseshoes but it is the day after and I don’t think there will be many athletes that sign up for both. We felt this was our best date and we hope that everyone can still make it. 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

State Softball and Horseshoes- Reminder from a previous email that entries for state softball and horseshoes are due September 20th. Please see the attached packet. This include all information you need including address, softball assessment forms, horseshoes updated rules, and covid waivers. Please also see the link below for the excel spreadsheet that serves as the entry form. We will know exact times for everything once we get an idea of how many teams and athletes competing in horseshoes. 
State Softball & Horseshoes Packet
State Softball & Horseshoes Entry Form

State Swimming- We will have an update regarding the status of the state swim meet ASAP. Please know that we plan to host the meet even if postponed a few weeks. An announcement will be coming. Please stay tuned. 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021
Please see the below updates:
  • State Swimming Entries: Entries for state swimming are due August 15th. Please be sure to include times in the entries. I’ve linked both the packet and entry form for your convenience. There have been a lot of questions about COVID affecting the event. As of now, we are monitoring everything and will give an update about 3 weeks before the event.
  • Swimming Coaches Training: In addition to the swimming coaches training that was announced for the 22nd in Baton Rouge, we have secured an additional training which will be held on August 24th at 6pm at Franco’s (1801 N Causeway Blvd, Mandeville, LA 70471). Trainees only need to attend one training. Please RSVP to me at bbanos@laso.org and let me know which training you want to attend. Please remember that you must also complete the online course as well which can be found on our website at laso.org. Direct links to the coaches portal are below:
  • JPRD is hosting Softball Tournament on September 11th.  Please click here for flyer and more information.  If interested in signing up your team, please contact Leslie Dunn at LDunn@jeffparish.net.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 2021​
Hey Everyone,
 
Quick update- We will be hosting a swimming coaches training on Sunday, August 22nd from 12noon-3pm at Crawfish Aquatics, 7150 Bluebonnet Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70810. The training will be led by Meagan Danos. If you have any coaches needing certification or re-certification, this will be a great opportunity to get that done. Please send me names of who you will be sending so that Meagan will know how many coaches to expect. Thank you!
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THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2021
​Hey Everyone,
 
Just getting back from vacation and wanted to forward along a few updates:
 
State Swimming: Attached is the packet and entry form. Please remember the event is Sunday, September 26th. Entries are due on August 15th which was given notice in the prior email. Athletes will be able to enter up to 3 individual events and 1 relay.
 
COVID Paperwork: I’ve also attached in this email the COVID code of conducts and communicable disease waivers. These need to be completed before any programming takes place locally just like a medical would need to be completed. These will be due with the entries on August 15th. If you have already filled these out, they do not need to be done again. Any athlete/unified partner/coach will need to complete these.  
 
COVID Updates: Please visit the below link on our site for our updated covid policy. You’ll notice that in some ways, these protocols are pretty strict. Your local training/small events shouldn’t be affected much. As of now, our state events aren’t affected but we will keep an eye on things as we move forward. I’ll explain more on the LTP/Area call tomorrow evening.
https://www.laso.org/return-2-play.html
 
Schedules: If you haven’t already done so, please send me dates of your local/area programming events scheduled for the rest of this year. Thank you to everyone who has shared dates with me.
 
LTP/Area Call: As mentioned in the email from June 24th, we will be hosting a zoom call tomorrow evening at 5:30pm for our local program leaders as well as area leaders. Please expect this call to be from anywhere between 30mins to 1 hour and 30 mins. We will cover updates and answer questions you may have. Here is the registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrcuurqT8pEtdK8stER9Qu4uurVQ2T1jR2  
 
Moving Forward: Moving forward, we will be posting these updates on our website rather than this gigantic email thread. I will still email everyone when we make the new post, the contents will be on our website rather than in the email. It will make it easier for access and also you will be able to see any previous information as well.
 
Thank you all, I hope everyone is staying positive and looking forward to what we can accomplish in these crazy times. 
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TUESDAY, JULY 13, 2021
Hey Everyone,
 
Just wanted to share a few updates with everyone this morning.
 
State Swimming: State Swimming will take place on Sunday, September 26th at UNO Lakefront Arena. Entries will be due on August 15th. A packet will be finalized this week as I’m waiting on finalizing the new COVID protocol guidance we received.
 
Updated COVID Protocol: As mentioned, we received brand new covid guidance from SOI. We are processing the information so we can get it released to you all. We anticipate this going into effect after State Volleyball. I will send this along with the state swimming packet in a separate email.
 
UNO Basketball Clinic: The University of New Orleans Men's Basketball team is hosting a Basketball Clinic for Special Olympics Louisiana Athletes. The Basketball Clinic will be held on July 24th from 11am to 2 pm at the Lakefront Arena. We are limiting the event to 50 athletes total, so first come, first served. Please sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdnbIQ4FfhS9SfA-jhUmCOhuM3aQUG7ZnC4V6IVttl3B4CcXw/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0 . If you have any questions, please contact Carson Phills at cphills@laso.org.
 
GNO Softball Tournament: The Greater New Orleans Area will be hosting an invitational unified softball tournament on September 11th starting at 9am at Lasalle Park in Metairie, LA. They are trying to get an idea of how many teams would want to attend. If you are interested in bringing a team or multiple teams, please reach out to Ann Hulse at cottagecrew@hotmail.com to let her know.
 
Thank you all, will be in touch with the swimming packet and updated Covid guidance ASAP
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THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 2021
Hey Everyone,
 
Below are a few important notes to pass along, please read through them.
 
  • State Volleyball: State Volleyball is July 17th at Team Automotive Sportsplex in Baton Rouge. Entry deadline is next Friday, July 2nd. Please see the attached packet, entry form, and team rating form. Exact schedules will be determined once we know how many teams are registered.
 
  • Bowling: Bowling will be an approved activity once again beginning on July 1st. This was our last sport not approved from COVID because it was higher risk than every other sport. With that, in discussion with other SO programs across the country, the regional bowling events scheduled on December 4th will be cancelled. Local level/area level bowling competition are still approved so please feel free to plan your bowling events at the area level this fall/winter. We feel that it will be more beneficial for your local athletes as well as more will likely attend your local tournament rather than a regional event.
 
  • Return to Play: We will be getting some new guidance in July on return to play protocols. Please be on the lookout for those.
 
  • Upcoming Events: I’ve had a few areas/local programs reach out with dates for local competition for the rest of this year. Please send/resend me all of your planned events (competition and fundraising) for the rest of 2021. This will help with planning out the rest of our year.
 
  • Local Program/Area Call: We will be hosting a call on July 28th at 5:30pm discussing some very important topics. Please if you are a local training program coordinator, area director, or interested in becoming a local training program coordinator, please plan to be on this call. One of the most important things to discuss will be return to activities and hosting events again. We have athletes calling our office every day and we need everyone that is on board to get the train moving again in terms of events/programming. Our local level events account for over 90% of our events throughout a normal calendar year, with state level events usually ranging from 4-8 events. It is imperative that we get back on track and begin hosting the events for the athletes again. But of course, SOLA can’t do it without you, so we want this to be a productive discussion/call and learn how we can support you all as needed.
 
  • Local Training Program Meetings: I will be reaching out to all of our local training programs separately via email/phone to schedule individual/small group meetings. We will try and schedule these meetings between July-August. The purpose of these individual meetings will be to discuss return to play, how we can support, budgets, and any other questions/comments you may have a the local training program level.
 
  • Coaches Swimming Training: We are looking to schedule an in-person swimming training for new/existing coaches that need certification. I am looking at late July/early August. Please send me the coaches that you need to get certified so that we can setup a training in a location that works for most.
 
I do want you to know that we appreciate everything you all do and I hope that you all know how important you are to our movement. Without you, the athletes don’t have the programs or events. I personally, look forward to working with each and every one of you in the coming months and look forward to getting back to full speed. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
 
Have a great day. Thanks. 
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 2021
Hi Everyone,
 
Thank you to everyone who came to State Games this past weekend. I hope you all had a great time. It was certainly nice to see everyone who came!
 
Now, we will look towards State Volleyball. I had sent out some updates on May 27th regarding the entry deadline and location change. Please see the attached packet that contains some more information in it. Please note, we need you all to complete the entry form as well as the rating form.
 
The rating form will be needed for each athlete and then the entire team goes on the team tab.
 
Please let me know ASAP if you plan on bringing teams/athletes for skills. Estimates are fine. I need to get a good sense on how many groups we will have coming so we can better plan the day.
 
Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thank you all!
 
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THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2021
Hi Everyone,
 
Just wanted to send out some information briefly for State Volleyball. I’m working on the packet but with State Games coming up next week, am a little behind. Please see the important information for State Volleyball.
 
  • State Volleyball is July 17th, 2021.
  • Event location has changed from Cajun Volleyball Club to Team Automotive Sportsplex (7122 Perkins Rd, Baton Rouge, LA 70808)
  • Entries will be due on 7/2/21 and athlete packets/coaching certifications will be due on 7/9/21
  • We will be offering individual skills and team competition
 
I’ll have more information coming soon in the packet, just wanted to get the important information out to you now.
 
Thanks, have a great Memorial Day Weekend
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TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021
 Hi Everyone,
 
Just a reminder State Games (athletics, bocce, tennis) entries are due on Friday, May 14th. Attached is the packet and entry form. I wanted to mention in the packet it says that athletes can participate in 2 track events and 1 field event in athletics. If there is a concern and you may want your athlete to participate in 1 track event and 2 field events instead, please let me know. We can be flexible on that, with the main thing being that 3 events are the maximum.
 
Thanks. 
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TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 2021
Hi Everyone,
Hope you all had a great Easter. Wanted to send a few things out along with some reminders.
New LTPs- I wanted to introduce a few new Local Training Programs that have just become involved in Special Olympics and will offer different types of training/competition to the local areas they serve. First, I’d like to introduce Calvin and Martina from Acadiana Serves. They offer tennis to the Lafayette area. Second- I’d like to introduce Jacob Raymond from NOLA community sailing and they will offer Unified Sailing to the greater New Orleans Community. We are very excited to work with both groups! Please take a second to welcome them into our Special Olympics community!
Staff Update- I don’t think we have done this in a while but I wanted to send over a quick note about our staff at the central office and who is responsible for what so we can serve you more efficiently. Below is the list:
  • John Guzzardo (CEO)- oversees the entire organization
  • Brock Banos- oversee the sports and programs department
  • Carson Phills- oversees fitness programming, school programming including unified champion schools, and coaches education
  • Craig Oser- oversees the social media/marketing side of things, also involved in LETR stuff and some fundraising
  • Susan Murray- oversees certain health programs, athlete leadership, and manages multiple facets at the office
  • Toni Wright- oversees corporate sponsorships/relationships
  • Carlos Alessi- oversees grants
  • Helen Robinson- athlete staff member and assist with many projects at the office
 
State Powerlifting- As a reminder, state powerlifting is coming up on Saturday, May 8th. Entries are due on April 23rd. Please refer to the previous email for the packet and entry form.
State Games (Athletics, Bocce, Tennis)- Please see the attached packet and entry form for State Games being held on June 5th. The entries are due on May 14th. Please read the packet over carefully. We will be following some new check in procedures and will be splitting up the day into a morning shift (for close delegations) and an afternoon shift (for far delegations). We will also consider special circumstances as well when determining what shift you’re delegation will compete in. We will work on those on a case by case basis. This of course, is due to our limited numbers with COVID. Please note the new COVID waiver and COVID code of conduct that will be due with entries on May 14th. Also, please note that only athletics athletes can participate in more than 1 event (up to 3 total)(2 track and 1 field event), bocce must select either singles or unified doubles, and tennis must select singles or unified doubles. And finally, please make if you plan to attend and need expenses for this event, to complete the LTP budget template I sent out a week or two ago to make sure the expenses are approved prior to the event.
Virtual Healthy Athletes Programming- We are hosting some virtual healthy athletes during the month of April. Please see the below information and please spread to your athletes. Make sure if it’s a zoom call, they register with their first name, last name, and proper email address. We will only accept people who register before the zoom call. Anyone who signs up during the call will not be allowed into the zoom meetings.As always our virtual healthy athletes programming provides great education and opportunities for the athletes and caregivers to interact with health professionals and learn great tips for health!
Will be in touch. Thanks!
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