2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games

ATHLETE ENTERTAINMENT

2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games

Idaho USA

Games Organizing Committee After Action Report

Nicci Cleveland

I.FUNCTION OVERVIEW

A.Overview/Purpose

1.To provide an atmosphere of entertainment, fun, and educational and cultural experiences for the competing athletes, coaches and Heads of Delegation—hereafter referred to as delegations—of the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games Idaho, USA—hereafter referred to as the Games.

2.To develop an atmosphere of inclusion, integration and learning for the delegations of the Games.

3.To increase public awareness and knowledge about people with intellectual disabilities, and closely related developmental disabilities, through a world-class sporting event while celebrating athlete accomplishments and the Special Olympics movement.

After Action Observations

An atmosphere of entertainment, fun, and educational and cultural experience that provided inclusion for the delegations was achieved.

B.Goals & Objectives

1.Goals

a)To provide Special Olympics Towns in each of the Games cities, and an athlete lounge at each of the competition venues, that offer extracurricular activities, an area to relax and services for the delegations of the Games.

b)To offer opportunities for US and international delegations to interact with each other, providing a cultural exchange that will enrich the lives of all involved.

2.Objective

Special Olympics was founded on the premise that bringing people together—people with and without intellectual disabilities—will break down existing barriers and result in acceptance, understanding and new, long lasting relationships. The objective of Special Olympics Towns is to assist in this effort and to provide a cultural exchange between delegations.

After Action Observations

The Athlete Entertainment (ATE) program successfully achieved these goals and assisted with the objective at all ten ATE venue locations.

C.Overview of Services

1.Special Olympics Towns will be in a location central to primary Games venues in each of the three Games cities—Boise: Center on the Grove, McCall: Edward Ballroom at Shore Lodge, and Sun Valley: YMCA—and will be accessible regularly by Games transportation.

2.Special Olympics Town activities include (each activity will not be at each location):

a)Arts & crafts: delegations will have the opportunity to utilize provided materials to design and create various items; items can be taken home.

b)Barrel racing: delegations will have the opportunity to “ride” a stick horse (run while holding the stick horse, usually between the runner’s legs to imitate riding a horse) around two 3’ x 2’ barrels and back; there will be a minimum of two volunteers at all times to facilitate athlete safety.

c)Caricatures: delegations will have the opportunity to have a pictorial representation, in which distinguishing features are exaggerated for comic effect, drawn of them; caricatures can be taken home.

d)Computers providing access to the internet: delegations will have the opportunity to utilize computers, with internet blocking/filtering capabilities, to access the internet; there will be a minimum of two volunteers at all times to monitor site usage.

e)Dance floor: delegations will have the opportunity to participate with dance instructors who will teach the electric slide which will be performed at the closing ceremony athlete dance.

f)Face painting: delegations will have the opportunity to have a design painted on their faces by a face painting artist.

g)Games: delegations will have the opportunity to play bingo, arcade games, table games, and game systems with multiple player capabilities.

h)Horseshoe pitching: delegations will have the opportunity to toss rubber horseshoes at stakes in the ground to try to ring the stake with the horseshoe; there will be a minimum of two volunteers at all times to facilitate athlete safety.

i)Inflatables: delegations will have the opportunity to utilize two inflatable activities. Two delegates may utilize each inflatable at a given time. Both inflatables have been rated safe, and a minimum of four volunteers per inflatable (eight total volunteers) will be utilized at all times to facilitate athlete safety.

(1)Jousting: using oversized foam padded jousting poles, delegates attempt to knock each other over while sitting on a short pedestal, or while on the inflatable mat itself. Protective headgear required.

(2)Sumo wrestling: delegations wrestle each other while wearing padded sumo suits in a padded wrestling ring. Protective headgear required.

j)Karaoke: delegations will have the opportunity to utilize a music entertainment system that provides prerecorded instrumental accompaniments for a selection of songs to which the delegates sing along by following the words on a video screen.

k)Photograph ops: photo stand-ins, old time photography, and various natural pictures will be taken and processed for delegates to take home.

l)Round up: delegations will have the opportunity to throw a lasso at stationary, wooden cattle to try to rope one; there will be a minimum of two volunteers at all times to facilitate athlete safety.

3.Special Olympics Town hours of operation:

Date / Location / Delegation Hours / Operation Hours / Optional Activity
Sat, Feb 7 / Boise, COG / 4:00 – 10:00 pm / 3:00 – 10:30 pm
McCall, Shore Lodge / Closed / None; travel to McCall
Sun Valley, YMCA / Closed / None; travel to Sun Valley
Sun, Feb 8 / Boise, COG / 4:00 – 10:00 pm / 3:30 – 10:30 pm
McCall, Shore Lodge / Closed / TBD
Sun Valley, YMCA / Closed / Community dance
Mon, Feb 9 / Boise, COG / 4:00 – 10:00 pm / 3:30 – 10:30 pm
McCall, Shore Lodge / 4:00 – 10:00 pm / 3:30 – 10:30 pm
Sun Valley, YMCA / 4:00 – 10:00 pm / 3:30 – 10:30 pm
Tue, Feb 10 / Boise, COG / 4:00 – 10:00 pm / 3:30 – 10:30 pm
FAMILY / McCall, Shore Lodge / 4:00 – 10:00 pm / 3:30 – 10:30 pm
NIGHT / Sun Valley, YMCA / 4:00 – 10:00 pm / 3:30 – 10:30 pm
Wed, Feb 11 / Boise, COG / 4:00 – 10:00 pm / 3:30 – 10:30 pm
McCall, Shore Lodge / Closed / Special Olympics Festival
Sun Valley, YMCA / Closed / Special Olympics Festival
Thu, Feb 12 / Boise, COG / 4:00 – 10:00 pm / 3:30 – 10:30 pm
McCall, Shore Lodge / Closed / None; travel to Boise
Sun Valley, YMCA / Closed / None; travel to Boise
Fri, Feb 13 / Boise, COG / 9:00 am – 5:00 pm / 8:30 am – 6:00 pm
McCall, Shore Lodge / Closed / SOT, Boise
Sun Valley, YMCA / Closed / SOT, Boise

4.Athlete lounges will be located at each of the seven competition venues—alpine skiing, Boise: Bogus Basin; cross country skiing, Sun Valley: Resort Golf Course; floor hockey, Boise: Expo Idaho; figure skating, Boise: Qwest Arena; snowboarding, Sun Valley: Dollar Mountain; snowshoeing, McCall: Ponderosa State Park; speed skating, Boise: Idaho Ice World—and will be within walking distance.

5.Athlete lounge activities include:

a)Games: board games, game systems with multiple player capabilities

b)Jigsaw puzzles

c)Movies

d)Reading material

6.Athlete lounge hours of operation: operational in conjunction with competition venue hours.

7.Athlete Entertainment transportation summary: the Transportation Department of the Games Organizing Committee (GOC) has identified and facilitated the most efficient means by which delegations may travel to and from sanctioned Games venues and functions.

After Action Observations

There were a couple of minor accidents on the inflatables the first day of operation. Adjustments were made to ensure the delegate members’ safety.
The minimum number of volunteers stationed at each of the inflatables was increased to 6 instead of 4.
A “referee” was designated at each station and was provided a whistle to stop play if activity got too rough/out of control.
Inflatable attendees were also instructed to get on the mats if necessary to break up play.
The additional coverage and the referees equipped with whistles provided the necessary safety measures for the delegate members.
Attendees did not have to intervene and break up play.

II.STRUCTURE

A.Committee Structure

1.Athlete Entertainment has a pre-Games and a Games-time committee structure. The Athlete Entertainment Manager and Athlete Entertainment Commissioners supervise both structures. The Athlete Entertainment Committee develops committee plans and then ensures the implementation of those plans at Games time.

2.The Athlete Entertainment Manager will provide overall leadership, planning and direction of the committee. The manager’s responsibilities include recruiting committee commissioners and members, facilitating committee meetings, developing systems to ensure that issues facing the committee are addressed and in place, developing action plans and ensuring that the committee meets all of its objectives. Each area of the committee will be self-standing yet will fall under the direct supervision and leadership of the manager. The manager will lead the filing of the after-action report with the assistance of the commissioners following the Games.

3.The Athlete Entertainment Commissioners are volunteer positions requiring an extensive amount of time and dedication to the success of the Games. The commissioners’ responsibilities include attending all committee and venue related meetings, assisting in the development and implementation of committee plans, providing overall management of Special Olympics Towns and athlete lounges, and implementing Athlete Entertainment support volunteer training.

4.The Athlete Entertainment Committee’s responsibilities include carrying out assignments and updating the manager/commissioner regarding successes and concerns. Members are asked to attend meetings frequently through February 2009.

5.There are at least ten separate committees, in addition to the Athlete Entertainment Committee, that committee members will work with that directly affect the experience of Special Olympics athletes. Committee members will support each of these committees and report meeting information back to the manager.

B.Athlete Entertainment Committee Position Descriptions

VOLUNTEER POSITION: ATHLETE ENTERTAINMENT COMMISSIONER,

Special Olympics Towns & Athlete Lounges

SUPERVISOR:EMILY FAIRCHILD, Manager, Athlete Entertainment

208-377-7191

PURPOSE: The purpose of athlete entertainment at Special Olympics Towns and the athlete lounges is to provide an atmosphere of entertainment, fun, and educational and cultural experiences for the competing athletes, coaches and Heads of Delegation of the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games Idaho, USA, when they are not at the competition venue.

SUMMARY: The Athlete Entertainment (ATE) Commissioner serves on the ATE committee and participates in its scheduled meetings and all venue related meetings. The ATE Commissioner is responsible for overseeing all logistics/support services at the entertainment site (Special Olympics Town or Athlete Lounge) including load-in/load-out and effective overall management of athlete entertainment site during hours of operation.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Attend ATE committee and all venue related meetings.
Assist in the development of committee plans.
Effective overall management of Special Olympics Town or Athlete Lounge.
Work with logistics manager to ensure that Special Olympics Town or Athlete Lounge is properly set up and torn down. Ensure that all supplies arrive and are placed appropriately.
Keep manager/committee informed of progress and report any anticipated difficulties immediately.
Work with volunteer services to ensure that all volunteers are present, trained, uniformed and ready for their tasks.
Work with the facility representative to ensure that the facility needs are met.
Attend training session, including general volunteer training, job-specific training, and venue walk-through training.
Implement training for ATE support volunteers in your area.
Develop and implement a plan for greeting/instructing ATE support volunteers at the beginning of every shift.

COMMITMENT:

Approximately 20 hours monthly, October 2008 through January 2009
Must be available to work February 6-14, 2009 (unspecified number of hours)

QUALIFICATIONS:

Committed to the success of the 2009 World Winter Games
Excellent communication and organizational skills
Able to coordinate and delegate tasks
Special Olympics experience or understanding of persons with intellectual disabilities helpful
Experience working with individuals from different cultures helpful

VOLUNTEER POSITION: ATHLETE ENTERTAINMENT SUPERVISOR,

Special Olympics Town at the Centre on the Grove, Boise

SUPERVISOR:EMILY FAIRCHILD, Manager, Athlete Entertainment

208-377-7191

SUMMARY: The Athlete Entertainment (ATE) Supervisor will act as a support to the ATE Commissioners. The ATE Supervisor will assist the ATE Commissioners with logistics/support services, including load-in/load-out. The ATE Supervisor will assist with management of the Centre on the Grove Special Olympics Town in Boise as directed by the ATE Manager and ATE Commissioners.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Attend ATE committee meetings and serve as back up for attendance at venue related meetings.
Assist in the development of committee plans.
Attend training session, including general volunteer training, job-specific training, and venue walk-through training.
Assist with load-in/load-out to ensure that all supplies are managed appropriately.
Assist the ATE Commissioner with training and be available to assist other ATE volunteers as needed.
Keep ATE Commissioner informed of progress in Special Olympics Town and report any problems immediately.
Assist in overseeing the functioning and smooth operation of Special Olympics Town, specifically over area assigned.
Report to ATE Commissioner any issues with ATE volunteers.
Assist delegate members as needed to ensure their safety and well-being.
Report any facility needs to the ATE Commissioner so that those needs can be met.

COMMITMENT:

Approximately 10 hours monthly, October 2008 through January 2009
Must be available to work February 6-14, 2009 (unspecified number of hours)

QUALIFICATIONS:

Committed to the success of the 2009 World Winter Games
Excellent communication and organizational skills
Able to coordinate and delegate tasks
Special Olympics experience or understanding of persons with intellectual disabilities helpful
Experience working with individuals from different cultures helpful

VOLUNTEER POSITION: ATHLETE ENTERTAINMENT ATTENDANT,

Special Olympics Towns & Athlete Lounges

SUPERVISOR:EMILY FAIRCHILD, Manager, Athlete Entertainment

208-377-7191

PURPOSE:The purpose of athlete entertainment at Special Olympics Townsand the athlete lounges is to provide an atmosphere of entertainment, fun, and educational and cultural experiences for the competing athletes, coaches and Heads of Delegation of the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games Idaho, USA, when they are not at the competition venue.

SUMMARY: The Athlete Entertainment (ATE) Attendant will assist in the smooth operation of Special Olympic Towns and Athlete Lounges. Attendant will oversee activities as assigned in order to create and maintain a safe and fun environment for the Special Olympics delegate members.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Attend training session, including general volunteer training, job-specific training, and venue walk-through training.
Assist with load-in/load-out of ATE site as needed.
Oversee assigned area to maintain safety of all participants.
Maintain equipment in area to ensure its proper functioning; report any problems to ATE Supervisor or Commissioner.
Keep ATE Supervisor/Commissioner informed of progress and report any anticipated difficulties immediately.
Show a positive attitude to maintain a fun, safe environment for all delegate members and participants.

COMMITMENT:

Must be available to work February 6-14, 2009 (unspecified number of hours)

QUALIFICATIONS:

Committed to the success of the 2009 World Winter Games
Excellent communication and organizational skills
Able to coordinate and delegate tasks
Special Olympics experience or understanding of persons with intellectual disabilities helpful
Experience working with individuals from different cultures helpful

After Action Observations

The commissioners and supervisors were competent, outstanding leaders who provided invaluable support.

III.SCOPE OF ATHLETE ENTERTAINMENT OPERATIONS

A.Pre-Games

1.The central component of pre-Games operations is developing and selecting entertainment/resource options and developing an execution plan for the Games.

B.Games Time

1.The central component of Games time operations is implementation of the execution plan. The Athlete Entertainment Committee will provide services at three Special Olympics Towns, located in each of the Games cities—Boise: Center on the Grove, McCall: Edward Ballroom at Shore Lodge, and Sun Valley: YMCA—and at seven athlete lounges, located at each of the competition venues—alpine skiing, Boise: Bogus Basin; cross country skiing, Sun Valley: Resort Golf Course; floor hockey, Boise: Expo Idaho; figure skating, Boise: Qwest Arena; snowboarding, Sun Valley: Dollar Mountain; snowshoeing, McCall: Ponderosa State Park; speed skating, Boise: Idaho Ice World.

Appendix A

Appendix B

Appendix C

Appendix D

Appendix E

Appendix F

Appendix G

Appendix H

Appendix I

Appendix J

Appendix K

Appendix L

Appendix M

Appendix N

Appendix O

Appendix P

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