Athletes as Board Members 

Special Olympics Athletes on Boards of Directors Any decision-making group that represents people should include the people they serve as their members. Accordingly,  all accredited Special Olympics Programs are required to have an athlete on the Board of Directors. The challenges are to: Accept that we are all equal, no matter what label people have given us; discover each other's abilities; and value individual differences and perspectives.

Athlete Board Member Ben von Haaren with fellow dignitaries at the 2006 Outdoor Winter Games Opening Ceremonies.

Athletes on Boards of Directors and committees bring a clear sense of priority and unique perspective as the consumer of the program Special Olympics offers. With athletes on its Boards, the Special Olympics movement can set priorities based on what athletes want; hear their perspective on how well Games run, and hear their wisdom about how to spend Special Olympics resources. Former Athlete Board Member Kayte Barton promotes the Polar Bear Plunges on KARE-11. With athletes helping set its priorities, Special Olympics lowers its attrition rate and is attractive to new athletes. What kinds of input can athletes give? Given enough background information, athletes can give input on any subject that comes before a Board or committee. A common contribution reported by Programs with athletes serving on their Boards is a level of clarity about proposed actions. When athletes feel comfortable on the Board, they will ask freely for clarification of proposals and reports. When that clarity is achieved, all members of the Board can make better decisions. Contact information: Michael Kane, Sports Program Director 800-783-7732, ext. 253 (Minnesota only) 612-604-1253 kanem@somn.org or Kim Gelperin, Initiatives Manager 800-783-7732, ext. 276 (Minnesota only) 612-604-1276 gelperink@somn.org