Area Input Council

Why should we have an area ALPs Input Council?

Area ALPs Input Council provide athletes opportunities to develop leadership skills, serve as volunteers, provide valuable input to the area committees, be role models for other athletes, and serve as ambassadors to the community. Having athletes involved in meaningful ways conveys how much we respect and value them as an integral part of our organization.

Special Olympics Texas is in need of volunteers to sponsor local ALPs programs. This person does not necessarily need to be a parent. A sibling or an age appropriate peer is preferrable, but not required. Additionaly, we are seeking non-disabled, age-appropriate peers to serve as mentors or “friends” in the activities and meetings.

How should we select athletes to be a part of the ALPs programs?

Leadership is a key component in the Athlete Leadership Programs. To maintain the integrity of the ALPs programs we must select athletes who demonstrate leadership qualities. Some of the selection requirements that should be considered are:

• The athlete must be actively involved as a Special Olympics athlete, coach or official. The athlete should be involved year round in competition so that they are familiar with the various programs and competitions in your area.
• Athlete must be able to communicate effectively. They should demonstrate adequate expressive and receptive language skills.
• Athlete should demonstrate appropriate behaviors; i.e. gets along with others, has positive outlook, is dependable, and demonstrates polite behaviors and good sportsmanship.
• Athlete must be able to attend Input Council meetings on a consistent basis.
• Athletes should be at least 16 years old or older.
• Athletes can be nominated to sit on the ALPs Input Council by the area staff, a coach, a key volunteer, or a family member. For the initial selection of members, the nominations will be reviewed and selected by the Area Director and designated ALPs sponsor. Once the committees are in operation, the local ALPs Council can review and vote on new members.

How many athletes should be on the local ALPs Input Council?

The local councils should have a local sponsor/mentor that will assist the athletes in putting together and running their meetings and events. The number of athletes on the local council will vary depending on the size and needs of the area. It is important to have enough athletes to get a variety of input and perspectives from various athletes. It is equally important to keep the group at a manageable number so that the meetings are meaningful and productive.

What should the ALPs Input Council actually do?

The ALPs Input Council should meet quarterly. This will help ensure that there is consistent guidance and participation. Each area will decide exactly what they will do, but here is a list of suggested items or topics that could be covered.

• Committee reports- athletes who sit on the various area committees should report to the group what is happening at the chapter and local levels and ask for athlete input on various topics.
• Area Report- area staff can give the ALPs members information and updates about what is happening in the area and chapter level.
• Global Messenger reports/training- Global Messengers could report to the group about the various speeches that they have given, explain what their role is, and encourage others to get involved. They may ask for ideas about good places to speak in the future. Advanced skills could be presented.
• Training – area leaders could provide training for athletes on leadership development. This could include communication skills, social skills, organizational skills, and any other skills that would assist the athletes in meaningful participation in SOTX.
• Volunteer activities- every athlete in ALPs should be required to donate time to Special Olympics and other civic organizations. Members could share and discuss ways to become more involved as volunteers. These athletes could help with various service projects as a group.
• Plan athlete activities- ALPs members can assist in planning activities for athletes at competitions and area games.
• coaches and Officials training/information- Information can be shared with athletes about how they can become coaches and officials.
• Elect officers- you may want to elect a president, vice president, or create other leadership roles with in the group.

Are we still going to have a Chapter ALPs Input Council?

Yes, we will have a Chapter Input Council with athlete representatives from each area. These athletes will be elected from their area groups to represent their areas for a term of two years. The areas will elect athletes that will come to each meeting so that there is consistency on the chapter Input Council. The number of representatives that can serve on the Chapter Input Council from each area will be determined by program level. The number of representative corresponds with the level of program that you are. For instance, an area that is a level one, may have one representative, an area on level three may have three representatives. Areas may also want to choose an alternate representative in the event the other representatives would not be able to attend.

The Chapter level ALPs programs will continue, but we will need the continued support of the areas to help these programs run smoothly.

Chapter Input Council Meetings- These will typically be held on a Saturday in Dallas. The athlete representatives from each area will need to attend. The areas need to send a chaperone with the athlete if needed for air travel or an overnight stay. Transportation to and from the airport is taken care of, and lunch provided for all the athletes and chaperones. This is also a good opportunity for the chaperones to interact and get ideas for their own group. Areas need to contact staff in charge of ALPs to let them know who is attending with respective flight itineraries and hotel needs. The areas all budget money to pay for this.

Chapter Games- We have ALPs activities during the Chapter Games at Olympic Town. Athletes who are attending games are encouraged to help out for the times that they may have free. It is helpful if chaperones from the areas also help out as staff often has many other duties and cannot always be with the athletes. For those sponsors that are committed to helping in the ALPs area for significant time, there are limited funds to help pay for housing and transportation. If there are ALPs members not competing at area games and want to come to help as a full time volunteer with the ALPs booth or in another area, there are limited funds available to support them as well. These people would need to contact the Chapter Staff person if interested.

Annual Conference- There will be tracks for the athletes at Annual Conference. During conference hours, there will be supervision of the athletes so that the other chaperones may attend the other tracks available. However, areas need to provide chaperones for travel and overnight supervision. Staff will not be able to provide supervision during times outside of conference hours. Athlete and chaperone conference fees, housing, and transportation will need to be covered by the individual or area. All athletes and chaperones must complete and send in their registration cards to be registered for the conference.

The area ALPs programs will benefit all people involved in Special Olympics. We look forward to helping all the areas implement this program.