News

Aquatics/Swimming sign up

We have the Ohio Wesleyan University pool, the Meek Aquatics and Recreation Center, for aquatics again this year! Coach Jenny will also be back!

Practice will be Sundays 2:15 pm - 3:45 pm, October 20th through February 23rd. We'll be on break when OWU is on break, so be sure to check our calendar page.

Use this Google Form to sign up. You must have a current medical / release form available on our Forms Page.

Basketball and Bowling sign ups

It's time to sign up for basketball and fall bowling!

Please sign up for basketball by September 27th so we can get started checking medical forms and planning the season. Everyone will need to commit to playing in the regional and state tournaments. Use the Google Form to sign up.

We will bowl Tuesdays. 6:30 - 8:00 pm, October 1st through November 26th. Please sign up for bowling by September 20th. Use the Google Form to sign up.

You must have a current medical / release form available on our Forms Page.

Football Crazr Sweepstakes

Special Olympics Ohio is teaming up again with the Knights of Columbus to bring you this unique opportunity to raise funds by making a small donation and possibly winning some prizes so we can continue to make a difference in the lives of our athletes.

The sweepstakes involves the last 10 weeks of games played by the NFL this season – games that will be played between late October through December/January. Donation is $20.00 per ticket.

See the Football Crazr Sweepstakes page for more details

Come see us at First Friday, we have card boxes!

We will have a table at Delaware's First Friday, September 6th. Our friends from Penn Lanes will be with us, too. Come say hello!

We will have some card boxes with us, a new fundraiser for SODC. You can purchase cards from us at First Friday. If you are interested in ordering cards from us, you can use the Google Form to reserve a box. We'll be in touch to work out payment and delivery.

2024 Summer sports: Baseball and Golf

It's time to sign up for summer sports!

Baseball will be Wednesdays at 7:00 Starting July 10th at Concorde Township Park, 6385 Home Rd, Delaware, OH 43015. Sign up for baseball with this Google Form.

Golf will be Thursdays at 6:00 July 18 through September 19th at Hidden Valley Golf Course, 580 W William St, Delaware, OH 43015. Sign up with this Google Form. Golfers will need their own clubs and will need to bring their own partner to play.

All athletes need the medical packet available on our forms page completed before the first practice.

The sign up deadline for both sports is July 1st.

Knights of Columbus collection for us

The Knights of Columbus wanted us to let everyone know they will be collecting donations for SODCOH. They will be at the intersection of Hard Rd and Smokey Row Saturday May 4th, 8AM to 4PM. We are very grateful for their continued support.

2024 Volleyball

We should have our location confirmed soon. If you are interested, use this Google Form to sign up.

2024 Other Spring Sports

It is time to register for spring sports!

This week I heard from most of the facilities that we use. Below are the participation dates, sign up forms, and deadlines. I have also included other sports that you might have questions about:

Athletics / Track and Field

Bocce

Bowling

Tennis

Powerlifting and Volleyball

2024 Spring Bowling Signup

It's time to bowl again!

Use this Google Form to sign up. You must have a current medical / release form available on our Forms Page.

Please sign up before March 1st.

We will be at our home alley, Penn Lanes, 451 Pennsylvania Ave, Delaware, OH 43015. We will bowl on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM, starting March 12th. See our website's Calendar Page. (Not the 7:00 PM  in the original email.)

2024 Powerlifting Signup

It's time for powerlifting! We can have up to 12 athletes lift so if you are interested, please signup now. Dates and times are still to be determined, but we will practice at the Delaware YMCA, 1121 S Houk Rd, Delaware, OH 43015.

Please sign up using the Google form. Everyone needs a current medical/release form from our website.

Columbus Blue Jackets, March 17th

The state sent word of a CBJ event to benefit Special Olympics:

WHAT: Special Olympics Night at the Columbus Bluejackets

WHEN: Sunday, March 17th at 6 PM

WHERE: Nationwide Arena

WHY: $5 of each ticket sold goes to your Special Olympics program

HOW: Go to bluejackets.com/specialolympics to purchase tickets

Tickets include:

See also the PDF of the flyer.

Great time for hockey fans to support SO!

2024 Sports Skills Camps

The state has sent us a flyer about Special Skills Sports Camps in 2024. See the Special Skills Sports website for details. This is not part of Special Olympics, but is for our community.

2023-2024 Aquatics / Swim

We have the Ohio Wesleyan University pool, the Meek Aquatics and Recreation Center, for aquatics again this year! Practice will be Sundays 2:15 pm - 3:45 pm, November 5th to some time in February. The end date depends on the state schedule they are still working on. We'll be on break when OWU is on break, so be sure to check our calendar page.

The swim registration deadline is October 15th. Use this Google Form to sign up. You must have a current medical / release form available on our Forms Page.

2023-2024 Basketball

The basketball registration deadline is October 2nd. Use this Google Form to sign up. You must have a current medical / release form available on our Forms Page.  We'll be practicing at the YMCA this year, 1121 S Houk Rd, Delaware, OH 43015. Practice will be Tuesdays from 6:00 - 9:00 PM. October 17th through December 19th. See our website's Calendar Page. Games will be added to the calendar as they are scheduled.

2023 Fall Bowling

The bowling registration deadline is September 26th. Use this Google Form to sign up. You must have a current medical / release form available on our Forms Page.  We will be at our home alley, Penn Lanes, 451 Pennsylvania Ave, Delaware, OH 43015. We will bowl on Tuesdays from 6:15 to 7:30, October 3rd through December 12th. See our website's Calendar Page.

2023 Soccer

Practice will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 PM, starting Tuesday, August 8th. The location is still to be determined, we'll announce  it as soon as we have a decision. See our website's Calendar Page for practices, and later, games.

Use the Google Form to sign up. You must have a current medical / release form available on our Forms Page.

Hilliard Amazing Abilities Open House

Hilliard is hosting an open house you may be interested in attending, so I am passing this along. Here is the text from their flyer:

City of Hilliard
Amazing Abilities Open House
Join Hilliard's first responders for a morning of super fun!

This event gives members of the special needs and autism communities the opportunity to interact with police offices and firefighters in a sage setting. The first hour will be sensory-friendly. Activities include the chance to see police cars, fire trucks, and police and fire gear up close. Other local agencies will alsobe on hand to offer services for residents with autism and special needs.

8 to 11 a.m., Saturday, July 15
Hilliard Safety Services
Building 5171 Northwest Parkway, Hilliard

Hosted by the City of Hilliard Division of Police and the Norwich Township Fire department.

-- Connie Warner,  Local Coordinator

2023 Golf 

Golf season has begun.

2023 Spring Sports Signups

It's time to register for spring sports! You must have a current medical / release form on file with our organization and register for each sport by their registration deadline.

The medical / release forms are good for three years. If you need to file a new one, there is a new form for 2023 on our website's Forms Page.

You can participate in more than one sport of practice times don't conflict, but competitions are likely to conflict and you can only go to state in one sport.

This is a long email because we are starting athletics, bocce, bowling, tennis, and volleyball. See the section below for each sport.

Athletics (track and field): register by April 6th

Athletics will be at the Olentangy Orange Middle School track again this year, 2680 E Orange Rd, Lewis Center, OH 43035. Orange Middle School and Orange High School share the same entrance from the roundabout on Orange Road and they both have their own track and athletic fields. Go right after the entrance, towards the middle school. We will be at the track on the west.

We don't know when the meets will be yet, but they will be on weekends. Practice will be at 6:00 pm on Thursday, April 20th, and then on Tuesdays and Thursdays from May 2nd to June 22nd. We hope to have rain days on Saturdays. The dates may change slightly, see our website's Calendar Page for practices. If we have to cancel a practice, we will update on the calendar to say it was canceled.

Please sign up with the Athletics Sign Up Form. You must register by April 6th. You must have a current medical / release form available on our Forms Page.

Bocce: register by April 18th

Bocce also will be at the Olentangy Orange Middle School track again this year, 2680 E Orange Rd, Lewis Center, OH 43035. Orange Middle School and Orange High School share the same entrance from the roundabout on Orange Road and they both have their own track and athletic fields. Go right after the entrance, towards the middle school. We will be at the track on the west.

We don't know when the competitions will be yet, but they will be on weekends. Practice will be with athletics on Tuesdays and Thursdays from May 2nd to June 22nd. (Bocce does not practice on April 20th.) We hope to have rain days on Saturdays. The dates may change slightly, see our website's Calendar Page for practices. If we have to cancel a practice, we will update on the calendar to say it was canceled. Because practice and competition dates and times are the same its not possible to do both athletics and Bocce.

Please sign up with the Bocce Sign Up Form. You must register by April 18th. You must have a current medical / release form available on our Forms Page.

Bowling: register by March 20th

We will practice at Penn Lanes, 451 Pennsylvania Ave, Delaware, OH 43015. Practice will be Tuesdays at 6:30 pm from March 21st through June 20th.

Please sign up using the Bowling Sign Up Form. You must register by March 20th. You must have a current medical / release form available on our Forms Page.

Tennis: register by March 20th

Practice will be at Olentangy Liberty High School, 3584 Home Rd, Powell, OH 43065.

We'll practice Saturdays at noon from April 1st to June 17th. Competitions will probably be at athletics meets on weekends.

Please sign up using the Tennis Sign Up Form. You must register by March 20th. You must have a current medical / release form available on our Forms Page.

Volleyball

We are taking sign ups for volleyball but dates and times are not finalized, If you want to play, please sign up. We can adjust registrations with other sports as needed. Please sign up with the Volleyball Sign up Form. You must have a current medical / release form available on our Forms Page.

Issue 6 of the Racer News, Spring sports soon!

I am happy to announce Issue 6 of the Racer News!

Spring is approaching quickly. Please keep checking your emails for registration for all sports. We will be offering athletics, bocce, bowling, tennis, and volleyball.

-- Connie Warner,  Local Coordinator

2023 Powerlifting Signup

It's time for powerlifting! We can have up to 12 athletes lift so if you are interested, please signup now.

Practices will be Monday from 7:30-8:30pm and Saturday from 10:30-11:30am starting March 4th and running through June 19th. See our calendar for practice dates.

We'll be at the same place as last year, Legion Fitness, 367 Village Park Dr., Powell, OH 43065.

Please sign up using the Google form. Everyone needs a current medical/release form from our website.

-- Connie Warner,  Local Coordinator

YMCA membership for athletes

The state has partnered with YMCA to offer free Y memberships to athletes! There's even an option for a provider to join to accompany the athlete if needed!

The state provided information about the program and instructions for getting a Y membership in this PDF:

YMCA membership instructions

Here's a summary with the form you need to fill out:

Use this web form to sign up.

You will need to enter your name and contact information, including an email address and a phone number. If you don't use email or a phone, enter someone else's, like a parent's. Your Y membership will be sent to the email address.

Use our name for the Local Organization: click the +Add button and look for "Delaware Special Olympics".

If a private provider is required, enter that person's name. If the provider changes from day to day, enter one main provider's name.

Choose the preferred YMCA location from the menu (by clicking the +Add button).

The athlete and their local coordinator will receive an email confirmation.

-- Connie Warner,  Local Coordinator

2022-2023 Cheer Signup

12/10/2022

We are able to offer cheer this season! We'll use the YCMA instead of Willis. The Y's address is 1121 S Houk Rd, Delaware, OH 43015.

Practice will be from 2:30 - 3:30 PM on Sundays, starting December 18th. Please see our calendar on our website.

Sign up with the Google Form as usual. You will need to have a current medical / release from on file which you can get from the Forms page on our website.

-- Connie Warner,  Local Coordinator

Garth Aldrich

12/5/2022

Sadly, I need to send this out to everyone: we lost Garth Aldrich. Garth was a supporter of Delaware County Special Olympics for many years. Some of you have known him longer than I. He will be missed by all. I will be sending flowers from our organization.

His obituary has more information about his life and his contributions to the community.

-- Connie Warner,  Local Coordinator

2022-2023 Swim Signup

10/24/2022

I'm happy to announce that we have a coach for swimming AND we have the Ohio Wesleyan University pool, the Meek Aquatics and Recreation Center as well!

Our season will start on Sunday, November 6th. Practice will be from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm. We won't practice when OWU is on break, see our calendar for practice dates.

Please sign up using the Google form. Everyone needs a current medical/release form from our website.

Looking forward to seeing you at the pool!

-- Connie Warner,  Local Coordinator