La Crosse Special Recreation

Before anyone is able to volunteer, Special Olympics Wisconsin requires them to go through a Class A Volunteer Orientation.  This takes no longer than one hour.  Please contact Kat to set up an orientation.  barkhahnk@cityoflacrosse.org 

La Crosse Area Special Recreation provides two avenues of involvement. The first is through Special Olympics WI - La Crosse Area. The second is through Special Recreation events. 1. The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for persons eight years of age and older with cognitive disabilities. 2. The mission of Special Recreation is to provide quality, efficient and effective leisure services to individuals with special needs in an effort to promote the overall well-being of the community. 1. Special Olympics Wisconsin - La Crosse Area offers five different sports seasons. Winter Games run from December to February and include Alpine Skiing. Indoor Sports run from January to April and include Gymnastics, Team & Skills Basketball. Summer Games run from March to June and include Powerlifting, Aquatics, Track & Field, & Soccer. Outdoor Sports run from June to August and include Softball, Tennis, Bocce Ball, & Golf. Fall Sports run from September to December and include Volleyball and Bowling. For each sport, an Area and/or District as well as State Tournament is held. Athletes that qualify in 1-3 in the Area and/or District Tournament are eligible to participate in the State Tournament. Athletes that place 1 at State may be selected to represent Team USA for the World Games. We offer paid coaching positions for all Special Olympics sports coaches. The positions are paid at $7.00/hr and are paid through the City of La Crosse-Special Recreation. In addition, we participate and host many local fund raisers and events each year. Some examples include Kids Du Run Run Duatholon, Charity Golf Tournament, Oktoberfest Parade, Torch Run, Awards Banquet, and the Polar Plunge. These are held to raise awareness in the community as well as support the mission of Special Olympics. 2. Special Recreation offers many opportunities of involvement for individuals with any type of documented disability. We offer three areas of interest: Fantastic Voyages, Open Events, Horsesense, and various clubs. Fantastic Voyages are open to adults and consist of trips, concerts, musicals sporting events, and museums, to name a few. Open Events are local events. They range from seasonal and holiday parties to local amusement adventures. Horsesense is a non-profit therapeutic/recreational horseback riding program offered to children and adults with special needs. Components of each session incorporate goals that address cognitive, behavioral, psychological and physical needs. Riding promotes confidence, self-esteem, companionship and success! There are several different clubs offered in our organization: Craft Club, Drama Club, Outdoor Club, and Cycling Club. Volunteers are not required to pay for the costs of attending and aiding in the success of such programs.

1. The global Special Olympics movement got its start on 20 July 1968, when the First International Special Olympics Games were held at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, USA. But the concept of Special Olympics was born much earlier, when Eunice Kennedy Shriver started a day camp for people with intellectual disabilities at her home in 1962. Since 1962, Special Olympics has continued to grow. It is not a globally known organization. Today, this movement serves over 2.5 million athletes in 165 countries around the world offering 27 different official sports. Events range from local, area, state, national, and world games. With dedicated volunteers, Special Olympics continues to reach more deserving individuals. 2. The La Crosse Area Special Recreation events have been offered for many years. The Parks & Recreation Department has been an essential part of the community for over 50 years of service. Every year, Special Recreation continues to expand and incorporate more activities and events designed to reach a growing community.