LAKE COUNTY — Basketball practice starts Jan. 10 for the athletes in Lake County Special Olympics and volunteer coaches are needed to help make the basketball and track and field events happen.
The nonprofit organization”s volunteer area director, Cathy Saderlund, said volunteers are always in short supply.
At least two coaches are needed after two coaches left, but Saderlund said more are welcome.
According to Saderlund, the head basketball coach decided to take a year off for family concerns, and the track and field coach volunteered with his two sons until they graduated from high school and moved on to college last year.
“Basketball is just around the corner, and athletes are calling daily to see when we”re starting,” Saderlund said.
Volunteer coaches are only what the organization needs immediately, according to Saderlund.
She coaches the women”s basketball team, but said she would be willing to hand over her whistle if the right person stepped up. She said she”s looking to form a board of directors for the organization to draw more people and spread the workload.
“When we first started up, we were doing outreach, fundraising, media relations, coaching and bookwork. This might enable us to attract more people with various skills,” Saderlund said.
Saderlund and her husband, Robert Saderlund, became involved seven years ago when Lake County Special Olympics separated itself from the program in Mendocino.
The resulting reorganization threatened to close down the sports program altogether. The couple”s son, Eric Saderlund, has participated in basketball, golf and bowling in the program for 13 years.
Robert Saderlund, who is the organization”s volunteer sports program coordinator, said at least two volunteer coaches are needed “to cover the basics.” Because track and field has multiple events, Saderlund said the more coaches who volunteer, the better.
Invitational and regional competitions within the Special Olympics” Northern California region are held at least twice a season. Basketball runs from Jan. through April, and track and field runs April through June.
“In every sport we bring home medals. The idea is to teach the athletes sportsmanship, to have fun and to get them off of their couches,” Robert Saderlund said.
According to the Special Olympics Northern California Web site, www.sonc.org, Special Olympics offers sports training and competition that “gives people with developmental disabilities the chance to demonstrate to the world all they are capable of achieving.”
“To see the looks on the athletes” faces when they know they”ve done their best is all the pay in the world a volunteer needs, because we”re here for the athletes,” Robert Saderlund said.
For more information or to volunteer, call the Lake County Special Olympics message board at 262-1269.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or call her directly at 263-5636 ext. 37.
