Special Olympics New York Launches Campaign to Recruit Coaches, Facilities, and Sponsors for New Training Clubs in NYC
Athletes with Intellectual Disabilities Are Waiting to Compete
Partners Invited to “Join the Movement. Change Lives. Inspire Champions.”
New York City, NY – Special Olympics New York today announced the launch of a digital campaign to recruit passionate coaches, welcoming facilities, and mission-driven sponsors to create new training clubs for athletes with intellectual disabilities in the five boroughs.
A training club is a local group of coaches and athletes who practice a sport, or multiple sports, regularly throughout the year to prepare for competition in Special Olympics events.
“Training clubs are the heart of our organization,” said Stacey Hengsterman, President & CEO of Special Olympics New York. “Those weekly practices are where athletes come together not only to learn a sport and become the champions they are meant to be, but to meet the teammates and volunteers who become a second family to them.”
In the campaign launch video, Hengsterman says Special Olympics New York has athletes in the five boroughs who are waiting to compete, but its current training clubs in these communities are at capacity. With the help of community leaders, businesses, and sports enthusiasts, Special Olympics New York can get these athletes off the sidelines and into the game.
The launch video is available for media use HERE. Additional campaign videos, aimed at inspiring new volunteers by featuring current participants, are available HERE.
Ways to make an impact:
- Become a Coach: Share your passion for sports, leadership, and inclusion. Special Olympics New York provides education, training, and support—no prior coaching experience required.
- Open Your Doors to Inclusion: From gyms and fields to pools and courts, local facilities can become hubs for year-round training and inclusive community building.
- Sponsor a Club: Special Olympics athletes never pay to play. Sponsors can support equipment, uniforms, travel, and more—while aligning their brand with a life-changing mission.
“Hosting a Special Olympics training club at our Cross Island facility has been one of the most rewarding decisions we’ve made,” said Tiffany Dunbar, Senior Executive, Membership of YMCA of Greater New York, which hosts one of the training clubs featured in the campaign. “Our facility has become more than just a place to work out—it’s a place where athletes, families, and our staff all come together to celebrate inclusion, determination, and joy. I encourage other facility owners to open their doors and experience the magic of this partnership.”
“Sponsoring Special Olympics has been a game changer for Bank of America,” said Gary Pierre, Bank of America Vice President, Business Control Officer. “It’s so inspiring to see how our support helps athletes thrive—and our employees have gotten as much out of this experience as they’ve put in. It’s brought our team closer together and shown us the power of inclusion in action.”
“Whether you can volunteer your time as a coach, share your facility space with a team, or you are a business leader ready to give back, you have the power to transform lives by joining the Special Olympics movement,” said Coach Joe Stewart, whose City Hawks training club recently received national recognition from Special Olympics North America and ESPN. “Coaching these athletes has been the highest honor of my teaching career and one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.”
To join the movement, visit SpecialOympicsNY.org and submit an inquiry form HERE.
SHARE THIS: