Team Ontario will represent Special Olympics Ontario at the 2026 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games. The Team Ontario Program is designed to provide athletes, coaches and mission staff with a welcoming team environment built on respect and commitment to growth. Team Ontario requires a dedication to training, healthy living and accountability to its team members. Through their efforts and actions, the Team will be ambassadors for Ontario and a source of pride for grassroots programs and communities.

Team Ontario's Foundation:

• Excellence: Team ON will strive to maximize performance. This will be achieved through effort, commitment, and a strong work ethic.
• Empowerment: Our athletes and volunteers will be empowered to inspire and lead Team ON.
• Respect: Team ON will ensure a supportive environment where everyone is valued and treated with dignity.
• Growth: Team ON will have a growth mindset. Success for our Team will be improvement, not perfection.
• Community: Team ON will create impactful legacies by building solid and collaborative connections with our team members and with our grassroots communities that support them.

Team ON Timeline & Selection

Special Olympics Ontario will select Team Ontario from athletes, coaches and volunteers participating in the 2024 Special Olympics Ontario Spring Games and 2025 Summer Games. Selection will be based on athletics performance and behaviour during the Spring and Summer Games.

To lead this Team, Special Olympics Ontario has made a significant and exciting decision to entrust a volunteer with the crucial role of Chef de Mission for Team Ontario. If you want to learn more about the position, please check out the complete job description and application form. Applications will close Monday, September 9th, 2024 @ Midnight EST.

Some coach selections will take place in the Fall of 2024, while the remainder of the Team, including all athletes, will be selected in August 2025, following the completion if the 2025 Summer Games, hosted in Brantford.

Key Dates

• August 2024: Chef de Mission application opens
• September 2024: Applications open for head coaches and one (1) associate coach position (optional) for Athletics, Bocce, Bowling - Tenpin, Golf, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Powerlifting & Swimming
• September 2025: Selection of athletes (see below), mission staff, remainder associate coaches, and team sport coaches
• October 2025-August 2026: Training and preparation
• November 2025: Team ON Training Camps
• August 2026: Special Olympics Canada Summer Games - Medicine Hat, Alberta