Galway Special Olympics Young Athletes Club win August Gifts for Clubs cash prize

The Young Athletes programme within Special Olympics Ireland has truly blossomed over the past few years. It's a pleasure to announce that one of the clubs driving this progression is now a Gala Gifts for Clubs winner!



Galway Special Olympics Young Athletes Club (SOYA ) didn't baulk at the idea of going digital. The club committee took time to analyse their needs and find the best software to support them.



While preparing to move their social and physical activities the club used Clubforce to manage online registrations and streamline the login process. After that, the club replicated their Saturday morning sessions on Zoom. In order to keep the schedule interesting, at the end of every session, two young athletes were chosen to pick the next week's sporting activities and another athlete could choose a song to end their session- a big responsibility!

During our Together at Home programme, Coach Angie became a household name, hosting a specialised Young Athletes session every Saturday morning. Angie was often joined by guest stars, you guessed it, members of Galway SOYA! At the end of the first 10-week programme, the club held a wrap party celebrating everyone's hard work. Coach Angie delivered balloons and gift bags to Young Athletes' homes.

Not only did the club keep up its previous activities, but it also made an effort to grow and expand. Galway SOYA joined forces with other Young Athletes clubs Newtownabbey Racers and Titanic Tigers, holding virtual obstacle courses. The club also hosted a Come & Try Day in June to help boost membership of the club.

Despite a string of successes in the virtual world, the club is looking forward to hosting indoor sessions again this year.

The club plan to use their €500 to buy hoodies for the Young Athletes and volunteers- nobody will be in any doubt who's the best club in Galway!