ORIENTATION EVENTS

ELIGIBILITY: ATHLETES

Every skier or a snowboarder with an intellectual disability who is at least 8 years of age is eligible to participate in Team Powderhorn's Special Olympics winter program.

A person is considered to have an intellectual disability for purposes of determining his or her eligibility to participate in Special Olympics if that person satisfies any one of the following requirements:

1. The person has been identified by an agency or professional as having an intellectual disability as determined by their localities; or
2. The person has a cognitive delay, as determined by standardized measures such as intelligent quotient or "IQ" testing or other measures which are generally accepted within the professional community in that Accredited Program's nation as being a reliable measurement of the existence of cognitive delay; or
3. The person has a closely related developmental disability. A "closely related developmental disability" means having functional limitations in both general learning (such as IQ) and in adaptive skills (such as in recreation, work, independent living, self direction, or self-care). However, persons whose functional limitations are based solely on a physical, behavioral, or emotional disability, or a specific learning or sensory disability, are not eligible to participate as Special Olympics athletes, but may be eligible to volunteer for Special Olympics.

A candidate and/or a legal guardian of a candidate for Team Powderhorn's Special Olympics winter program or a current Team member must:

• Commit to attending a minimum of 8 on-snow training sessions and two competition events.
  
  
• Express a genuine interest in ski or snowboard racing. In other words, a candidate must want to race with the team and may not be coerced to participation.
  
  
• Must be able to ski or snowboard independently, which means that a competitor must be able to move on the snow on his or her own without physical assistance from others. Exception: competitors with visual impairments will be provided on-snow and race course guides as well as assistance in recovery from falls.
  Special Olympics rules allow for those athletes that cannot make it down the hill on their own to participate in lead-up events only, which are 10 Meter Walk, Glide and Super Glide events. Currently Team Powderhorn does not offer training for the lead-up events.
  
  
• Must understand and acknowledge the risks associated with ski and snowboard racing.
  
  
• To participate, each athlete must complete a Special Olympics Colorado Application for Participation form, which includes a medical release that must be signed by a doctor.

  Download and Print a Form in English

  Download and Print a Form in Spanish

  The Special Olympics Colorado Application for Participation form is valid for three (3) years. It is your responsibility to make sure that your Application for Participation form on file with Special Olympics Colorado is valid for the current winter season.

• To participate, each athlete must complete CDA's DSUSA Liability Release Form. The form must be completed every season.

  Download and Print a Liability Release Form

A candidate and /or a legal guardian is responsible for disclosing to Head Coach, his representatives or CDA staff all health conditions that may affect his or her safety while in ski or snowboard race environment.

The Head Coach (or CDA staff) has the right to refuse team membership to anyone who might be exposed to risks in racing that cannot be mitigated by the Head Coach and his staff.

Special note: Due to limited resources, Team Powderhorn currently cannot accept any new bi-ski athletes.

ELIGIBILITY: TRAINING PARTNERS

Team Powderhorn Training Partner is an initiative that combines approximately equal numbers of Special Olympics athletes and athletes without intellectual disabilities (called Partners) on a team for training.

Training Partners will be considered for the team based on the following criteria:

• age and maturity level
• ski or snowboard ability level
• willingness and ability to take on assigned responsibilities
• current need for Training Partners
• available team resources

Athletes and Training Partners are matched by the Head Coach.
Training Partners must commit to attending a minimum of eight on-snow training sessions and two competition events.

POWDERHORN RESORT LIFT PASSES

Team Powderhorn Athletes and Training Partners will be issued season passes to Powderhorn Resort.

AGE REQUIREMENTS

There is no maximum age limitation for participation in Special Olympics. The minimum age requirement for participation in Special Olympics competition is 8 years of age.

FOR PARENTS, LEGAL GUARDIANS OR CARETAKERS

Parents, legal guardians, caretakers or designated representatives MUST be available to pick-up an athlete within 90 minutes after receiving a phone call from the mountain. Please make sure that we have all relevant phone numbers that would allow us to reach you when your child or a person under your care is skiing or snowboarding with us. If CDA staff is unable to reach you or you fail to pick up a person under your care within 90 minutes, CDA may ask that you bring the athlete and stay at Powderhorn Resort for all future training sessions.

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