Well, summer is under way and our agency's Bocce teams are heading to State the first weekend of August. The teams that will be competing are: Challengers (Frank Gundlach, Pat Drake, Toni Wagner, Charlie Leist); Exterminatiors (Louis Muchow, Nikki Cook, Shawn Nieses, Sandy Fleming); and Avengers (Jerry Dobson, Vickie Luxton, Todd Nachtigal, and Leslie Bednar). The Challengers and Exterminators took first place, and the Avengers were selected from the lottery pool. We wish them good luck and hope they come back champions.

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 *** Please turn in your signed Athlete Code of Conduct Forms. Click on the link under Coach's Corner for a copy that you can print out. Sign and return it to:

Deb Carroll   PO Box 224  Cazenovia, WI  53924.

The form is good for a year, and covers all of our Sports.  

*** Several people have medical forms that are due soon. If you are not sure if yours is due yet, ask and we can check for you. After they are filled out, submit them to Deb Carroll and she will forward them to Special Olympics Headquarters. Remember that if you have a medical due, make sure every line is filled out. Otherwise, Special Olympics will send the forms back incomplete and they must be finished. Athletes must have a current medical or they will not be allowed to participate in sports. This is a regulation from Special Olympics and we need to adhere to it.

*** Please return the Transportation Authorization Form to VARC if you plan on participating in Bowling or any other practices for Special Olympics.  This form is also good for one year. Click on the document below and return it to VARC as soon as possible.

*** There is a new requirement for volunteers. All Class A Volunteers must participate in an online training prior to December 31st, 2007 to maintain active status. Protective Behaviors Training is a critical tool for protecting Special Olympics athletes from sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. Volunteers are required to participate in this new training evn if they have been involved with Special Olympics for a long time and have seen older training videos. Online training takes 10-20 minutes to complete. Click this link to begin:  http://www.specialolympics.org/Special+Olympics+Public+Website/English/Initiatives/protective+behaviors/default.htm

Once you've completed the exam, fill out your information and SOWI will be notified that you have met the requirement. Volunteers will need to re-take the online training every three years to maintain active status.

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We will start bowling on Wednesday, Aug. 29th.  We will be bowling at Brewster's Lanes every Wednesday afternoon from 3-5pm. The cost is $4 for two games. After bowling starts, we'll distribute a calendar for our sports.

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Date: Saturday, Sept. 8th

Time: 4 - 9pm

Place: The large shelter at Webb Park (see the link under Maps and Directions)

What to bring:  A dish to pass

                        People with last names A through L: bring Desserts

                                          last names M through Z: bring hot dishes

                        YOURSELF

                        Your smile (team pictures will be taken!)

                        Your uniform: Photos will be taken first.

                                                Track & Field, Basketball Skills and Bocce players wear your new

                                                uniforms. I will bring Team Basketball uniforms for those players to 

                                                change into. Bowlers - wear your bowling shirts.

                                                We will have changing rooms set up so that you can change back into

                                                other clothes after the photo.

                                                The picture will be taken by MPS Photography. It will

                                                Bocce courts will be set up so friends and families can join us in a game

                                                or two. If you have never played Bocce before, now is a good time to

                                                try it out!

                        Date: Saturday, Oct. 27th, 2007

                        Time: 3 - 7pm

                        Place: Cazenovia Community Center  (see link under Maps and Directions)

Come join us for some scary fun!  Wear your costume and try and win a prize! We will have a potluck supper with Halloween theme food and drinks! Click on and print the document below for more details. Return the bottom portion to Deb Carroll or Nancie Cook by October 1st so we can get enough supplies for the party. Be prepared for some spooky fun! Anyone interested in decorating or if you have any good ideas for our Haunted House, please contact Deb or Nancie.

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If you have any questions, let us know. Otherwise, we'll see you at bowling or at any of our other functions.

 

We left VARC a little after 6am and arrived in Onalaska for a 9:30am game start time. Our seven teams competed and did very well. Teams were as follows:

 

Baraboo Bears:  (Capt.) Vicki Lorenz, Kerry Schall, David Luther and Stevie Stoltz

 

Slammers: (Capt.) Joshua Kuhls, Berniece Wildes, Merry Ann Johnson and Arnold Jesse

                 (unable to attend: Brian Wehman)

Chargers:  (Capt.) Dan Gardner, Susan Bentzler, Ted Stricker and Sid Burdick

 

Country Folk: (Capt) Keni Gillingham, Kate Potter, Ed Pepin, Teri Spraetz

 

Challengers: (Capt.) Frank Gundlach, Patrick Drake, Toni Wagner and Charlie Leist

 

Avengers: (Capt.) Todd Nachtigal, Leslie Bednar, Jerry Dobson and Vickie Luxton

 

Exterminators: (Capt.) Louis Muchow, Nikki Cook, Shawn Neises and Sandy Fleming

 

Congratulations to all teams for a great job!

 

The Challengers, Avengers and Exterminators will go on to State in Eau Claire on Aug. 3-4.

To see competition photos, see the album: District Bocce Photos 07.

For driving directions to State Bocce Competition, click on this link:

http://maps.yahoo.com/dd_result.php?q1=220+Wengel+Drive%2C+Reedsburg%2C+WI+53959&q2=hamilton+and+stein%2C+eau+claire%2C+wi&q3=&q4=&q5=

For hotel information, call Coach Deb at 983-2719.

 

Click on the document below for some conditioning/warm-up excercises.  A good warm up will allow athletes to be at their best during competition, and prevents injury.

Please return your signed Athlete Code of Conduct Forms ASAP. These forms are good for one year and cover all SOWI Sports.  It requires signatures of the Athlete and Parent/Guardian Signatures if the athlete is not their own guardian.

If you have any questions about the form, call Coach Deb 983-2719.

July 6, 2007

 Here’s some information for the district bocce competition being held at the Omni Center (Quincy Field) at Onalaska on July 14, 2007. If you have concerns about transportation, please contact coach Deb at 983-2719. If you need to print information, click on the photo to enlarge, then right click to either SAVE or PRINT as you desire.

Click this link for Directions to the Omni Center in Onalaska, WI.

http://maps.yahoo.com/dd_result.php?q1=220+Wengel+Dr%2C+Reedsburg%2C+WI++53959%2C+United+States&q2=2nd+and+Quincy%2C+Onalaska%2C+WI&q3=&q4=&q5=

Saturday, June 23, 2007  Pineview Soccer Field

We had beautiful weather for our very first Bocce Scrimmage held at the Pineview Soccer Field. Approximately 20 teams were in attendance. Six teams were from LaCrosse, two from Oregon, one from Westby, and one from Middleton, three from the ARC of Columbia County, and our own seven teams.  Each team played 3 scrimmage games in order to qualify for District games to be held in Onalaska. On July 14^th.

Special thanks go out to the following:

*to Art Nachtigal and VFW Post 1916 who were the color guard at our opening ceremony.

*to Deb Hansen and her fantastic crew at Starbucks for the coffee and iced tea.

*to Deb and the girls from Kwik Trip for the donated ice to keep our water bottles cold.

*to Matt Scott from the Reedsburg Parks and Rec. Dept. for the use of their large tent, picnic tables, and for painting the lines for our courts. 

*to Art Nachtigal for making the scoreboards and the storage box to keep them in. 

*to the two athletes from Oregon and LaCrosse who recited the Special Olympic Oath.

*to Area Director, John Janigo for presenting our Athlete of the Year, Vickie Luxton, and Volunteer of the Year, Ramona Nachtigal, with the wonderful awards! 

*And to the athletes, caregivers, volunteers and coaches that helped make the day a great success. Click on the newspaper article below for names of our team participants.