During the North America RegionSpecial Olympics coaches are all working toward a common goal. While winning is why we all play sports, promoting inclusion is at the forefront of the organization’s mission. Three coaches are being celebrated for their rapid rise in the coaching world.
Oliver Storseth, Nia Andrikopoulos and Isabel Patrice have been awarded the Special Olympics North America Rising Star Coach of the Year Award in recognition of their efforts and impact on the community and teams they coach. This award, given annually by Special Olympics North America, honors coaches and recognizes their contributions and efforts to improve the lives of Special Olympics athletes.
Andrikopoulos and Patrice were honored for coaching community athletes, and Storseth for coaching sports in schools.
“The Special Olympics North America Emerging Coach of the Year award is an extraordinary honor, and I never imagined I would win it,” says Storseth, who coaches the Special Olympics Nova Scotia basketball team. “In the past months, I have felt an overwhelming sense of support from friends, family and my community.”
Throughout this process, Storseth has been amazed by how many people appreciate and value the work and time he has put into his work with Special Olympics over the past five years. It’s common in sports to want the recognition and fame that comes with coaching, but for Storseth, it’s the exact opposite. He loves the work he does and the lives he changes, and he enjoys doing it on a small scale.
“As I continue my journey with Special Olympics, I hope to continue to inspire people from small communities to dream big,” says Storseth. “I hope this award will inspire others to realize the importance of breaking down barriers, so that people of all abilities can live in a just and equitable society.”
Patrice moved a lot but always found a way to stay connected to Special Olympics whether it was in Pennsylvania, Utahor Arizona“It’s hard to put into words how honored I am to receive this recognition from Special Olympics North America,” says Patrice. “It simply means everything to me. This award and my accomplishments as a coach reflect my passion for the sport, my lifelong dedication to learning, and the positive impact I am so grateful to have made on athletes.”
As a coach, she is very proud of her athletes’ growth. During a Special Olympics multi-sport training camp in Pennsylvania, the athletes showed improvements in their times in the 50-meter and 100-meter races.
“During the week of camp, my coaches and I address common sprinting weaknesses, such as form and slowing down before the finish line,” says Patrice. “We provide constructive criticism to help athletes understand how to improve their performance. By the end of just one week of training, many of our athletes shave seconds off their times – which may seem small, but is a huge improvement in their performance.”
While in Arizona, Patrice’s team, the Tucson Desert Dogs, improved the communication he so desperately needed. “My fellow coaches and I realized the importance of teamwork in Basketball“We noticed that our team was struggling with this sometimes,” Patrice says. “So we reinforced team cohesion during training. We focused on exercises that promoted communication and teamwork, like passing the basketball when someone was open and using our voice to signal to our teammates.” Because they did that, the team earned a goal medal at the 2023 Special Olympics Basketball Arizona Games.
As she prepares to complete her graduate studies at the University of Utah, she plans to stay connected to Special Olympics and continue to grow her involvement.
Andrikopoulos is the visionary founder and devoted president of the Special Olympics Club at Regis University. Under her leadership, the club was strategically designed to serve as a safe and welcoming space for individuals and students with intellectual disabilities, ensuring they are able to fully participate in activities. Andrikopoulos has raised the bar in her community, having formed a relationship with the Regis University Athletic Director. She strives to be a role model Special Olympics Unified Sports Teams after teams of the university on campus.
“Training for Special Olympics is a top priority for me in college because of the joy it brings to me and so many others,” she says. “Every week we all come together as friends to laugh, have fun and build lifelong relationships. Coaching a college team is a unique opportunity to bring community athletes and college partners together and create a college environment for everyone.”
She has been nominated to coach flag football, also coaches unified basketball, and recently had the opportunity to coach her team in Madison, Wisconsin. NIRSA Basketball ChampionshipDespite losing to Regis University, she had the opportunity to play at the highest level outside of the United States and the World Games.
Three coaches, all new to the inclusion movement, but with incredibly bright futures ahead. Their shared goal of making an impact in their communities and spreading inclusion among their peers will ensure that Integration Revolution It will last for years to come.
