Katie’s Story 

I actually started coaching when I was a senior in high school.  I had a season ending knee injury during basketball season, so my coach asked me to help out with the junior high team.  It was a neat experience and definitely opened my eyes to the possibility of coaching in the future.  Ironically, I got involved with Special Olympics later that year.  I had a summer camp job with our local ARC.  During a training course at the office on a Friday morning, one of the administrators came in frantically looking for a volunteer to go to the Special Olympics of NJ state games that same day for the weekend.  I just raised my hand and off we went.  It was an experience I will never forget.  I've pretty much been involved in coaching and working with individuals with disabilities ever since. I currently coach girls' soccer, Unified Bocce, and Unified Track and Field. I have previous coaching experience in Challenger Baseball, high school Swimming, and youth soccer. 

My own participation in sports, the experiences it provided, the opportunities to learn and grow, have profoundly shaped the person I am.  Providing kids opportunities to learn and grow through sports, and being a part of that experience is incredibly important to me.  Part of our responsibility as athletes is to honor and grow the game - to leave it better than we found it.  That feeling of responsibility is what got me involved, but what keeps me involved is seeing the growth, the determination, and the willingness of the athletes I coach to give everything for their team - those are the things that keep me involved. 

Katie’s Top Tips for Youth Sport Coaches: