Special Olympics North Carolina
Individual Awards Handbook
Awards Handbook
Individual Awards Presentations
1.
Introduction
The purpose of this manual is to show you the different aspects of the Award Ceremonies. As the
Awards Manager for your venue, you will be responsible for planning and coordinating all Awards
Ceremonies for your sport. Awards Ceremonies should honor and respect the dignity and
performance of all athletes.
Distributing awards to the athletes is a very exciting event, but also one that must be organized
and coordinated to maintain a constant flow of athletes through the awards area. Because of the
large amount of athletes that will be flowing through the awards area, it is imperative to give the
athletes enough time to enjoy their awards, but also keep the pace flowing so awards do not back
up competition.
2.
General Guidelines

There should be a sufficient number of awards areas at venues to allow awards
presentations to occur immediately following each ability division’s competition. Some
venues may require two or more awards areas.

Awards areas should be near the competition field of play; should be accessible to athletes,
coaches, families, medical and spectators; and should not require any participant to
interrupt another competition or awards presentation to reach it.

Immediately following the conclusion of the athletes’ performances within a heat division of
final game the athletes should proceed to the Awards Staging area. Do not wait until all
the competitions are complete to distribute awards.

Athletes should be escorted through the entire awards process.
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The awards area should have some method of amplification, whether it be a bullhorn, public
address system, etc.

The awards area should have a sense of pageantry and color through creative use of
pennants, greenery, banners, etc. The Special Olympics banner should hang behind the
awards stand (where applicable & if available).

Award stands will be used for individual sports. Athletes should be escorted on the stands,
but volunteers should not remain on the stands throughout the ceremonies.

The Athletes are positioned on the awards stands according to placement in the
competition. The athletes may walk up and over the stand to their respective place.
Partners and Unified Partners should be placed on the ground in front of their athlete
partner who is placed on the stand.

Gold in the middle, Silver on the left and Bronze on the right as you face the awards stand.
Fourth through Eighth are then alternated 4th left, 5th right, 6th left, 7th right, and 8th left.
Special Olympics North Carolina
Individual Awards Handbook

Only official medals and ribbons, not any other awards or fits, may be presented during the
Ceremony

Only Athletes – not coaches or managers – may be in the Ceremony. Only athletes that
are present may receive awards. Athletes that are scratched and did not compete do not
receive an award and neither do coaches, managers, siblings, etc.
Awards Committee Checklist – Prior to competition
3.
4.

Recruit volunteers to and assign Awards Managers to each competition venue in order to
oversee the Awards operations.

Coordinate with the Competition & Venue Committees to plan the arrangement of an
awards area at each competition venue.

Coordinate with the Logistics & Support Services Committee to arrange for signs that
identify awards areas, and for painting the award stands.

Coordinate with the Honored Guests’ Committee to arrange for Honored Guests to present
awards at each venue.

Draw up an awards area plan for each competition venue layout, including staging areas
and locations for award stands and public address announcers.

Coordinate with the respective venue’s Venue and Support Services team committee to
procure award stands, tables, chairs, benches and a PA system for each awards area.

Ensure all award stands (for individual awards) have eight separate platforms and are
numbered one through eight, from the highest to the lowest platform.

Procure appropriate presentation “trays” on which to place the awards in the correct order
before they are given to the athletes by the designated presenters.

Develop & execute specific plans, including the Special Olympics Awards Presentation
Script, for presenting competition medals and ribbons.

Coordinate with the Fall Games Competition Director and Administration Director to
develop procedures for having results sheets delivered to the awards table at each
competition venue.

Coordinate with the Support Services Committee to procure two-way radios so the awards
coordinator at each venue can communicate with the Awards Committee desk when
necessary.

Organize and conduct a training for all Awards Committee personnel to discuss duties,
schedules, conduct, etc.

Schedule and conduct a walk-through of the games site for all Awards Committee
personnel.

Inventory all medals, ribbons and awards to confirm that the correct amounts have been
received.

Set up and decorate all awards areas for games.
Awards Committee Checklist - During the tournament
Special Olympics North Carolina
Individual Awards Handbook

Count and distribute awards to the venues as necessary.

Keep results sheets and awards staging records in a safe place (envelope or box) in order
to record how many and to whom awards were distributed

Execute awards ceremony protocol according to the Special Olympics North Carolina
Awards Ceremony protocol and script.

Encourage the awards presenters to reinforce the athletes’ achievements by adding a
personal word of congratulations while presenting the awards.

Clean up the awards areas, as well as re-inventory awards during and after the Games.
5.
Awards Committee Checklist - After the tournament

Return all unused awards in their respective storage boxes to the Logistics Manager for
each venue.

Clean up all awards areas

Send thank you letters to all Awards Committee volunteers

Prepare a report and provide written feedback to the appropriate person(s).
6.
Equipment

Medals (Gold, Silver, Bronze) & Ribbons (4th – 8th and Participant)

Awards trays

Boom box/PA System

Microphone or bullhorn (depending on sound system available)

Awards CD & handbook

Team Rosters; Sport Programs

Pre-printed athlete labels for awards. The label takes care of two important things: it
ensures the correct award goes to the right athlete; and it helps us return the award to the
athlete should it get lost.
Final Thoughts…
7.

Due to the importance of the awards presentation, and its place in legitimizing the
competition and the accomplishments of the athletes, there is a specific protocol when it
comes to the presentation. This protocol is designed to provide the appropriate pageantry
and create a dignified ceremony of which the athletes can be proud. Deviation from this
protocol cheats the athletes of their rightful ceremony.

It is important for the families of the athletes, as well as caregivers and spectators because
it keeps the focus on the athletes and their accomplishments

Ties: Where two or more athletes tie for any place, duplicate awards shall be given to each
of such athletes, and in such case no award shall be given for the place immediately
following the tied position. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. For example: Two athletes tied for
2nd, award two silver medals, skip bronze, and continue with 4th.
Special Olympics North Carolina
Individual Awards Handbook

What if an athlete/team is awarded the incorrect award (e.g. a 4th place ribbon when they
should receive 3rd, or vice versa)? A: First of all, do NOT ask the athletes to give back their
awards in either case. Have them continue on with their other events, and consult the
Competition Manager as soon as possible to double check the standings. Once the
Competition Manager has approved the places and there was an incorrect awarding, give
the teams their appropriate award in addition to the incorrect award they received. If they
volunteer to give back their award, it is ok to take it. However, we do not ask the athletes to
return their awards. This situation should be immediately reported to the Awards Director.

Heat sheets, division sheets, and results will come from competition, and sometimes will
have places written, and sometimes will not. It is important to look at the heat sheet and the
divisions listed on the heat sheet, as we award by division, and not necessarily by heat

After you have awarded the division, RETURN THE HEAT SHEET BACK TO THE
RESULTS COORDINATOR. What you have are the actual results from the competition and
they are very important. Please have a person designated to “run” the results to the results
coordinator.

Lastly, HAVE FUN! Being an awards volunteer, you are involved in one of the most
important facets of this competition! Be proud of your awards area and presentation, make
it the best you can, and the athletes will love it.
Special Olympics North Carolina
Individual Awards Handbook
AWARDS TEAM PERSONNEL
POSITION
NUMBER
Awards Manager ...................................................................................................................... 1

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Responsible for training and overseeing awards team
Oversee setup of awards preparation area and awards presentation area
Ensure adequate number of awards are available
Cue announcer and music
Ensure awards ceremony is conducted in a safe and dignified manner
Awards Assistant ..................................................................................................................... 2
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

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

Setup awards preparation area and awards presentation area
Organize awards for each game
Verify labels with team roster
Receive results sheets from runner/competition manager
Place labels on proper awards
Arrange awards on tray(s)
Fill out announcers script(s)
Helper/runner ........................................................................................................................... 1


Take results sheets from scorekeeper/competition manager to awards assistants(s)
Take completed announcer script to announcer
Announcer ............................................................................................................................... 1

Announce awards using awards script
Presenter ................................................................................................................................. 1

Present awards to each athlete as announced during awards ceremony
Awards Bearer ......................................................................................................................... 2

Carry award(s) tray(s) for presenter
Athlete escorts ......................................................................................................................... 4
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
2 athlete escorts per team; one escort at each end of team line
Arrange athletes into roster line-up (first athlete on the roster is closest to the center line)
Lead athletes to end line; then under basket; the to center court
Stand behind athletes during ceremony
After ceremony, lead athletes back to staging area to return to coaches
Total for Awards Team ........................................................................................................... 12
Ideal awards team is 12 people but some duties may be combined to reduce the number required.
Special Olympics North Carolina
Individual Awards Handbook
Individual Awards
8
6
4
2
1
3
5
7
B
P
A
Awards
Preparation
KEY
E = Escort – 4 needed
8,6,4 = Athletes in award stand order
B = Awards tray bearers
P = Presenter
A = Announcer
1. Athletes are staged in awards stand order
2. Escorts lead athletes onto awards stands in award stand order
(escorts assist athletes from behind the awards stands)
3. Presenter presents lowest place award first, then next highest etc.
Staging
Area
E
8
6
4
2
1
3
5
7
E
Special Olympics North Carolina
Individual Awards Handbook
Awards Protocol
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Notify Venue Director of Awards Team presence
Finalize setup of awards area
 If permanent, arrange at designated awards area.
 If temporary, insure all materials are in proper place, awards area site is defined
and procedures for set-up are reviewed
Review list of presenters and begin presenter check-in process
 Prepare list of potential presenter substitutes
 Line up presenter escorts
Review competition schedule
 Check progress of competition
 Organize Awards Team prior to end of competition
Runner will bring results when each division has completed competition
Label awards with preprinted labels.
 For Medals: fold the label in half at the seam of the ribbon. When placing the
medal around the athlete’s neck, the label goes toward the back
 For ribbons: place the label on the slip of cardstock attached on the back of the
ribbon
Complete Announcer’s script
 Prepare event description portion before event ends
 Use official results sheet to complete awards script
 Deliver to awards announcer just prior to the awards ceremony for this division
Arrange awards on tray
 Check that awards are properly labeled
Give results to athlete escorts to line up athletes
Athlete escorts will bring athletes to staging area
 Line up athletes in the following order
 8th place
 6th place
 4th place
 2nd place
 1st place
 3rd place
 5th place
 7th place
Orientation of presenters
 Awards manager introduces him/herself and welcomes them
 Briefly explain ceremony procedures
 Show them a diagram of ceremony
 Escort then to line-up area
Order of Awards Presentation Team
 1st
Athlete escort
Special Olympics North Carolina
Individual Awards Handbook

13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
2nd
(Athletes in order)
8
6
4
2
1
3
5
7
 3rd Athlete escort
 4th
Awards bearer and presenter side by side
Signal ceremony start
 Cue music (See Announcer script).
 Cue Announcer (See Announcer script).
 Cue Athlete Escorts
 Cue Awards Presentation Team
Ceremony procedures (See ceremony diagram)
 On cue, first athlete escort leads athletes to presentation area (assisting athletes
onto the proper awards stand)
 Second athlete escort follows behind athletes and stops one step before 7 th
place stand
 Awards bearer and presenter stop before lowest place athlete
 As announcer calls out place and name of athlete, presenter takes proper award
from tray and places it around athlete’s neck.
 Presenter shakes athletes hand
 Awards bearer and presenter proceed to next higher placed athlete
 As Announcer calls out place and name of athlete, presenter takes proper award
from tray and places it around athlete’s neck.
 Presenter shakes athletes hand
 This is repeated until all awards are presented.
 When announcer calls for recognition of winners, awards bearer and presenter
return to staging area. The athlete escort that followed at the beginning of the
ceremony turns and leads athletes off. The other athlete escort
Return athletes to the staging area for their next event
Escorts must insure that athletes are supervised until coaches come to take them
back to team area
Have runner return results to results coordinator
Special Olympics North Carolina
Individual Awards Handbook
SPORT: ______________________
DIVISION: ____________________
1.
Start CD or Tape
2.
Announcement: “Ladies and gentlemen, please direct your attention to the awards stands.”
3.
Play music while the athletes approach the awards stands and end music when all athletes
are in position. Escorts move to the side and out of the line of sight.
4.
Announcement: “It is my pleasure to announce the results of division _______ of the
_______________________________ competition. Presenting the awards will be
_______________________________________________________________.”
(Name & Description/Title of Presenter; ex. Suzie Q., Miss Teen North Carolina)
REMEMBER TO PAUSE AFTER EACH NAME FOR AWARD PRESENTATION
5.
“WINNING a Participation Ribbon is __________________________________________.”
(Name & Program; ex. Jane Smith from Wake County)
“WINNING THE 8TH PLACE RIBBON IS _______________________________________.”
“WINNING THE 7TH PLACE RIBBON IS _______________________________________.”
“WINNING THE 6TH PLACE RIBBON IS _______________________________________.”
“WINNING THE 5TH PLACE RIBBON IS _______________________________________.”
“WINNING THE 4TH PLACE RIBBON IS _______________________________________.”
“WINNING THE BRONZE MEDAL IS _________________________________________.”
“WINNING THE SILVER MEDAL IS___________________________________________.”
“WINNING THE GOLD MEDAL IS ____________________________________________.”
6.
Announcement: “Ladies and gentlemen, please recognize these outstanding athlete of
division ____________ in the __________________________ competition.“
Aquatics Event)
7.
Pause for athletes to wave.
9.
Play music as they exit.