'Power to transform': Jacksonville dad one of 2,228 Special Olympics coaches; more needed

Chris Schaier gets to see the magic happen up close.

As a Duval County coach for Special Olympics flag football, soccer, bowling and stand-up paddle board teams, he watches his players gain confidence with their play and with people. He watches as they become more social and make friends.

Schaier, who lives in Jacksonville's East Arlington community and has a son who is a Special Olympics athlete, watches them have life-expanding experiences.

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He remembered how he and two other volunteers helped a 26-year-old Special Olympics surfer named Austin Boehle stand up on a paddleboard for the first time. Schaier's wife, watching from shore, reported back to them about the young man's evolution from fear to joy.

"First he was afraid," he said. "The first wave he caught, he had a smile as big as the ocean."

Helping the athletes make such memories is "a thrill," he said, and what Special Olympics is all about.

"Being able to have the power to transform … people with intellectual disabilities. Give them experiences like they've never had before," Schaier said.

And the experiences open doors to opportunities.

"They can do a lot of things you would not expect them to do," he said.

That's among the reasons why statewide at least 50 more coaches are needed by the end of the year, as the nonprofit celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Florida has 55,340 Special Olympics athletes

Founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver had a sister, Rosemary, with an intellectual disability. If people like her sister "were given the same opportunities and experiences as everyone else," Shriver said, "they could accomplish far more than anyone ever thought possible," according to the Special Olympics Florida website.

In 1962 she hosted a summer day camp in her backyard for young people with intellectual disabilities. Six years later, Camp Shriver evolved into the first International Special Olympics Games.

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She pledged that the organization would "offer people with intellectual disabilities everywhere 'the chance to play, the chance to compete and the chance to grow,'" according to the website.

The global movement now serves about 6 million athletes in 174 countries.

Special Olympics Florida has about 55,340 athletes and 24,688 volunteers, including 2,228 coaches, according to its website. Duval County has about 89.

Many coaches are involved in multiple sports, including Schaier, who leads stand-up paddle boarding and bowling teams. Also, he is a "unified partner" — a person without intellectual disabilities who not only coaches but plays alongside Special Olympian team members — in flag football and soccer.

"I like a challenge," he said of his full coaching menu.

Schaier also supports athletes in the surfing program and his wife Lori is a multi-sport volunteer and chaperone.

The family got involved in 2012 when they encouraged son Fletcher, now 25, to give it a go.

After graduating from the now-closed Noble School for special education in Jacksonville Beach, he had become a "couch potato," his father said. He moved on to the North Florida School of Special Education's post-graduate culinary program but spent much of his time playing video games and watching television.

Special Olympics was a way to "get him out of the house," he said.

"They taught me how to play golf," his son said.

Fletcher has since evolved into a multi-sport athlete who also participates in basketball, flag football, soccer, paddeboarding, bowling, soccer and, his favorite, surfing.

"Surfing feels great. It is exciting," he said.

Fletcher also still attends the North Florida School and works at Publix. He recognizes how Special Olympics has impacted his life.

"I get to compete and socialize, not just playing video games and TV," he said. "I got to become a leader."

Fletcher is a Special Olympics Florida Health Messenger, who are athletes trained to serve as health and wellness leaders, educators, advocates and role models. He worked with professional wrestler Bianca Belair on the "Apple Cracker Snacker" video as part of the WWE's "Snack Down" push about eating before working out.

His leading healthy lifestyle tips are to hydrate and exercise.

'It's a passion that grows on you'

Once his son was deep into Special Olympics, his father becoming a coach was the natural progression, Chris Schaier said.

"I was there for tall the practices anyway," he said. "So many athletes need coaches for the athletes to continue."

Schaier, a 20-year Navy veteran who now works for the Navy in a civilian capacity, said coaches and other volunteers who are not disabled get as much out of the experience as the Special Olympians.

Particularly compelling is watching "typical student" athletes from local schools volunteer and compete with intellectually disabled athletes. "It benefits both," he said. "It exposes typical athletes to special needs athletes, to get to see their capabilities."

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He has also seen athletes learn about competition, sportsmanship and trying your best, even if you fail. The Special Olympics oath — "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt" — "is pretty profound," he said.

Schaier remembers how some athletes, early on, "threw a fit if they didn't come in first." But they learned over time to appreciate the effort, not just the success, he said.

He encouraged potential coaches to sign up: no experience necessary, training will be provided.

"It's a passion that grows on you," he said. "Just go out and have fun with the kids

bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109

SPECIAL OLYMPICS FLORIDA

Special Olympics coach candidates are interviewed and undergo background checks, orientation and training and certification in specific sports. Certification requires online protective behaviors training and a concussion course, among other things. The time commitment for coaches is about an hour a week during the eight- to 12-week training season, as well as attendance at two to three weekend competitions. In the Jacksonville area, coaches are especially needed for basketball, stand-up paddle, soccer and track and field. Other Special Olympics sports are bocce, cheerleading, cycling, volleyball, tennis, swimming, gymnastics, powerlifting, pickleball, softball and equestrian.

To apply or get more information, go to specialolympicsflorida.org/volunteer/become-a-coach. For information about other Special Olympics volunteer opportunities, go to specialolympicsflorida.org/get-involved/volunteer. For more general information about the program in Northeast Florida, go to specialolympicsflorida.org/northeast.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Special Olympics seeks more coaches in Jacksonville, across Florida