Motivated Sequence Preparation Outline

Name: Megan Stahlhut

Topic: Special Olympics

General Purpose: To Persuade

Specific Purpose: My class to volunteer as a unified partner for Special Olympics

Central Idea: Special Olympics Alaska greatly impacts the lives of the intellectually

disabled, but cannot thrive without volunteers.

I. Introduction

A. Attention: The whistle shrieks, and the puck is smoothly passed to you.

You’re playing floor hockey with Special Olympics, driving through the

defense with Sam and Ben following behind. There’s no chance of you

scoring a shot with this defense surrounding you, so you pass to Ben. Ben

catches it, but then he freezes. The defense immediately steals the puck, and

run down towards your goal. You jog to Ben, looking him in the eye and say,

“Great catch!” He smiles; the two of you run side by side to continue playing.

B. Thesis: Special Olympics Alaska greatly impacts the lives of the intellectually

disabled, but cannot thrive without volunteers.

C. Relevance to Audience: You can make a difference in many people’s lives by

simply participating in a sport.

D. Preview of Points (list the 3 main points):

1. Need: The disabled need sports for exercise and social interaction.

2. Satisfaction: Special Olympics provides unified sports to satisfy both.

3. Visualization: You can change a life through unified sports!

Transition to the Body: Here’s why Special Olympics is so important:

II. Body

A. Point 1, Need:

According to Drs. Wilson and Clayton’s article “Sports and Disability” in the

American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation journal, “Children

with disabilities tend to have an overall lower level of fitness and an increased level

of obesity.” Yet exercise is beneficial for the majority of intellectual and cognitive

disabilities. For instance, exercise can reduce the symptoms of ADHD without

unwanted side effects, as outlined in the Acta Paediatrica journal article “Exercise

reduces the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and improves

social behaviour, motor skills, strength and neuropsychological parameters.”

Okay, so take the disabled to the gym, right? Well, that can be one solution,

but only solves half of the problem. The developmentally disabled are often isolated

from the general public. They need to be encouraged to participate in social

activities.

Source cited: “Sports and Disability” by Drs. Wilson and Clayton; “Exercise

reduces the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and improves social

behaviour, motor skills, strength and neuropsychological parameters.”

Transition to point 2: So how are the developmentally disabled being encouraged to

exercise and socialize?

B. Point 2, Satisfaction:

Special Olympics Alaska provides active sports for free to the intellectually

disabled in 10 communities across the state, according to the Special

Olympics Alaska website. Athletes compete in many different sports, which

are divided into 4 seasons, each lasting 3 months.

Not all sports are the same, however. There are “traditional” sports and

“unified” sports. The traditional sports involve only disabled athletes; these

are typically single-person sports, like powerlifting and snowshoe racing.

However, a unified sport involves disabled athletes and volunteers playing a

team sport together. Some sports include bowling, floor hockey, basketball,

bocce, and golf.

What’s the point of unified sports? Imagine that you’re participating in

Special Olympics as a disabled athlete. If there weren’t unified volunteers,

you would be surrounded by people exactly like yourself. You wouldn’t have

anybody to inspire you to improve, and you would never meet anybody

outside of your little circle of friends. That’s why Special Olympics needs

unified partners.

Source cited: Special Olympics Alaska Website

Transition to point 3: Remember Ben? Let’s see how your volunteering can change his life.

C. Point 3, Visualization:

You’re playing floor hockey again, but this time it’s the championship game

at state competition. Whenever Ben gets the puck, he always freezes. He’s

never scored a goal in a game.

While waiting for the game to start, you and Ben discuss how you’re going to

score. Ben loves making “secret plans” with you. At the faceoff, Ben will get

the puck and pass to you, then you’ll drive through the defense and score an

air shot.

The game starts. Nothing goes according to plan. Instead of passing to you,

Ben drives through the defense himself, shoots, and hits the goalie’s feet. The

other team takes the puck, and eventually shoots and scores.

After this first score, you’re setting up for another faceoff. Ben comes up to

you grinning, then says, “I did it! Now I’m just like you!”

When the game ends, your team gets the silver medal. But it doesn’t matter.

Ben gives his mom a huge hug, with the silver medal dangling from his neck.

Then he gives you a hug too. Ben won that day, and so did you.

Can you imagine if you weren’t there to inspire Ben to try? Would he ever

develop the self-confidence to shoot? You can make this difference in

somebody’s life.

Source cited: (none)

Transition to conclusion: This is why Special Olympics is such a great organization.

III. Conclusion

A. Restate main points:

1. Need: The disabled need physical activity and social stimulation.

2. Satisfaction: Special Olympics Unified Sports provides both.

3. Visualization: As a volunteer, you can change somebody’s life!

B. Action, Definitive Final Statement:

Be a volunteer. Change a life. Go to www.specialolympicsalaska.org for more

information on current volunteer opportunities. A new season is starting. Don’t

sit on the sidelines; become a Special Olympics Unified Partner today!

APA Style References

Community Programs. (n.d.). Special Olympics Alaska. Retrieved November 24, 2014,

from http://specialolympicsalaska.org/programs/community-programs

Kamp, C. F. et al. (2014). Exercise reduces the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity

disorder and improves social behaviour, motor skills, strength and

neuropsychological parameters. Acta Paediatrica, Volume 103(7), 709-714.

Retrieved November 24, 2014, from

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/apa.12628/abstract

Wilson, P. E., M.D., & Clayton, G. H., PhD. (2010). Sports and disability. American

Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Volume 2(3), 46-54. Retrieved

November 24, 2014, from

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1934148210000882