Immokalee coach named Special Olympics Florida Coach of the Year

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Coach Kelly Stevenson poses with Special Olympian Francisco Diego at Harvest Festival. Photo courtesy of http://immokaleebulletin.com/

NAPLES, Fla. — A beloved Immokalee High School coach was honored Saturday for her work with the Special Olympics.

Kelly Stevenson, who’s coached for 16 years, has played an instrumental role in the growth and advancement of Special Olympics in Collier County.

Kelly Stevenson was named Special Olympics Florida Coach of the Year by the Collier County Special Olympics chapter at a Champions Gala in Orlando. Stevenson, a certified coach in five sports, is the primary Special Olympics liaison for the school.

She helped begin Project UNIFY, an organization helping intellectually disabled athletes, and she serves as the county’s Project UNIFY coordinator.

Stevenson was recognized for creating an awards system for the athletes she works with and increasing the number of sports available to them, among other initiatives. She’s certified to coach flag football, basketball, bowling, soccer, and track and field.

Stevenson was also nominated for the 2016 Special Olympics North America Coach of the Year, which will be awarded in December 2016.

To become a volunteer coach for any sport or to sign up to participate as an athlete or a Unified Partner, please call Special Olympics Florida – Collier County at 239-775-1991, or visit http://specialolympicsflorida.org/collier/ or https://www.facebook.com/SpecialOlympicsCollierCounty.

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