Ongie Douglas - Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award
Ongie Douglas has dedicated her professional career to the Jackson County Parks + Rec Special Population Services Division, serving individuals with developmental disabilities as a Recreation Therapist for 39 years.
She supports athletes and their families with opportunities, which respect their choices, enhance their health and self-esteem, encourage independence, and assist their inclusion in all aspects of the community.
Ongie started her career with Jackson County in 1983 as an associate assisting other Special Population Services staff members. In 1985, she began her coaching career overseeing several athletic and wellness programs, allowing the developmentally disabled to participate in team and individual sports and activities that would enhance their lives.
Ongie also went back to school at this time and earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, with an emphasis in the study of Autism. She continues to serve many individuals in her programs that are diagnosed with Autism.
Ongie’s lifetime of commitment to the developmentally disabled continues as she coaches bowling, basketball, softball, walking, track and field, tennis, pickleball, and gardening she also assists with several other activities offered by the Special Population Services Division.
Each year, Ongie coaches teams and individuals who participate in Special Olympics. Her athletes have competed on every level of Special Olympics, including the World Games. She works directly with each participant to set goals and helps them attain those goals on an ongoing basis. Even when an athlete wants to give up, she is there cheering them on and supporting them in their endeavors. This past February, two of her teams brought home the Gold while competing at the Special Olympics Basketball Tournament.
Ongie is more than a Coach, she is committed personally and professionally to each athlete in her program. During the past two years many of the athletes could not attend practices due to the risk of exposure to Covid-19. Ongie recognized the need to stay in touch with those individuals by phone and made sure they were doing okay. She assembled Sport Equipment Packs and dropped them off at athletes’ homes. These packs included exercise bands, small weights, exercise tracking sheets, an exercise ball, and illustrated instructions for each exercise she wanted them to complete. Each week, she refreshed the packs with new exercise instructions and needed equipment, helping to keep her athletes in shape, mentally and physically.
Ongie Douglas is a consummate professional, who cares about her athletes deeply and provides the highest level of service to a population often forgotten. Her efforts have brought dignity and meaning to thousands of lives for 39 years.