Recent Research
Since 2020, the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) and Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) have collaborated on new resources targeting the development of Para sport coaches. The goals are to ensure Para sport is thoughtfully embedded throughout coach pathways as well as to support diversifying the coach workforce in Canada. Three research insights summaries, developed as snapshots of vast research work over the past few years, provide at-a-glance information about Para sport coaching, setting a historical basis for the work that needs to be done for greater Para sport and disability inclusion in coaching and the best ways forward.
The three Research Insights summaries, available on the CAC website, are:
- An Examination of Disability-Inclusion in Canada’s Coach Education System (2020)
- Developmental Pathways in Disability Sport Report (2021)
- Re-examining Coach Education for Para Sport in Canada (2022).
Take a look at the checklists that have emerged from these projects! They are designed to help sport leaders design training and support coaches in parasport.
- Checklist to develop Para sport coach training.
- Checklist to support Para sport coaches’ development pathway.
Current resources to help coaches build a positive sport experience for their athletes with sensory, intellectual, physical, or behavioural disabilities include:
eLearning Module: NCCP Coaching Athletes with a Disability
After completing the NCCP Coaching Athletes with a Disability, you will be able to:
• explain the benefits of sport participation for persons with a disability;
• communicate effectively and respectfully with, and regards to, persons with a disability;
• design positive, safe, and inclusive sport experiences for persons with a disability; and
• consider next steps in their professional development related to coaching persons with a disability.
The module is delivered via on-demand eLearning in the Locker at a cost of $15.
Manual: Coaching Athletes with a Disability
Created by experts with extensive experience working with athletes with a disability, this detailed manual was covers key topics such as:
- Welcoming athletes with a disability to your sport program and making a positive first impression
- Learning more about different types of disabilities
- Assessing athletes' fitness, coordination, and skill level
- Understanding the athletes' perspective
- Establishing trust
Resource Guide: Supporting Young Athletes Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing in a Mainstream Setting
Written by Carolynn Osborn and supported by Sport Manitoba, the Manitoba Department of Education and Advanced Learning, the Manitoba Deaf Sports Association, the Canadian Deaf National Swimming Team and the Canadian Deaf Sport Association, this guide provides information on hearing loss, principles in effective communication, creating Deaf and Hard of Hearing friendly environments, and certain sport specific modifications.
Community Engagement
Interested in using your new knowledge about coaching athletes with a disability? Jooay is an application that helps athletes with disabilities and their families locate opportunities that are accessible, suit their needs and abilities, match their preferences, and can assist their sport participation.
