On 23-24 July, representatives from the Romanian National Centre for Training and Improvement of Coaches (CNFPA), the Portuguese Paralympic Committee, and TAFISA met in Frankfurt, Germany, to continue their work on developing coaching guidelines for persons with disabilities.
Aptly named "Coach's Specialization in Working with People with Disabilities", the Erasmus+-funded VET Project aims to develop a comprehensive guide enabling coaches to be better equipped to provide quality coaching for persons with disabilities. In Romania, the CNFPA is planning to include it as a study manual as part of the vocational training course for coach qualification, making it part of the certifying process for coaches.
The project stems from a gap in the education and training of coaches in general, resulting in too few or too unqualified coaches, which further limits access to Sport for All and physical activity practice for persons with disabilities. In parallel, the rate of participation in Sport for All and physical activity for persons with disabilities remains low due to the many barriers they face. The Project partners thus aim to remove a barrier to participation by providing a resource which can help train more coaches eventually, and better address the needs of persons with disabilities. The guide is looking at all levels of practice, from competition and training of high-level athletes to grassroots Sport for All coaching.
The project is led by the Romanian National Center for Training and Improvement of Coaches (CNFPA) and joined by partners the Portuguese Paralympic Committee and TAFISA.
