Entitled "Coaching Para-Sport: An Introductory Programme", the generic course is targeted at qualified coaches of able-bodied athletes who are looking to adapt their coaching programmes and styles to suit the needs of athletes with an impairment.

Across four modules, the programme will help delegates to understand and define various classification impairment groups, as well as the methodological principles inherent in Para-sport and exercise management.

The programme concludes with a look at the psychological considerations for coaching athletes with an impairment.

One coach who has made the successful transition from training able-bodied to Para-athletes, is Guido Bonsen, head coach of the Dutch Para-athletics team for the past six years. 

"There aren't too many differences between coaching Olympic and Paralympic sport," Bonsen said.

"Athletes are all people with the same minds, the same energy systems, the same dreams and the same good days and bad days.

"I started this job in 2009 with no clue about Para-athletics.

"I learned and developed together with my athletes.

"It made me a better, more creative coach.

"As a coach I see the impairment as inspiration to be creative in my programmes that I set.

"I love to make up exercises that you are only able to perform when you have a certain impairment.

"For me personally, my motivation is to help my athletes in fulfilling their athletic dreams.

"They want to be successful at what they are doing and discover how fast they can compete or how far the can jump."

As part of the IPC Academy's expanding educational resources, the “Introduction to Para-Sport” programme is a pre-requisite which must be completed before beginning the “Coaching Para-Sport: An Introductory Programme”.

"If you are a coach and you're getting involved in training an athlete with an impairment there is not a lot of information you can find," Bonsen continued.

"This Coaching Para-Sport programme will help coaches get started in coaching people with an impairment.

"I hope more and more sports clubs in the world will have people with impairments training together with their able-bodied peers, and this programme will help that happen by making coaches more aware of impairment types and needs."

Chris Solly, director of the IPC Academy, added: "Coaching requires extensive knowledge and skills in many fields such as training principles, exercise physiology, biomechanics, sports psychology and others which is acquired through national and international coaching certificates in various sports."

Sport specific workshops could become available across various IPC sports with both IPC Athletics and IPC Powerlifting already offering them.

Having recognised the need to provide educational opportunities for all individuals working within the Paralympic Movement, the IPC partnered with the World Academy of Sport to create the IPC Academy.

It seeks to ensure that executives, administrators and officials have an educational centre that is sensitive to their needs and in touch with trends and developments.


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