The Institute of Sport Poland (ISP), hosted the first Para Coach multiplier event in Warsaw. Coaches, coach developers and academics across the European Union met to share knowledge and experiences about working across the Paralympic and disability sport context.

Tabo Huntley (Senior Lecturer, Liverpool John Moores University) project director for Para coach started the event by introducing the Erasmus Plus funded Para Coach project. This was followed by presentations based on data generated through the Work Force Audit and Best Practice Case Studies. Delegates  were then asked to reflect on the presentations through an interactive workshop facilitated by the Para coach team. 

Additionally, representatives from each of the project partners shared their experiences and work in developing Para coaches. John Bales (ICCE President) provided insights into future directions of coach education within the ICCE and its commitment to supporting Para coaching. Similarly, the importance of supporting the development of Para coaches across the EU was also identified by European Paralympic Committee president Ratko Kovačić. Piotr Marek (ISP), Lars Cornelissen (NOC-NSF), and Ferenc Csuri (HPC) supported these international perspectives by each sharing about their specific national coach education and development systems.

Piotr Marek (Coaching Academy Manager Institute of Sport Poland) our host said “I received great positive feedback from delegates, coaches shared openly and passionately about working in this context and they enjoyed the interactive learning  environment”. Participants also echoed these positive views within event evaluations as exemplified by one coach, “It was good to hear the opinions and experiences of coaches who work within Para sports”. 

The Para coach project aims to support sport coaches’ learning, mobility and employment through the development of a Para-Disability European Sport Coaching Framework (PDESCF), Para-Disability Coaching Massive Open Online Course (PDCMOOC), Course Study Guides, Online Platform and associated research data and implementation and dissemination tools to act as recognised reference points across the European Union for the development of coach education programmes, practice and coaching systems.

For more information please follow via our website www.paracoach.eu and on twitter @para_coaching