Coaching

Put simply, coaching is a process that aims to improve performance and focuses on the ‘here and now’ rather than on the distant past or future.

There is a huge difference between teaching someone and helping them to learn. In coaching, fundamentally, the coach is helping the individual to improve their own performance: in other words, the coach is a facilitator, helping the athlete to learn.

Coaches are well placed to help athletes reach their potentials. They also play a key part in getting children and teenagers to engage in sport and physical activity.

Sport can be a vehicle for positive development and sports coaches are in a great position to promote the active lifestyles, inclusion and engagement in physical activity. However, this promotion doesn’t happen overnight. It takes guidance and an understanding of the power of sport and the abilities and physical attributes of the person being coached. Coaches should be equipped to deliver on these expectations and unlock athletes’ potential.

DSAuk have written and contributed to several articles related to coaching people with dwarfism. In addition, many organisations have articles on coaching disabled people available on their websites. Links are given for further reading.