Abstract
Special Olympics is an organization that facilitates involvement in organized sport for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Researchers (Dykens et al., 1998; Harada & Siperstein, 2009) have linked participation in Special Olympics sport programs with a number of positive outcomes such as increased health, physical proficiency, and psychosocial skills. Coaches have been identified as influential adults in the lives of children (Petitpas et al., 2005) and have the potential to significantly impact the development of athletes (Conroy & Coatsworth, 2007). However, the development of coaches within Special Olympics has largely been unexplored. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate actual sources of knowledge used by Special Olympics coaches. Quantitative interviews (Erickson et al., 2008) were conducted with Special Olympics coaches to collect coach demographics and to understand actual sources of coaching knowledge gained across the spheres of competition, organization, and training. Results indicate that the three most utilized sources of knowledge are learning by doing, individual planning, and interacting with coaching peers. This suggests that coaches are not gaining significant coaching knowledge through the resources available to them such as coaching courses and clinics. Implications for Special Olympics programming and coach development will be discussed.
