Abstract
Coaching is a multidimensional concept that is influenced by a number of factors. Recent research has investigated the development of coaching knowledge (Erickson et al., 2008); however coach learning of athletes with intellectual disabilities is currently under researched. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand how coaches of athletes with intellectual disabilities gain their knowledge and compare this with how they would ideally like to learn. Forty-five Special Olympics Canada coaches participated in two structured telephone interviews investigating actual and ideal sources of coaching knowledge. The mean age of the coaches was 51 years (range: 20 – 72 years) and they had an average of 12 years experience coaching (range: 1 – 27 years). Coaching knowledge was categorized across the dimensions of competition, organization, and training. Coaches also completed two online questionnaires that assessed coaching efficacy and coach-athlete relationships. Results demonstrate that across the three domains, coaches primarily learned by doing and by consulting with their coaching peers. However, information about ideal sources of coaching knowledge revealed that coaches would value more structured coaching courses, learning from mentors, and increased administrative support, in addition to learning on their own and from peers. Results suggest that a broader approach to education should be incorporated into coaching athletes with intellectual disabilities. Recommendations for achieving such goals will be provided.Acknowledgments: We would like to acknowledge the support of Special Olympics Canada for conducting this research.