For more information or to register, please visit the National Coaching for Para sport Summit webpage.
On May 2-3, 2023, the University of Alberta in collaboration with the University of Ottawa, Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) and the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), will host a nation-wide dialogue called “The National Coaching for Para sport Summit.” This Summit will explore how to enhance
coach training to support coaches working with Para athletes as well as how to develop more accessible and inclusive pathways for all coaches.
This summit will bring together some of the world’s leading coaching for Para sport researchers and up to 50 of Canada’s key Para sport and coaching leaders, educators, coaches, athletes, graduate students, and future leaders. The purpose is to spark new avenues and connections for collaborative knowledge sharing and creation, using a Design Thinking process (Brown, 2008) to develop a user-centric, sustainable, and accessible National Coaching Framework for Para sport.
Key Themes & Topics include:
- Canadian Perspectives: What do we know about inclusive coaching and coaching in Para sport?
- International Perspectives: What do we know about inclusive coaching and coaching Para sport?
- What do we still need to know about coaching for parasport?
- How might we go forward to keep driving inclusive coaching?
Day One of the summit will consist of presentations and panels aimed at knowledge mobilization of current research and the identification of knowledge gaps on coaching for Para sport. Day One is open to anyone who is interested in learning about Para sport coaching and inclusive coaching practices. Organizations and individuals who may benefit from attending could be coaches, athletes, leaders, volunteers, and/or administrators from:
- National Sport Organizations
- Multisport Service Organizations
- Provincial/Territorial and Disability Sport Organizations
- Local or community sport organizations
Additionally, researchers and students from related fields are welcome to join.
Day Two will be a more focused working session with a smaller group of participants who will participate in a facilitated process to develop a draft national framework to guide inclusive coaching practices in Canada. This group will be more targeted to allow for deeper discussion and effective small group work.
Specifically, the organizing committee will seek to put together a blend of:
- Individuals or organizations that have shown commitment to developing inclusive coach education and a robust, easy to navigate pathway for para coaches.
- Individuals or organizations that have shown leadership to remove barriers to coaching pathways for disabled coaches.
- Sport organizations at a point in their coach training development where they are well placed to create new or enhance current training and resources (for example, have the human and financial resources to commit to revising a current NCCP program or lead a pilot project)
- Sport organizations who participated in previous coach research with CAC/CPC (such as the NCCP scan or coach developer interviews)
- A diversity of sport organizations and individuals to represent a variety of sports, geographic
regions, languages, and lived experiences.
If you or someone in your organization could bring one or more of these lenses, please use the Day Two section in the registration form to express your interest.
Please note: Expressions of interest will be received until March 31st and selected participants for Day Two will be notified if they are selected by April 7th and will need to confirm in person or virtual attendance by April 15th. In person attendance is strongly preferred for Day Two participants although the virtual option is available. For in person attendees a group hotel rate will be available. A small number of travel subsidies will also be offered for selected NSOs.
Lastly, the organizers are seeking a few individuals interested in supporting the planning of the event. There is a section in the registration form where you can indicate your interest to help out and the organizers will contact you with more details.
We look forward to collaborating with you soon!