Special Olympics Canada in collaboration with a number of National Sport Organizations have developed “sport packages” complete with lesson plans for each sport which focus on age appropriate activities (12-18yrs) for coaches to print off, circulate or use electronically. Based on the variety of sports it is rare that a program will have a coach that has sport specific training in the variety of sports offered, therefore these packages have been designed to allow coaches with very little sport technical training to run developmentally appropriate, skill based trainings in a multi-sport context.
When looking at the sports it is important to consult with your local SO office and ensure that there is an athlete pathway for those individuals in the desired sport before introducing a sport. The goal is to be able to transition athletes from the “Learn to Train” stage into other community programs so consider this a crucial stepping stone in their sport development. It is also important to think of what sports are being offered at a Provincial/Territorial level.
- Is there a community program offering this sport that athletes can logically transition into?
- Is this sport being offered at a Provincial/Territorial level?
- Do I as a coach have access to any necessary equipment?
- Do I have access to necessary facilities to properly offer this sport?
- Do I have the appropriate amount of athletes to introduce this sport?
- Are the athletes in my area interested in this sport?
As the coach you are the expert to working with your athletes and knowing what sports they will enjoy and the success of each lesson. The implementation of the program has been designed to be fluid and allow you to choose the sports you want to incorporate. Download or print the lesson plans and you should be good to go.
For more information on the Learn to Train Stage of the LTAD please click here.