For Parents

Help Your Child Get Involved in Para Sport

Children with disabilities often do not get enough exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle. In fact, 38% of Canadian children with a disability never get exercise after school, compared to only 10% of able-bodied children who never get after-school exercise [1]. Benefits of physical activity are often MORE important to individuals with a disability.

What can YOU do as a parent? Family members typically have the biggest impact on whether a child with a disability participates in sport.

You can support your child’s participation by:

Inform your child about opportunities available. Encourage your child to participate. Discover opportunities to try different activities. Take actions to register your child for activities. Have fun playing with your child.

[1] Canadian Active After School Partnership (2014)

For Coaches

All coaches, regardless of the sport or the level or ability of the athletes they coach, need training and support in order to succeed. Para sport coaches are no different. There are a few nuances that coaches will need to understand including, classification and the Para athlete and coach pathways.

There are many different resources available to help a coach get started on their Para coach journey.

Coaching Athletes with a Disability is an National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) eLearning module to diversify your coaching portfolio.

Coaching Athletes with a Disability NCCP training provides coaches the knowledge to deliver quality, positive sport experiences for athletes, specifically with behavioural, intellectual, physical, and sensory disabilities.

Coaching Athletes with a Disability is a resource for coaches who are new to coaching athletes with a disability. As well, many coaches who are already working with athletes with a disability will find useful information and resources in the online module. Click here to find out more.

Some sports have separate curriculum developed for Para sport coaches while other sports have all their content integrated. Find out more about each sport’s specific coach pathway.