Sandra van Cappellen

Participation with a movement restriction: towards tailor-made training and coaching

Within the research project “Participation with a movement restriction: towards tailor-made training and coaching”, I run Work Package 2. The aim is to examine knowledge and competency of professionals on training and coaching children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) in sport and physical activity. This with the conclusive aim to improve the competency of sport coaches and physical activity teachers, and optimization of the context for sport participation amongst children with CP and DCD.

Studied are, to what extent and in which way implicit- and explicit learning strategies are being used by sport coaches and physical activity teachers, and which experiences both professionals and children have during the use of both strategies. Also examined are interaction between sport professional and child (behaviour and way of interacting). This is specifically aimed at unravelling the meaning that both professionals and children give to the way the sport trainer/ PA-teacher interacts with the children.

The outcomes of Work Package 2 will be combined with the outcomes of Work Package 1 about implicit- and explicit learning strategies in relation to personal characteristics of children with CP and DCD (see: Femke van Abswoude). The valorisation of knowledge and communication to the work field will take place through the Valorisation and Development Lab (see: Eralt Boers). The insights obtained by this project will lead to, amongst other things, a manual for training and coaching of the target group, a training for (potential) users and directions for policy of sport clubs, sport associations and sport academies.

For more information about the project, see “Participation with a movement restriction: towards tailor-made training and coaching” and the website of this project.