Polish Paralympic Sports in the Opinion of Athletes and Coaches in Retrospective Studies

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the limitations observed in Polish Paralympic sport depending on the environment in which athletes train on a daily basis. The study included 581 persons divided into two basic groups. The first group consists of athletes (n = 324) and coaches (n = 88) appointed to the national team by associations and unions providing sports training exclusively for athletes with disabilities. The second group consisted of athletes with disabilities (n = 146) and their coaches (n = 23), who work in national sports associations working for both able-bodied and disabled people. The study used the diagnostic survey method with a questionnaire developed by Sobiecka. The difficulties indicated by the respondents referred to various aspects related to the activity in professional sport. Particularly emphasised difficulties were related to organizational and financial limitations as well as the management and coaching staff. At the same time, it was demonstrated that the environment was a differentiating factor between the studied groups of athletes and coaches.

The Sport Training Process of Para-Athletes: A Systematic Review

“…The training and performance of Paralympic athletes, in relation to the sport context, is influenced by several aspects [ 16 ], among which the figure of the coach stands out both for the support they offer to the athletes and the relationship they establish with them, as well as the qualifications they possess [ 17 , 38 ]. Thus, the coach exerts a decisive influence on athletes with a disability [ 74 ] and is a fundamental and essential part of their sports career [ 75 ].…”

“…Sport facilities are an essential element in the sport context, but they can become an obstacle for athletes with disabilities [ 16 , 31 ]. Ellis et al [ 79 ] and Shirazipour et al [ 80 ] considered that many facilities do not offer accessible services, in many cases making it difficult for athletes to move from one location to another.…”

“…DePauw and Gavron [ 13 ], Rimmer et al [ 14 ], and Shields et al [ 15 ] also considered that there is a number of physical, emotional, and psychological barriers influencing the training and participation of these athletes. Sobiecka et al [ 16 ] found that one of the constraints for sport organisations not providing good training for para-athletes is the lack of funding and that, in sport clubs, the training process is not subject to any coordination.…”

“…Thus far, numerous studies have provided extensive knowledge on the training and coaching process of non-disabled people, although it is unclear whether these findings are transferable to para-athletes, as research in this area is at a nascent stage [ 17 ]. The literature draws attention to the lack of sufficient empirical research on the important components of training para-athletes at the highest levels of sporting prowess and the obstacles they encounter [ 16 ]. There is, therefore, little understanding of the mechanisms and processes by which athletes with a disability are trained to participate more or less effectively in competition-oriented physical activity [ 8 ].…”

Evolution of the Profile of a Polish Paralympian from Heidelberg to Tokyo Paralympic Games: A Study Protocol for a Prospective Longitudinal Study

“…The athletes emphasized that during their professional sports careers, they were focused primarily on combining their sporting duties with acquiring speci c education, while they postponed (especially women) the decisions about starting families for the period after the end of their sporting careers [12]. This is the more so as since the preparation for the 2012 London Paralympic Games, nding a balance between personal life and sporting careers has been increasingly di cult, especially because the athletes performed 12 training sessions per week and the organizational structure of disability sport has evolved signi cantly due to socioeconomic changes in Poland [13][14].…”