Special Olympics host coaches training course

WINDHOEK, 22 MAY  – Special Olympics Namibia is hosting a ‘training the trainer’ workshop for its coaches that started at the Football for Hope Centre in Katutura Monday and ends Thursday.
The workshop focuses on athletics coaching and is being attended by 30 participants from all 14 regions.
Speaking during the opening of the event on Monday, Special Olympics Namibia board chairperson Cliff Olivier said the training will help coaches help themselves in dealing with athletes that are intellectually challenged.
“Through work in sports, health education and community building, Special Olympics is addressing inactivity, injustice, intolerance and social isolation by encouraging and empowering people with intellectual disabilities which leads to a more welcoming and inclusive society,” he said.
He added that in Special Olympics the power and joy of sport shifts focus to what athletes can do and not what they cannot do.
“It is estimated that Namibia has about 125 000 people with disabilities, which is five per cent of the population.
“The vision of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities,” Olivier said.
Speaking to Nampa after the opening, Simon Muinjo, the national director of Special Olympics Namibia, said the purpose of the workshop is to empower regional coaches who will in turn educate other coaches in their regions.
“Our goal at Special Olympics is to have 100 coaches trained by the end of the year and this can only be done if we have some coaches from the region take part in the training the trainers workshop.”
Muinjo added that coaches are being trained on how to deal with athletes with intellectual disabilities on and off the field of play.
“The workshop is theoretical and practical… The coaches have close to 50 athletes to train at the Katutura Youth Complex. We are hopeful that when they go back to the regions they will then pass on the knowledge gained to others,” Muinjo said.

NAMPA