General Hints:

- assess athletes individual strengths and weaknesses

- set challenging and realistic goals

- communicate clearly: 1-2 instructions at a time

- provide positive feedback

- be patient, tolerant, consistent and tactful

- be prepared to continually repeat, revise and reinforce concepts, drills and skills.

 

Communication:

- gain athletes attention

- position yourself so athlete can hear and see you

- maximise use of athletes name

- demonstrations are best form of explaining

- highlight ‘what to do’ not ‘what not to do’

 

Know your Athlete:

- determine level of functional ability

- before doing a drill ask yourself: Can athlete perform skill?Is the skill performance functional for the purpose it will be used? Can the performance be improved? How much time will be needed to improve, correct or develop the skill? Is there a physical, structural or cognitive difficulty that will significantly limit performance? What is it I would like the athlete to do?

 

Training:

- Provide maximum time for athletes to perform skill: increase repetitions

- Increase the rest periods to increase the level of intensity during drills

- Use the ‘whole’ method of teaching skills for closed skills eg. Passing, dribbling

- Use regular demonstrations, don’t use blackboard diagrams

- Limit introducing new drills – use known drills frequently

- Minimise drills which require elaborate decision making

- Reinforce teaching points frequently, repeat key instructions

- Break instructions in to smaller components

- Minimise time delay between when instructions are given and when practice starts

- Continually challenge the athlete

-  use techniques to prolong activities and extend attention span. eg see if they can make 5 passes and then see you they can make 10 passes

-  Activities must enable athletes to achieve success

 

Difficulty adapting to change

- avoid rule alteration

- minimize changing routines

 

Tends to be a follower not a leader

- use athletes to demonstrate an activity

- use activities that require all athletes to be a leader

 

Ability to control emotional reactions may be poor

- mood variations

- respond in an extremely strong manner

- be consistent in your athlete response

 

Additional Information:

 

Intellectual Disabled athletes have difficulty making decisions in a stressful situation

 

Use rewards – continually reinforce that they are doing a good job as well as giving physical rewards

 

Athletes may have poor body awareness, balance and reaction time.

 

Treat and teach these children the same as you would treat and teach any other children.

Every time you teach something new teach 1 point at a time instead of 3. Slow down your teaching so the children can keep up.  Be sure to adjust to the functionality level of the children which comes back to knowing your athlete.

 

"Make it fun”