Perspectivas de atuação profissional : um estudo de caso das olimpiadas especiais

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2002

RESUMO

Special Olympics is one of the sports programs aimed at people with mental disability with focus on the athletes, families and volunteers. The latter include event organization personnel and coaches. In the present study we have attempted to assess the number of physical education professionals involved in the training and coaching of the athletes served by that program, inasmuch as Special Olympics International does not require that the coach/trainer be a physical education professional. Therefore, we have intended to discuss the prospects for the involvement of these professionals in the work with people with mental disability. In order to achieve that goal, in addition to a bibliographic research on mental disability, Special Olympics, sports, adapted physical education and adapted sports, the collection of data has been effected through a questionnaire which was sent to 140 chapters of the Special Olympics worldwide (including the American states) and also through an interview with the President and CEO of the Special Olympics Brazil, besides a participative observation during two World Games (summer and winter). We have received back 75 answers from the foreign programs, which were then plotted into graphs. The answers show that the number of family members and/or volunteers from other professions who are involved as coaches/trainers of these athletes is large and that physical education professionals are the majority or the entirety of them only in places like Brazil, France and Russia, which are specific countries where there are laws regulating that practice. In view of the small number of chapters that employ the work of physical education professionals for training, and in view of our firm belief in the learning potential of people with mental disability, we suggest that Special Olympics International reexamines this matter, since on account of his background and detachment the physical education professional is theoretically more competent to use the sports as a learning, development and personal growth tool, as compared to the volunteer. That professional is also more capable of utilizing the philosophy proposed by the program so more and more athletes have a chance to show their competence through a coherent sports practice and to be active and participating citizens in a more equal, respectful and accepting environment

ASSUNTO(S)

esportes para deficientes olimpiadas deficiencia mental

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