Image: Sport New Zealand
The LevelUp programme, supported by ACC, has helped scores of coaches become better equipped to support disabled athletes. We talk to a trio of coaches who have undertaken the online modules to discover how it has helped them.
Louise Hyatt
Louise Hyatt believes LevelUp has given her the tools to better understand the disabled athletes she is coaching.
A swimming instructor at the Takapuna Pool and Leisure Centre on Auckland’s North Shore, Louise, who herself has a disability, transitioned into coaching after experiencing frustration at the coaching she was receiving as a Para swimmer.
“My coach would often expect more of me than my body was able to give,” added Louise, who picked up a spinal cord injury due to a medical accident aged in her mid-thirties. “One day I had a frank conversation to help the coach better understand but rather than help me do better, he let me opt out. That is not what I wanted, but it gave me a desire to help others.”
Louise took up swim instructing and expressed a longing, where possible, to work with disabled kids. She initially taught swimming to several neurodivergent children and more recently has started coaching a disabled youngster who has one leg shorter than the other.
The experience has proved fruitful, although she admits to making some mistakes in their early days together.
“Her mum had commented how I asked her daughter to push off the wall which she found difficult because of her disability,” explains Louise. “However, once I started to make coaching modifications she came on leaps and bounds. She was excited to be able to do what the non-disabled kids could do in the water.”
When her boss offered her the chance to try the LevelUp programme, Louise leapt at the opportunity. Impressed how the modules related specifically to how the coach could help the disabled athlete, it also acted as a reminder as to what the disabled athlete was experiencing.
“The course taught me it is okay to talk about disability and it gave me the confidence of when to push and challenge the swimmers, while also remaining respectful and asking questions,” adds Louise.
“LevelUp has given me a lot of confidence as a coach. My belief is there is no limitation to what Para swimmers can achieve.”
Jan Lees
Describing the information in the LevelUp programme as “gold” there is little doubting the positive impact the module has had on the coaching journey of Jan Lees.
A keen archer, Jan later transitioned into coaching but she became frustrated with the number of injuries sustained by youngsters who played the sport. Keen to guide archers to help prevent further injury she started coaching at the Mountain Green Archery Club in West Auckland.
Later coaching the Mt Albert Grammar school team, nine years ago she was given the opportunity to coach at the Halberg Games. It proved a transformative experience.
“I was a little bit tentative working with kids with disabilities for the first time, but I went along and had the best day ever. Whenever I put my hand up to go to the Halberg Games, it is still always a great thrill.”
Within the Mountain Green Archery Club, Jan coaches two Para archers – both of whom have cerebral palsy – and as soon as she found out about LevelUp, she was very willing to complete the online modules.
“I loved the course because it was in bite-size chunks that I could complete in my lunch break,” says Jan. “I was originally looking for information specific to cerebral palsy, but I found the breadth of the information was impressive, particularly on ADHD. The best part for me was a greater understanding of disability through the athletes’ voice.”
Jan hopes to help develop more Para archers in the future and believes LevelUp can play a part in accelerating the learning of a coach.
“I see LevelUp as like an impact player off the bench,” she says. “It is like a small but really powerful hit which does not take too long to sit down and absorb.”
Bruce Blackburn
Para cyclist Bruce Blackburn has since moved into Para coaching with the LevelUp toolkit providing an invaluable source of information.
A competitive cyclist and coach for more than 50 years, the Cantabrian experienced a series of strokes between 2015-2018 and was reclassified as a Para cyclist. Struggling for motivation, a chat to Paralympian #207 Fraser Sharp, who appeared as a Para cyclist at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, acted as a trigger for Bruce to take on a coach, Paul Odlin.
The decision proved inspired. With specialist Para coaching his form and motivation improved and over time Bruce has expanded his coaching to not only non-disabled but now Para cyclists. “I just wanted to look after them so that they enjoyed it with no pressure to perform,” he explains. “I just want to see the athletes have fun.”
Coaching several Para cyclists and keen to extend his knowledge base, Bruce engaged with LevelUp – which has helped improve his approach to coaching.
“I have learned to be a lot more patient,” he says. “I have become a lot more aware of an athletes’ capabilities – which can be limiting because of their disability. So, I set a small, realistic target and once we achieve that, we move on to the next target,” he adds.
***For more information on the LevelUp programme and how to start go here.
