Perspectives of paralympic coaches on training, qualification and career

The objectives of this study were to analyze the professional training in physical education of coaches since its beginning and what are the perspectives of training and career. The study participants were Brazilian coaches medaled in the summer Paralympic Games in athletics and swimming. Fourteen coaches participated in the study - nine working in swimming and five in athletics; all male, graduated in physical education, ten have graduate degrees, aged between 28 and 54 years old, and held positions from 1 to 31 years old. The research approach used was qualitative and the method of data collection was the semi-structured interview. The study showed that the professional training of coaches in physical education in the field of Paralympic sports was precarious for the majority and adequate for a minority. Only three coaches had intrinsic motivations of intentional choice to work in Paralympic sports, while the rest started occasionally. Although the coaches' perception valued the formal training given by the Brazilian Paralympic Academy, there is a lack of research on how this training impacts the development of coaches. As for career prospects, coaches consider them promising, although Brazilian high-performance sports, whether Olympic or Paralympic, do not have a well-defined career path.