Training of sports educators and inclusion: perceptions, critical issues, and training needs in community sports settings

Abstract

According to several studies, during primary school age children with disabilities participate in sports within the same contexts as their peers without disabilities. From this perspective, extracurricular sport is increasingly configured as a privileged setting to expand and strengthen opportunities for inclusive education beyond the school environment. However, according to parents’ perceptions, children with disabilities do not seem to be fully involved in the activities they attend, which are often perceived as too demanding in terms of the physical, cognitive, and social abilities required for full participation. This suggests a gap between formal access and substantive participation, raising relevant questions about the inclusive quality of sports experiences and directly calling into question the role of sports educators. Addressing the challenge of education and inclusion for all requires an educational alliance among the different stakeholders of the sports system. Within this framework, sports educators play a crucial role, as they are at the forefront of ensuring the success of educational and inclusive processes, operating in a context that, similarly to the school environment, is increasingly characterized by diversity. In this regard, several key questions emerge: what type of training have sports educators working with children received? Do they feel adequately prepared to address the challenge of inclusion? What are their emerging training needs? In order to answer these questions, this paper presents and discusses the preliminary results of an ongoing study involving a convenience sample of 157 sports educators who completed an ad hoc questionnaire. The findings show that most participants hold a degree in Physical Education and have addressed issues related to disability and inclusion during their training. However, a widespread perception of inadequacy remains regarding their ability to design and manage truly inclusive activities. At the same time, unmet training needs emerge, particularly in relation to the development of pedagogical, technical, and relational competences aimed at promoting genuinely inclusive sports environments.