Coach Training & District Support
OngoingBuilding the people behind every opportunity to play.
Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities need people who understand them and can guide them regularly. S4UA Foundation trains sports coaches, teacher-coaches and in-house school coaches, and places district-level support close to schools so inclusive sport continues after a workshop ends.
- Status
- Ongoing in Dhule and Palghar
- Where
- District programmes in Dhule and Palghar, workshops across Maharashtra
- Reach
- 60+ coaches and teacher-coaches trained
- Supported by
- Ajmera (Dhule) and SBM (Palghar)
The programme at a glance
The need, what we do and how you can help.
A quick summary of the programme. The sections further down explain each part of the coaching work in more detail.
Special schools often rely on one or two teachers to run sport, with little training in adapting activities. Without local coaches, sessions stop when outside support ends.
- Practical workshops for coaches and teacher-coaches
- Advanced training for coach leads
- A district coach in-charge who follows up with schools
- Equipment and planning support
District programmes in Dhule and Palghar, with coach workshops for schools across Maharashtra.
Running in Dhule and Palghar, with 60+ coaches and teacher-coaches trained. Our aim is to extend the coach network to every tribal area of Maharashtra.
Dhule district programme. District coach in-charge Bhushan Ramesh Marathe, a physiotherapist, coordinates sports training with local schools and coaches, with support from Ajmera. Read more
- Fund a coach training workshop
- Support a district coach for a year
- Share your expertise as a trainer
Why the ecosystem matters
A workshop can start the learning. A local team helps it continue.
Children benefit from people who can guide them regularly, understand the school setting and adapt each activity to every participant's abilities and support needs. That takes more than one person or one training day.
Sports coaches
Bring sporting knowledge and practical experience to sessions and workshops.
Teacher-coaches
Teachers who develop coaching skills so they can bring sport into school activities.
In-house school coaches
Coaches already working within special schools, who lead regular practice.
Potential coach leads
People with the interest and commitment to take on more responsibility over time.
District coaches
Help coordinate training and activities with participating schools in their district.
Practical skill development and local coordination work together, so activities can carry on between workshops.
Practical workshops
Learning by doing.
S4UA's practical workshops give coaches and teachers the chance to try approaches they can use in sports activities with children with disabilities, rather than only hearing about them.
Adapting activities
Changing rules, equipment or space so more children can take part.
Demonstrating movements
Showing a movement clearly so participants can watch and copy.
Breaking tasks into steps
Turning a skill into smaller, manageable parts.
Planning sessions
Structuring a session so it has a clear purpose and flow.
Considering different needs
Thinking about each participant's abilities and support needs.
Developing teacher-coaches
Teachers already know the children. Coaching skills can build on that knowledge.
Teachers understand their students, routines and school environment. S4UA helps interested teachers develop coaching skills so they can bring sport into school activities with greater confidence.
Knowledge of the children and the school
- Understanding of each child
- Familiar routines
- Knowledge of the school environment
- Trusted relationships with students
Practical approaches to leading sport
- Planning sports activities
- Leading sessions with confidence
- Adapting activities to participants
- Demonstrating and breaking down skills
Together, these help schools build their own capacity for continued participation. Coaching development is open to interested teachers; it is not an expectation placed on every teacher.
Strengthening in-house school coaches
Building capability where children already learn and play.
S4UA trains coaches already working within special schools, so the skills stay where children practise every week.
Training focuses on:
- Planning regular sessions
- Using equipment appropriately
- Adapting activities to the children they work with
- Working within the school environment
- Continuing practice beyond an individual workshop
- Plan
Sessions that fit the school
Regular sessions planned around the children and the school timetable.
- Practise
Led by the school coach
Coaches lead sessions, using equipment appropriately and adapting activities.
- Continue
Beyond the workshop
Practice carries on between workshops, with guidance where it is needed.
Potential coach leads
Recognising potential. Creating room to grow.
Workshops and school engagement help S4UA notice people who may be ready to take on more. With further guidance, some go on to support other coaches in their district.
Engage
S4UA engages with schools and participants through workshops.
Shortlist
People with the interest, commitment and ability to take on more responsibility may be shortlisted as potential coach leads.
Guide
Selected coach leads receive further guidance and opportunities to develop.
Deepen
Advanced training deepens their understanding of adapted sports, session planning and athlete development.
Share
Coach leads can then help guide other coaches and school teams within their district.
Selection depends on individual interest, commitment, ability and the opportunities available. Not every workshop participant becomes a coach lead, and that is not the aim of every workshop.
District-level coordination
Local guidance. Connected school teams.
District-level support links the work happening in individual schools, so school teams are not working alone.
The district coach
In each district covered by the programme, a district coach helps coordinate training and activities with participating schools.
School teams
In-house coaches and teacher-coaches lead regular practice at their schools.
Connecting the work
The district coach helps connect school teams, support their work and prepare for events.
- Participating schoolIn-house coach or teacher-coach leads regular practice
- Participating schoolIn-house coach or teacher-coach leads regular practice
- Participating schoolIn-house coach or teacher-coach leads regular practice
In practice
Where the district model is running today.
Two district programmes, the people who lead them and the organisations that make them possible.
Dhule district programme
Dhule districtDistrict coach in-charge Bhushan Ramesh Marathe coordinates sports training and works with local schools and coaches. A physiotherapist, he is also Area Director for Special Olympics Bharat Maharashtra in Dhule, which helps connect school teams with wider sporting opportunities.
The Dhule district programme is supported by Ajmera.
Palghar district programme
Palghar districtCoach workshops and follow-up support for special schools in Palghar, including schools serving tribal communities. The Palghar district programme is supported by SBM.
Dhule district programme
Palghar district programme
Ajmera and SBM support our district programmes. Meet our team or meet our partners.
Equipment, feedback and follow-up
Training is one part of the work. Follow-up helps it continue.
Equipment
Suitable equipment helps coaches and school teams run activities regularly. What is needed differs from school to school.
Follow-up
Opportunities for follow-up help activities continue after a workshop has ended.
School feedback
Feedback from schools helps S4UA understand:
- How activities are continuing
- Where coaches and school teams need more guidance
- Whether equipment or other practical support is needed
Support is shaped by each school's needs. It is not a fixed schedule or an identical package for every school.
Our aim
Building local capacity for wider reach.
Our aim is to extend this coaching ecosystem to every tribal area of Maharashtra.
Building local coaching capacity is an important part of helping more children access regular sport within their own schools and communities, without depending on support that has to travel long distances.
This is an ambition we are working towards. The programme does not yet reach every district or every tribal area.
Working with S4UA
A stronger ecosystem begins with people willing to work together.
If any of these describe you, we would welcome a conversation.
- Schools
Special schools
Discuss coach development or school-level support for sports activities.
- Teachers
Teachers interested in coaching
Explore developing coaching skills to bring sport into school activities.
- Coaches
Coaches and sports professionals
Talk to us about relevant opportunities to contribute your experience.
- Organisations
Organisations supporting local capacity
Help strengthen district-level coaching and coordination.
- Partners
Equipment and programme partners
Support equipment needs or continued programme support.
We will talk through what is suitable for you. Not every enquiry leads to a workshop place, a coach-lead role, employment or a partnership, but every conversation helps us understand where support is needed.
How you can help
Three practical ways to support this programme.
Every contribution helps train the local people who keep sport going in special schools.
Fund a coach training workshop
Cover a practical workshop for coaches and teacher-coaches from several schools.
DonateSupport a district coach for a year
Help a district coach follow up with schools, plan sessions and prepare for events.
Become a partnerShare your expertise
Coaches, trainers and sports professionals can contribute as workshop trainers.
Get involved
Get in touch
Help strengthen the people who make participation possible.
Whether you are a school, a coach, a sports professional or an organisation interested in local capacity, we would be glad to discuss how we might work together.
