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Special Olympics offers training and competition opportunities in 30 Olympic-type sports for athletes 8 years or older.  For children with intellectual disabilities ages 2 through 7, Special Olympics provides a Young Athletes Program. Special Olympics coaches have a unique opportunity to work with athletes in competitive situations to assist in their training for life. As a grass-roots organization, Special Olympics relies on volunteers at all levels of the movement to ensure that every athlete is offered a quality sports training and competition experience. Individual donors, corporate partners and many others make it possible for Special Olympics to offer children and adults with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy through participation in the program.
English > Coach > Coaching Guides > Cycling > Planning a Training Season > Principles of Effective Training Sessions
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Principles of Effective Training Sessions

Keep all active Athletes need to be active listeners
Create clear, concise goals Learning improves when athletes know what is expected of them
Give clear, concise instructions Demonstrate — increase accuracy of instruction
Record progress You and your athletes chart progress together
Give positive feedback Emphasize and reward things the athlete is doing well
Provide variety Vary exercises — prevent boredom
Encourage enjoyment Training and competition is fun; help keep it this way for you and your athletes
Create progressions Learning is increased when information progresses from:
  • Known to unknown — discovering new things successfully
  • Simple to complex — seeing that “I” can do it
  • General to specific
Plan maximum use of resources Use what you have, and improvise for equipment that you do not have — think creatively
Allow for individual differences Different athletes, different learning rates, different capacities
 
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