Inclusive Sports Coaching for K -12 Training

Inclusive Sports Coaching for K - 12

This free, online, self-paced training seeks to empower coaches and other school professionals involved in sports and physical activities with the knowledge and resources to create, improve, and expand inclusive sport and physical activity opportunities for students with disabilities.

This voluntary training is meant for any type of coach, athletic director, physical education teacher, or any other school professional or volunteer involved in sports or physical activities. However, anyone interested in inclusive sports can take this training.

This training is meant to only be an introductory training to provide general knowledge around inclusive sports and universal design principles and supply participants with resources to learn more about these topics. It is not meant to provide in-depth knowledge about any one particular sport, provide information about managing athlete safety and injury prevention, or advice on any liability considerations. Since this training is designed to provide introductory fundamental knowledge on inclusive sports, it is recommended that participants seek out continued education and training on more advanced topics from other trainings, experts, and existing inclusive sports programs that can serve as peer models.

The training takes approximately 8 hours to complete and consists of 5 modules.

This training is completely online and is delivered asynchronously. Meaning, participants will log onto the training and complete the activities independently. This training is divided into 5 modules and participants may set their own pace to complete each module.

Each training module consists of a variety of recorded presentations, videos, narrative content, and other resources. The training content is listed in the modules in the order that it should be completed. 

Module 1: Introduction to Inclusive Sports Coaching

• Define inclusive sports and understand the benefits of inclusive sports and current status in Ohio.
• Compare and contrast the Charity, Medical, Social, and Biopsychosocial models of disability and recognize their relevance to health outcomes of people with disabilities.
• Identify the aspects of a good inclusive sports coach.

Module 2: Adapting Sports for Inclusion

• Identify aspects of inclusive sports programs that work well and key pillars of inclusion.
• Understand universal design concepts and application to sports.
• Identify tools and tips to use in the planning of inclusive sports programs.

Module 3: Communication

• Identify effective communication strategies for athletes with disabilities.

Module 4: Individualized Planning and Support

• Identify strategies for individualized planning and support for inclusive sport programs.

Module 5: Ongoing Support and Community Building

• Recognize the importance of ongoing learning, support, and community building for sustaining inclusive sports programs.

Inclusive Sports Project Team

Cara Whalen Smith, PT, DPT, MPH, CHES

Dr. Cara Whalen Smith is a licensed physical therapist and a Certified Health Education Specialist with expertise in program planning, implementation, evaluation, and community health assessment. She is a Principal Investigator and the Accessibility Consultant at the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center. Dr. Whalen Smith has devoted her career to improving access to healthcare and the community for people with disabilities. She has more than a decade of experience and expertise in clinical and public health topics related to intellectual, developmental, mobility, and sensory disability. She has treated patients across the lifespan in the clinic, hospital, school, home, and community settings and held several academic and clinical teaching appointments locally and internationally on a variety of disability and health topics for interdisciplinary students and clinicians. She was the Director of the Inclusive Sports Project sponsored by the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council and has been involved in inclusive dance programs in the past as a physical therapist.

Brynne Presser Funderburg, MPH, CHES

Brynne Presser Funderburg has over a decade of experience advancing public health initiatives and research. Her core competencies lie in project management, health program implementation, and health disparity research. As a Senior Project Manager at Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center (GRC), Brynne helps lead workforce development projects and health disparity research that aligns with the GRC’s mission to improve health outcomes for all Ohioans.  

David Ellsworth, MPH, CHES

David Ellsworth is the Health Services Policy Specialist at the Ohio Department of Health and leads the Ohio Disability and Health Partnership. He has extensive experience in promoting inclusive health initiatives, including his work on the NACDD Inclusive Healthy Communities Project. He played a key role in expanding disability inclusion efforts across Ohio, partnering with local health officials to provide technical assistance in 23 counties. David has also been involved in developing adapted exercise and health promotion programs over the course of his career. David’s expertise in disability health policy and community inclusion has been instrumental in improving health outcomes for Ohioans with disabilities.

Inclusive Sports Project Advisory Committee

Adam Ayers

Adam Ayers is a recreation therapist. He previously worked in community parks and recreation, programming adapted sports and inclusion. Adam serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Cincinnati Adapted Sports Club and Mason Parks Board. He’s one of the coaches for the Cincinnati Dragons, a local youth wheelchair basketball program, and plays on the Cincinnati Royals adult wheelchair basketball team. Adam is also the President of the Dwarf Athletic Association of America. He’s the proud father of three. Adam has Osteogenesis Imperfecta and is a daily wheelchair user.

Melinda "MeMe" Earnest-Stanley, DPT, ATC

Dr. Earnest-Stanley is a 2019 graduate from the University of Cincinnati’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program and earned her BS in Athletic Training in 2016 from Wheeling Jesuit University. She is a residency-trained Board-Certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist and an assistant professor in the University of Cincinnati’s Doctor of Physical Therapy and Master’s in Athletic Training Programs. Clinically, she owns and treats patients and athletes through Invictus Physical Therapy & Adaptive Training and is a PT/AT for USA Wheelchair Rugby. She serves as the Vice President and Director of Sports Medicine for the Greater Cincinnati Adapted Sports Club and is a co-founder and board member of The Bridge Adaptive Sports & Recreation. She is the Chair of the Adaptive Sports Special Interest Group in the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy. Her research interests include performance enhancement and outcome testing for adaptive athletes, concussion in parasport, and improving the shoulder health of wheelchair users across the lifespan.

Allison Hoit Tubbs, MS, CHES, ACSM EP-C

Allison Hoit Tubbs is a certified exercise physiologist and health educator. She is the Director of Community Health for Lakeshore Foundation.  She also works with the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD), a federally funded National Center on Disability and health promotion resource and practice center of the CDC. Her work is focused on building inclusive, healthy communities where all people have equal access and opportunities for healthy living. Her experience spans across the areas of industrial rehabilitation, health promotion, wellness coaching, health communication/dissemination and physical activity programming for people with disability.
 

Lindsey Catherine Mullis, MS, PhD ABD

Ms. Mullis is the Inclusive Health and Wellness Director for the Human Development Institute at the University of Kentucky. Ms. Mullis has expertise in applying universal design strategies to health programs and services.  In addition to numerous state health promotion programs she has partnered with the American Heart Association, State Nutrition Education Programs through the USDA, Special Olympics at local, national and international levels to incorporate inclusive strategies and broader access. She also provides valuable lived experience as the parent of a daughter with Down syndrome and a vision disability.

Morgan Turner

Morgan Turner is a Health Education Specialist at the Human Development Institute at the University of Kentucky. He also serves as a Special Olympics athlete and athlete ambassador for Kentucky. Mr. Turner is a strong self-advocate who has both cognitive and physical disabilities. He works across multiple projects focusing on health, inclusion, leadership, employment, and supported decision making. Mr. Turner is an expert peer health educator and has co-facilitated numerous inclusive health promotion programs across Kentucky. He co-leads professional trainings on universal design in health and disability inclusion, and shares his knowledge at professional conferences.
 

Other Project Partners

Kelly Bonner

Mrs. Bonner is the Director of Training and Operations at Lakeshore Foundation. She received her undergraduate degree in Fitness and Health Promotion from Samford University and her Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. She is a Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine. Mrs. Bonner brings over 20 years experience in designing and implementing inclusive fitness routines and health promotion programs and has a passion for engaging all individuals in inclusive health practices. Mrs. Bonner manages the training and education components including an online learning site and has conducted numerous trainings and authored publications on disability education and inclusive fitness for organizations across the country. Mrs. Bonner also coached adapted track and field at Lakeshore and was an adjunct professor at Samford University.

Meredith Erlewine

Meredith Erlewine is the Creating Healthy Communities Coordinator at the Athens City-County Health Department, where she works with community members on projects that increase access to healthy eating and active living opportunities. As a member of the Friends of Strouds Run State Park, she helped install an accessible hiking trail at Strouds Run State Park. She has previously worked as a community health worker and as a public health communications professional. Meredith likes to partner with people and organizations who advocate for inclusive opportunities to enjoy recreation.