#059- Coaching Strategies to Create Inclusive Sports with Dr. Peter McGahey

In todays episode we are joined by Dr. Peter McGahey. Dr. McGahey is a teaching assistant professor at West Virginia University in the School of Sport Sciences within the College of Applied Human Science, the National Educator Developer for the U.S. Soccer Federation C-Course and as the assistant coach for the U.S. Soccer Federation Power Soccer National Team. He has degrees in Educational Leadership, Physical Education/Sport Coaching, Human Performance and Sport and Communications. He holds both a United States Soccer Federation ‘A’ License and a ‘Youth’ License. McGahey served as a NCAA Division I and II Women’s and Men’s Head and Assistant Soccer Coach for over 20 years. McGahey has coached athletes all along the developmental pathway from grassroots to Olympic Development Program to college, from youth to high school, and TopSoccer and developed programming at the local club, state, and national levels. Most recently serving as an Assistant Coach with CP Soccer, Technical Advisor to Down Syndrome Sports of America, the West Virginia Soccer Association - Olympic Development Program Director, and a pre-academy coach at Mountaineer United Soccer Club. Additionally, McGahey is the co-author alongside Dr. Peter Pierro of Grassroots Coaching: Using sports psychology and coaching principles effectively.

To connect with Dr. Peter McGahey or learn more about him, check out the links below,

Dr. Peter McGahey’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drpetermcgahey

Dr. Peter McGahey’s book, “Grassroots Coaching”: https://www.amazon.com/Grassroots-Coaching-Psychology-Principles-Effectively/dp/1475864779/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ke6kCKtdpan_2qR2laPf9g.YC6KBiQLElzUZEJU_lZqQGHx-OD5d1STOihe2es8XAI&qid=1721235032&sr=8-1

Takeaways

• Creating inclusive and accessible environments in sports is crucial for promoting participation and belonging for athletes with disabilities.
• Autonomy and choice are important in player-driven sports like soccer, allowing athletes to make decisions and adapt their skills to the game.
• Skill adaptation, rather than skill acquisition, should be the focus in coaching, allowing athletes to adapt their skills to meet the needs of the game.
• Positive relationships between coaches and athletes, along with a balance of support and challenge, contribute to a supportive and inclusive coaching environment.
• Assessing progress in team sports can be challenging, but focusing on observable behaviors and co-constructing assessments with athletes can provide meaningful feedback.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background of Dr. Peter McGahey

02:06 The Joy and Autonomy of Soccer

06:14 Effective Learning in Sports: Structured Instruction vs. Autonomy

12:32 Creating Inclusive Environments for Athletes with Disabilities

17:28 Characteristics of an Effective Coach for Adaptive Populations

18:30 Universal Design and Meaningful Experiences in Coaching

22:11 Assessing Progress and Monitoring Growth in Team Sports

31:12 The Importance of Openness and Positive Relationships in Coaching

36:07 Creating an Accessible Fitness Industry

44:26 Recommendations for Getting Involved in Adaptive Sports