The competencies profile for the “Mental Trainer for Athletes with Disabilities” is a document that includes the study and description of the skills needed to qualify. This profile will be drafted so that the qualification proposed by the partnership through the implementation of the project can be validated later. The skills profile will be produced and uploaded online and translated into 4 languages (EN, RO, IT, GR).

This general structure agreed upon by the partners includes at least  the following sections:

• Review of scientific research and practices related to the application of mental training techniques to athletes with disabilities.  The partners will focus on national practices and research. Specific attention will be paid to the proposed adaptation (if present) to several forms of disabilities,  in order to create appropriate methods in the elaboration of the Practical Guide (O2) and the Electronic  Platform (O4)
• SWOT analysis of research and practice. Each partner will be responsible for summarizing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of common national practices in this area. After this procedure, the partners will analyze the comparison between countries to find specific strategies for proposing the qualification of mental trainers for sports with disabilities.
• Labour market analysis. This section includes a strategy to increase the employment of people with the proposed qualification. The analysis will be carried  out jointly at the international level
• The profile of the competencies needed to qualify as a mental trainer for athletes with disabilities.
• EU guidelines for increasing the employment of people with this qualification. Innovation:

The participation of people with disabilities in sports is often reduced through physical barriers, technology and also prejudices. The skills profile for the mental coach for athletes with disabilities is a way to facilitate the inclusion of people with disabilities not only as athletes but also as coaches. The skills profile includes all the aspects necessary for accessing this new profession and the related specialization for psychologists and the application for specific disabilities.  A specific definition of the necessary competencies will inspire the production of the corresponding course and will add value to the other two intellectual results included in this project (Practical Guide and Electronic  Learning  Course).

Transferability:

The qualification of the experts in this new field has a high potential for transferability, mainly to the companies. Today,  the new companies focus on the welfare of the workers,  and some of them even build a sports hall for the employees. Mental trainers for people with disabilities can apply their work within this framework.  In this sense, the experts trained in this method can re-apply the techniques as educators to increase the performance of the workers,  managers and students.

The impact we expect after the production of this product  is:

• development of a methodology for strengthening the degree of employment and inclusion in the field of sport and physical  activities
• increased accessibility to mental  training education
• production of a European model  dedicated to skills for the qualification “Mental Trainer for athletes with disabilities”
• the inspiration  of VET centres in producing courses inspired  by this model  of competences
• inspiring regional,  national  and EU authorities to adopt  the model
• raising awareness about  the inclusion of disabilities  in the field of sport
• increased ability to support athletes with disabilities
• increased skills to encourage people with disabilities  to increase their physical activity/sport