An IBSA Judo Coach seminar was held between June 10th and 12th, in Chile, organized by the 2023 Santiago ParaPam-American Games Organizing Committee. This intense course offered 10 hours of theory and 10 hours of on-the-mat sessions and was attended by 20 coaches from several South and Central American countries. In the mat sessions, in addition to the coaches, we were joined by 20 IBSA athletes. The seminar was facilitated by the Paralympic Judo Canada Coach, Andrzej Sadej, with the assistance of Paralympic Judo Argentina Coach, Walter Luis Dzurovcin.

#Accessibility – Group of participants in the Judo coach seminar that took place in Santiago, Chile

This event offered a unique opportunity to share knowledge and experiences, and indeed, there was a lot of exchange of reflections and opinions during the theory sessions. Because of the inclusion of the VI athletes in the mat sessions, they offered a unique opportunity for coaches to work one-on-one with different judoka. Several coaches demonstrated their teaching methodology employed when working with blind judoka. Reflections were shared and tips were offered on how to make things work.

A special thank you is due to Coach Francisco Sepulveda, who leads the development of paralympic judo in Chile. The participation of athletes from his program made this course very special. Mr. Sepulveda’s athletes to date have not participated in competition. However, the number of athletes that have been working in the country is impressive, and the dedication to the athletes and to the quality of the program is exemplary.