Reflection on violence and racism in sport for athletes with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

Adapted sports is one of the values of the Cuban sports system that promotes social inclusion and, at the same time, benefits for the health and education of children, adolescents and young people with disabilities who are dedicated to sports, however, the phenomenon of violence in this area is evidenced in various ways, which are sometimes not questionable, but necessary to attend to from the investigation. The objective is to reflect on the manifestations of violence and racism in adapted sports and propose guidelines for the preparation of coaches. Theoretical, empirical and statistical methods were used. The population is taken as 16 adolescent athletes with intellectual disabilities, winners in the provincial games, of the Villa Clara Special Olympics Program. Results-The various manifestations of violence in the sports disciplines under study and their causes are characterized. Guidelines are developed for coaches in order to mitigate or prevent violence in adapted sport. Conclusions- Some subtle forms of violent and racism manifestations in adapted sports are revealed, among them the use of loud tones and strong orders in communication with athletes, occasional authoritarianism, little affectivity and ignorance of the psychological characteristics of the athlete, little affective communication and the violation of some principles of sports training. The impact of the work is sociological, pedagogical and psychological as it contributes to the education and integration of athletes with disabilities through sport.