School of Instructors: Day Two of Adaptive Sports Training

Representatives of Berdyansk State Pedagogical University continued their training at the School of Instructors, an educational initiative focused on adaptive sports, supporting war veterans and creating accessible opportunities for physical activity in local communities.

The second day combined practical approaches to recruiting participants with methodological aspects of adaptive Olympic-style archery. Participants explored outreach through veteran spaces, rehabilitation centres, civil society organisations, social media and open introductory training sessions.

In a group exercise, trainees developed a plan to attract the first ten participants in their community within one month. They identified local partners, communication channels and ways to encourage newcomers to return for a second session.

A dedicated session examined the structure of a training session, including briefing and safety instructions, warm-up, technical practice, game-based activities, cool-down and feedback. The speakers emphasised that precision, movement control, breathing and concentration matter more than physical strength in archery.

The programme addressed adaptations for upper- and lower-limb injuries, wheelchair users and participants with non-visible injuries. Examples included modified equipment, seated shooting, predictable routines and respectful consideration of individual needs.

The session featured the stories of veteran athletes Ivan Roman, Oleksandr Zirka, Artem Peredierieiev, Mykhailo Andrushko, Ruslan Zvir and Marian Svitlychnyi. Their experiences in archery, competitions and community sports initiatives illustrated the role of adaptive sport in active participation, personal fulfilment and peer support.

BDPU is represented by Nataliia Polishchuk and Liudmyla Dziuba of the Department of Physical Culture, Sports and Teaching Methods, Faculty of Physical Culture, Sports and Human Health, together with eight university students.

The knowledge gained can support the courses “Adaptive Sports” and “Sports for War Veterans”, the education of future professionals in specialty A7 “Physical Culture and Sports”, and cooperation with veteran communities and local partners.