WFDF is proud to build upon our existing partnership with The Association For International Sport for All (TAFISA) through participation in the Girls Positive and Safe Coaching Pathway. Through involvement in this project WFDF hopes to introduce key tools and practices to improve the quality of coaching girls receive and increase recruitment and retention of girls in flying disc sports. Three WFDF Trainers have been selected for participation in the program; Bénédicte Audet of Canada (Freestyle), Camila Paiva Freitas Costa of Brazil (Ultimate), and Dr. Jane Gakuru of Uganda (Ultimate). Through funding provided by TAFISA the WFDF Trainers will complete a series of training modules. Following completion, they will each host an in-person workshop in their region to pass the learning on to other coaches within the flying disc sport community.
The project’s objectives include:
- Raising awareness regarding the importance of an active and healthy lifestyle among girls and women
- Promoting the need for adapted coaching tailored to girls and women
- Providing training and education to coaches and sports leaders to enhance the quality of sports coaching delivered to girls and women
- Empowering young girls to overcome obstacles in sports that can significantly impact their performance, self-esteem, and experiences
The Pathway, in cooperation with Nike’s Made to Play initiative, is designed to address gender inequity that hinders the participation of women and girls in sports at all levels, and is providing funding for the program. By focusing on coaching the coaches, the pathway aims to remove barriers and create a more equitable, accessible, accommodative, and positive experience for girls in sports.
“We are excited to be participating in this program through TAFISA, which will provide a template for coaches training in support of encouraging young women to participate in flying disc sports,” stated WFDF President Robert “Nob” Rauch. “Our Women in Sport Commission, chaired by Esther Omuseni, is overseeing our involvement and we view it as a seminal learning opportunity as well as a way to make a specific impact on the selected communities.”