In 2023, more than 4.8 million Veterans report having at least one disability. Often, these disabilities can be a barrier to staying physically and mentally fit. Access to a trained coach is a tremendous resource to help the military community with visible and invisible impairments thrive. On Saturday, March 15, Soldiers To Sidelines hosted an in-person adaptive athlete coaching workshop at the Adaptive Training Foundation Gym in Carrollton, TX, powered by Wounded Warrior Project. This fun and engaging experience prepared the military community to coach people with mixed abilities to overcome physical and mental challenges.
After coffee and a continental breakfast, Founder and Executive Director of Soldiers To Sidelines, Harrison Bernstein, facilitated an interactive discussion that revealed the awesome power of coaching to help others achieve the unthinkable. The presentation led the participants to the realization that through coaching we can actualize a new purpose.
The audience was energized and ready to engage with Emily Throckmorton, STS Adaptive Athlete Director, to learn about what it means to be an adaptive athlete. From there, the audience had the opportunity to experience what it feels like to be an adaptive athlete by participating in a guided 12-minute adaptive workout. Many of the participants were already classified as adaptive athletes, so for them, the workout felt familiar, while others empathized with the shared experience.
We then broke for lunch and resumed activities by learning about the various types of physical and traumatic impairments as well as how to screen for and assess them. This information set the foundation to learn how to set up, organize, and instruct adaptive exercises properly. Everyone had the opportunity to practice coaching one adaptive exercise with their classmates. This opportunity was imperative because the class experienced how to deliver information effectively to ensure the exercise achieved the greatest impact.
This transformative workshop inspired and motivated Soldier Coaches from various coaching backgrounds to continue their journey in coaching mastery and learn how to help people with disabilities thrive. This in-person workshop was free for participants because of the generosity of our sponsors and donors. We extend a special THANK YOU to Samantha Vieira, Wounded Warrior Project Physical Health and Wellness Coach, for sharing the incredible benefits offered by WWP. We are also tremendously grateful to the Adaptive Training Foundation for sharing its beautiful training facility with us. We look forward to seeing everyone at our next in-person coaching workshop.
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