Educating Judo Coaches For Older Practitioners

Older sport practitioners are deemed an ideal model for successful aging. To structure sound training programmes for older individuals, coaches require a multidimensional education on physiological (body composition, cardiovascular, endocrine, musculoskeletal, and pulmonary functions), pathological (incidence of multiple chronic diseases), psychological (body image, motivation, enjoyment, perception of efforts), and performance (functional fitness, falling skills) aspects of aging. Funded by the European Commission through the Erasmus+ Sport programme (622155-EPP-1-2020-1-IT-SPO-SCP), Educating Judo Coaches for Older practitioners-EdJCO project aims to empower judo coaches with the proper knowledge (facts and figures, concepts, ideas and theories), skills (the ability and capacity to carry out processes and use the existing knowledge to achieve results) and attitudes (the disposition and mind-sets to act or react to ideas, persons or situations) specifically related to this particular population of older individuals. EdJCO is benefitting from a team of academic and sport experts with a combined scientific and pragmatic experience from the Partners representing diverse European geographic areas and physical activity culture (Croatia, Italy, Malta, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey). A further value is the educational body of the International Judo Federation (IJF Academy Foundation), which licenced >2000 Alumni in 160 countries. Finally, judo Partners (Judo Club Golovec, Zajednica Sportskih Udruga Grada Rijeke “Riječki Sportski Savez”, Liberty Judo Club Oradea, Club de Judo Newton, and Izmir Alsancak Jimnastik Ihtisas Spor Kulubu) intend to maintain this valuable educational resource, thus contributing to the health enhancement of the European and International judo community during and beyond the project lifespan.