Print this page

Welcome to Special Olympics Powerlifting This online guide is intended to provide Special Olympics coaches with comprehensive guidance for developing a Powerlifting Training and Competition Season and Teaching Powerlifting Skills. An understanding of effective powerlifting training processes, schedules, activities, facilities and equipment, will provide the Special Olympics Powerlifting coach with the foundation for developing successful powerlifting athletes. With the addition of an understanding of how to train the Special Olympics athletes to develop skills in each of the three powerlifts, as well as how to correct faults in performance of a lift, the powerlifting coach will be better prepared to guide the athlete toward successful competition in the squat, benchpress and deadlift.   While this resource provides a great background to effective coaching, it is important that the Special Olympics powerlifting coach learn from NGB (United States Powerlifting – USAPL) officials and coaches about the sport and apply that learning in the context of Special Olympics powerlifting. By applying an informed, positive and goal oriented approach to training in Special Olympics powerlifting, athletes will demonstrate great improvement in strength, confidence and the reward of continuing to exceed expectation in their sport.   Table of Contents I.  Powerlifting       Planning a Training Season       Teaching Powerlifting Skills       Rules, Protocol and Etiquette     II. General Information       Principles of Coaching       Coaching Special Olympics Athletes       The Coaching Team       Preparing the Athlete for Competition       Nutrition, Safety and Fitness       Sport Safety and Risk Management       Basics of Special Olympics     Download the entire Powerlifting Coaching Guide as a Microsoft Word Document or PDF file – Click on the appropriate icon below   Powerlifting Coaching Guide.docx Powerlifting Coaching Guide.pdf   Download the Powerlifting Quick Start Guide as a Microsoft Word Document or PDF file – Click on the appropriate icon below   Powerlifting Quick Start Guide.docx Powerlifting Quick Start Guide.pdf   Acknowledgements The Special Olympics movement is profoundly grateful for the support of the Annenberg Foundation which has underwritten the production of this guide and resource, supporting our global goals for coaches’ excellence.     Special Olympics would also like to thank the professionals, volunteers, coaches and athletes who helped in the production of the Powerlifting Coaching Guide. They have helped fulfill the mission of Special Olympics: to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for people 8 years of age and older with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.   Special Olympics welcomes your ideas and comments for future revisions of this guide. We apologize if, for any reason, an acknowledgement has been inadvertently omitted.   Contributing Authors   Members of the Special Olympics Powerlifting Sport Resource Team:   Charles “Chip” Hultquist, Powerlifting SRT Chairman William Clelland Richard Frazier Billy Keel Alexander Matheison James Mutrie Yelian “Carol” Xu   Special Thanks To the Following for All of Your Help and Support   Dion Thomas, Starring Athlete Todd Youngblood, Special Olympics Powerlifting Coach Christopher Seivard, Videography Paul Whichard, Web buildout Sherman Ledford, Owner of Quest Gym in Duluth, Georgia – site of the Powerlifting Coaching Guide video shoot