Perfil e estilo de tomada de decisão do treinador de desporto adaptado

The research aims to identify the profile and decision-making style of the adapted sport coaches and recent graduates of the area, in the IPCB. The sample is composed of 16 recent graduates and 31 coaches participating in the Special Olympics Portugal. To achieve the proposed objectives, the Coach Profile Questionnaire and the Sport Coach Decision Style were used as instruments for data collection. The results concerning the predominant coach profile in adapted sport are presented in the "innovative" profile, although this predominance changes according to the professional situation, because the preferences of recent graduates fall on the "collaborator" profile. We can infer that the predominant decision-making style is the "Democratic" one, regardless of the professional situation. The results do not present significant differences in the adoption of the decision-making profile and style comparing the professional situations, thus conferring that the coaches of the area have to be reflective and not conformists, constantly seeking new solutions to adapt the training to the effective needs of the athletes with the need for a climate of trust between them and a decision-making process performed by the coach, in consensus with the athletes.