Creating Inclusive Youth Sport Environments with the Universal Design for Learning

Community-based youth sport coaches are often unprepared to accommodate the unique learning needs of athletes with hidden disabilities. The consequences of not knowing how to work with these athletes can be disastrous for both the athletes and the coaches. Universal design for learning, a practice borrowed from educational theory, can help community-based youth sport coaches to develop practice plans and implement coaching methods that meet the diverse learning needs of all athletes, including those with hidden disabilities.