Abstract
Coaching is a developmental and athletic-enhancing process in which an experienced individual provides a protégé with training, guidance and support in achieving a sporting goal. However, research on the experiences of coaches with disabilities is scant. This study focused on the career experiences of coaches with a disability within the South African context. The study adopted a case-study design in which qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews and observations. The data were triangulated to corroborate the findings obtained from the interviews and observations. A purposive sampling technique was used to select the participants (n=3) and data were thematically analysed. The findings showed that coaches with disabilities had positive and negative experiences in their careers. The main positive experiences included having a sense of fulfilment in coaching practice, demonstrating that disability did not mean deviance or abnormality and the joy of seeing achievements by the athletes that they coached. Challenging experiences were associated with lackadaisical attitudes from parents and sometimes athletes, a lack of support and intrinsic limitations imposed by the disabilities resulting in communication problems. The results also revealed the adjustments that the coaches made to accommodate their disabilities, which consisted of rule changes to games and the use of assistive devices and equipment. The need to provide necessary support for coaches with disabilities as well as develop measures to raise awareness for society to have positive attitudes towards the capabilities of coaches with disabilities, are discussed and recommended.