Central European Journal of Sport Sciences and Medicine

Club coaches, national team coaches, as well as Olympic or Paralympic team coaches are those trainers who use their knowledge, professionalism and experience to lead their trainees to achieve sports results that satisfy athletes as well as coaches and authorities of Polish associations of various sports disciplines practiced by the athletes. A good trainer is the most important person in the coaching team, as they supervise the whole participation of their Olympians or Paralympians. Among the graduates of the Szczecin University’s Physical Education, there are many trainers of various sports disciplines. They are club coaches, national team coaches and they also hold coaching functions at the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. The aim of this paper is to: present the university (student) characteristics of the analyzed coaches and a physiotherapist who stand among the potential candidates to be appointed for the coaching and medical staff of their trainees (including the football team) who will fight for qualification standards guaranteeing them participation in the 32nd Summer Olympics or 16th Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020; showing the current coaching activity of the trainers and a physiotherapist in question; presenting the criteria and eligibility rules which the athletes of the coaches and the physiotherapist need to obtain to take part in the Tokyo Olympic or Paralympic competition. The research material consists of six graduates of the University of Szczecin, who majored in Physical Education, and who currently work primarily in the coaching team (Tomasz Kaźmierczak, Jacek Kostrzeba, Tomasz Lewandowski, Grzegorz Musztafaga, Miłosz Stępiński) and the medical/therapeutic team (Beata Buryta). All of the analyzed graduates of the University of Szczecin are among the trainers and physiotherapists who are candidates for the Polish national team for the 32nd Olympic Games or the 16th Paralympics Games Tokyo 2020. Tomasz Kaźmierczak – he will definitely be present for the fourth time at the Summer Games Tokyo 2020 as a coach for disabled rowers (previous participations in 2008, 2012, and 2016). The trainees of the coaches in question (except for the football team) can be included into the Polish team participating in the Summer Games Tokyo 2020 and at least compete in finals during the Olympic or Paralympic competition.