Handball coach education in Latin America: a comparative study between Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina

This research analyzes and compares the professional training programs for handball sports coaches in three Latin American countries: Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. The study is of a qualitative nature and presents a critical documentary analysis. In this way, three training courses for handball coaches were mapped in the main online databases, establishing comparisons between their pedagogical structures and training curricula. The results showed that the courses have differences in their pedagogical structure in terms of duration and training format. The Uruguayan and Argentinian course is modular in nature, granting different certifications by level, and the Paraguayan course is of longer duration, thus offering a broad certification for the professional. On the other hand, the curricula emphasized on different areas, Argentina having a greater focus on the specific components of the handball modality, Uruguay highlighting subjects related to the health disciplines, and finally, Paraguay presenting a balanced curriculum as regards the distribution of contents. Therefore, this research is significant because it deepens reflection on the professional training of the handball coach in different realities and contexts, also pointing out the need to broaden the discussion about the handball training courses in Latin America.