Meet Special Olympics Mongolia Mongolia Volleyball head coach Nara Altangere

Wife, mother of three, and former volley-ball Player, Naranchimeeg Altangere, better known as Nara, is a physical education and physiotherapist teacher at Special School 70, where she teaches and coaching The past three years. Special School 70 is one of the four schools in Mongolia, where 348 students with an intellectual disability study. 22 of those students receive physiotherapy lessons and more than 50 students train in volleyball under the administration of Nara.

She trained Unified volleyball Teams as a coach since 2023 for the volleyball competitions of the National Games, as well as attending the coaching program, organized by Special Olympics Mongolia.

When she was in high school, she tried to participate in the volleyball class, but they didn’t allow her because she wasn’t as long as they wanted. By the time she entered the eighth grade, she had become bigger than most boys in her class and let her play. Then she started to take her volleyball career seriously. Although many clubs made offers for her 184 cm height, she chose to stay with her former club and her sporting career continued at Inacore Club.

Nara spent time last week with details about her coaching trip and passion for learning while she prepares her team to compete in the next week Special Olympics Unified Volleyball World Cup in Katowice, Poland.

1. What is your background with volleyball?
I started playing volleyball when I was 15 years old. Since then I have participated in many international competitions. I was a member of the Mongolian national volleyball team for five years and participated in international competitions.

Personal performance includes:

• In 2009 I participated in the summer Universiade in Belgrade.
• Won a bronze medal at Asian University Volleyball Championship in 2009 in Thailand.
• Won a silver medal at Asian University Volleyball Championship in Mongolia in 2012.
• Won gold and silver medals in the Mongolian National Volleyball League.

2. What level of coaching did you get?
I am a teacher and coach, currently in my third year of teaching at a school for children with special needs. For the past two years I have also participated in the coaching training program organized by Special Olympics Mongolia.

3. How do you continue to improve your coaching capacity?
I train children with special needs in volleyball and prepare my athletes to participate in domestic competitions. I also give volleyball training for children without intellectual disabilities. By watching videos from coaches from other countries and trying out new training methods, I constantly improve my coaching skills within Special Olympics.

4. How important is it to continue to learn as a coach?
As a coach it is extremely important for me to keep learning. Sports science, training methods and even the needs of athletes always evolve. By constantly improving my knowledge and skills, I can offer the best possible support for my athletes, keep them motivated and help them reach their full potential. Lifelong learning can not only be informed of new techniques, but also to grow personally and professionally.

6. Why did you decide that you wanted to become a coach?
I am passionate about sport. My first teacher, mentor and role model in volleyball was the state honored teacher of Mongolia, Mrs. Solongo D., who has more than 1,000 students in volleyball and she is one of the most important inspirations I wanted to become volleyball coach.

Then as a athlete I learned many valuable lessons about both life and the sport of my coaches and senior teammates who drive me to obtain my bachelor’s degree in physical education, specialized in ball sports. This inspired me to help people who want to grow and improve. I also enjoy sharing my knowledge and skills with others.

7. What did you learn about yourself as a coach, who works like this?
Working on Special Olympics has learned patience, empathy and the value of focusing on the individual strengths of each athlete. I have learned that being a coach is not only about teaching skills, but also about building trust and celebrating progress, no matter how small. It has shown me that I have to be more flexible, more creative and more positive, and that my role is just as good about supporting personal growth when it comes to developing sports performance.

8. Can you give an example of how you could help an athlete to improve its performance, above all the medals they may have won at Special Olympics?
I worked with Volleybalatleet, Tseegtsmaral S., for three years in this team. In the beginning she was unstable and missed self -confidence. I have developed a training plan with small, manageable steps that focus specifically on technology, foot positioning and ball control. After two years, her performance of 30% improved to 50%, and not only did she achieve better results in competitions, but her self -confidence and teamwork skills also significantly improved.