The International Sport Coaching Bachelor Degree Standards of the International Council for Coaching Excellence

Sport coaching is at a pivotal moment in its short history. The publication of the International Sport Coaching Framework by the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) in 2013 has drawn attention to coaching world-wide and fostered a step change in the way coaching systems are understood and built. Within this evolving context, higher education institutions are increasingly playing a greater role in the education and development of coaches in many countries. One way in which they are doing so is through the delivery of partial or full sport coaching degrees. ICCE recognises this emerging landscape. In this article we present an introduction to the newly developed International Sport Coaching Bachelor Degree Standards. The Standards are the culmination of a 12-month process of cooperation and consultation between an expert group and the coaching community at large. They aim to respond to the needs of higher education institutions and serve as an internationally accepted reference point to aid the development of bachelor coaching degrees that prepare coaches to effectively support athletes and participants

A Reflection on the State of Sport Coaching Research, Its Community, and Representation: The 2020 International Council for Coaching Excellence Research Committee

This article provides an overview of the context, details, and outcomes of a consultation and review of the International Council for Coaching Excellence’s interactions and engagements with, and service provision to, the international sport coaching research community. The consultation and review were undertaken by the International Council for Coaching Excellence Research Committee (RC). The paper starts with a description of the sport coaching research landscape. It then provides details of the role of the International Council for Coaching Excellence, its Research Fair, and RC. The paper then offers an overview of the formal initiation of the consultation and review at the Global Coach Conference, Japan 2019, as well as a brief overview of the approach used. It then details the consultation findings providing direction for the RC moving forward. The resultant revised RC terms of reference are included as an appendix

CoachNet: The further development of a coordinated network for sport coaching in Europe

Leeds Metropolitan University (LMU), in partnership with the European Coaching Council (ECC), was successful in a bid to the European Commission under the Preparatory Action in the Field of Sport (EAC/18/2011). The project was designed to develop an innovative approach that would contribute to the strengthening of the organisation of sport in Europe as part of the ‘good governance, strand of the EU Preparatory Action in the Field of Sport. The primary objective was to examine ways in which the organisation of coaching could be enhanced in Europe, with a particular focus on the greater involvement of coaches in decisionmaking. In exploring ways to maximise the ‘voice of the coach’, the partnership between LMU and ECC was central to the project. ECC is the continental division of the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE). Through its network, ECC was in a position to identify current organisational arrangements for coaching across Europe. LMU is a well established research and practice oriented university in the UK and played a lead role in coordinating the project and guiding the research methodology through its Sport Coaching and Physical Education (SCOPE) Research and Enterprise Centre. Varying arrangements for the development and management of coaching were observed through a study of European countries. Within this varied landscape, the representation of coaches was sporadic, ranging from no representative mechanism to a number of good practice examples that made provision for the tiered engagement of coaches depending on their role; sport and coaching status category. These examples included confederated models across sports; blended models across coaching status categories and single and multi-sport models for the engagement and representation of coaches. The study concluded that there is a need for a more considered approach to the involvement of coaches in decision-making, with a number of recommendations developed for consideration by member states and the European divisions of the International Federations. These recommendations proposed that the structure of ECC as the European arm of ICCE be reviewed, with the intention to more strongly engage organisations that have been established to represent the voice of coaches and leading to a re-structuring of the organisation. In this context, ICCE and ECC should play an even stronger advocacy, representative and action role in establishing coaching as a blended profession, which includes volunteer, part-time paid and full-time paid coaches. More coherent structures for the engagement of coaches in each sport and country are also recommended. This should occur as part of a wider commitment that the principle of listening to and hearing the voice of the coach should become more strongly embedded within the way in which sporting and related organisations operate. The EU is well placed to lead on this type of approach, ensuring the coaches are more fully engaged in social dialogue and in the process to further enhance the role of sport and coaching in Europe. Further research is also recommended on the nature, needs and demographics of the coaching workforce. All of these approaches need to be tempered with the realisation that coaches are individual decision-makers, operating in a wide variety of contexts and many of whom do not show a propensity for involvement in formal ‘representative’ structures. The need for alternative methods to connect with and engage coaches was, therefore, identified. These include a more segmented approach to engaging with coaches, depending on their coaching role and status, as well as the utilisation of more informal modes of web-based communication to connect directly with coaches in their daily lives. In all existing and future scenarios, the key role of federations at the national and international level in seeking, activating and allocating financial and other resources to connect with and support their coaches was highlighted. The findings have been notified to ICCE for formal consideration, leading to changes in the ways in which the voice of the coach is more clearly represented within the work of the organisation. ICCE should continue to work closely with the EU Sport Unit to ensure that the recommendations of this report are implemented and evaluated on an on-going basis

Assessing the needs of coaches in developing a coach education framework

The establishment of a global framework recognising coaching competencies and qualifications is part of the International Council for Coaching Excellence key objectives for the period 2009-2015. It is partly for this reason that the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) has developed a framework for Long-Term Coach Development in order to identify, recruit, support and provide recognition to coaches (SASCOC, 2011). As part of a study exploring the impact of coach education on coaching practice, a national survey of lifesaving coaches was conducted (n = 120). This was done using the Survey Monkey® internet tool and targeted all coaches and administrators listed on the Lifesaving South Africa’s database. Survey questions focused on obtaining a demographic profile, coaching experience and the foci of athlete training. Questions also sought to gather information on the coach education process, its content and the way it was assessed. Results from the survey indicated that 81% of respondents are volunteer coaches with an age range between 18 and 60 years. 50% of sampled coaches had been coaching lifesaving for between two and five years, mostly at the club level (96%). Coaches were asked where they had learnt to coach, and the most common responses were drawing from their own sporting experiences, watching other coaches and being self-taught. The implementation of a coach education programme through Lifesaving South Africa was well received, although only 54% felt that certification should be mandatory. It was through this preliminary data that an understanding of what the coaches’ require in a coach education programme was gained

Coaching for excellence

Report and action plan that aims to identify the critical skills required by teachers/trainers/tutors/lecturers (Coaches) who prepare young people for competition

International Council for Coaching Excellence Position Statement “Professionalisation of Sport Coaching as a Global Process of Continuous Improvement”

This position statement is the result of a consultation process carried out in 2021 as part of project CoachForce (CF21), an Erasmus+ co-funded initiative co-led by the International Council for Coaching Excellence and Leeds Beckett University. It is organised in two parts. First, the principal and extended position statements are presented. Subsequently, a short background and rationale paper are offered as supplementary information. Development of these documents took place in four stages. Stage one saw the CF21 expert group develop an outline of the contents of the position statement. Stage 2 included the development of a first full draft of the statement and the rationale paper by the core authors. Stage 3 comprised of a global consultation with the ICCE member base. Finally Stage 4 entailed the development of the final version based on the feedback received. The statement is intended to cover the period 2021 to 2030, however, it will be subject to periodical review and, if necessary, amended

Assessing the needs of coaches in developing a coach education framework

The establishment of a global framework recognising coaching competencies and qualifications is part of the International Council for Coaching Excellence key objectives for the period 2009-2015. It is partly for this reason that the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) has developed a framework for Long-Term Coach Development in order to identify, recruit, support and provide recognition to coaches (SASCOC, 2011). As part of a study exploring the impact of coach education on coaching practice, a national survey of lifesaving coaches was conducted (n = 120). This was done using the Survey Monkey® internet tool and targeted all coaches and administrators listed on the Lifesaving South Africa’s database. Survey questions focused on obtaining a demographic profile, coaching experience and the foci of athlete training. Questions also sought to gather information on the coach education process, its content and the way it was assessed. Results from the survey indicated that 81% of respondents are volunteer coaches with an age range between 18 and 60 years. 50% of sampled coaches had been coaching lifesaving for between two and five years, mostly at the club level (96%). Coaches were asked where they had learnt to coach, and the most common responses were drawing from their own sporting experiences, watching other coaches and being self-taught. The implementation of a coach education programme through Lifesaving South Africa was well received, although only 54% felt that certification should be mandatory. It was through this preliminary data that an understanding of what the coaches’ require in a coach education programme was gained

South African Coaching Framework: Scoping report

Recognising the central role of sports coaching in the delivery of an active and winning nation, SRSA and SASCOC have agreed to the establishment of a Coaches Commission. This Commission, operating within SASCOC, has been charged with the responsibility ‘to investigate a coaching system for South African Sport’ and to include the evaluation of other systems across the world. As part of this work, the Commission has the support of the Technical and Administrative staff of SASCOC. The Commission has also examined issues relating to coach education through a Task Team involving representatives from the University of Johannesburg and Stellenbosch University. Delegates from SASCOC; SRSA and the Coaches Commission attended the global conference of the International Council for Coach Education (ICCE) in Vancouver in November 2009. The event outlined recent developments in the European Framework for the Recognition of Coaching Competence and Qualifications and the proposed development of a global framework as part of the draft strategy of ICCE. At the Vancouver conference, discussions occurred with the Professor Patrick Duffy on the issues associated with the development of a South African Coaching Framework. These discussions continued following the conference and a scoping visit was initiated with the support of UK Sport as part of its London 2012 International Inspiration Programme