The International Coaching Enrichment Certification Program today welcomed 25 members to its class of 2014 at the International Olympic Committee headquarters. The sixth edition of the ICECP – an intensive coaching education program developed by the United States Olympic Committee, the University of Delaware and the IOC – included coaches from five continents, 25 countries and 12 sports.
The ICECP is conducted in partnership with Olympic Solidarity, an IOC program that provides financial assistance to National Olympic Committees around the world. Thus far, the ICECP has reached 162 participants from 23 sports and 84 countries over the six-year history of the program.
“Congratulations to the newest class of ICECP graduates,” said USOC CEO Scott Blackmun. “These 25 coaches represent the future of the Olympic Movement, and their development helps create a stronger global sports community.”
Held at the University of Delaware; the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.; apprenticeship sites around the U.S.; and the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, the ICECP began at UD on Sept. 28 and was conducted in four modules.
In the final module, participants presented the projects they completed over the course of the program – which focused on improving coaching infrastructure in their home countries – to the ICECP academic board, and took part in a formal graduation ceremony featuring a keynote address by Matt Smith, secretary general of the International Rowing Federation (FISA).
“It was a true honor to work with the USOC to put on a world-class program. The commitment of the USOC to the program is truly admirable,” said Dr. Matthew Robinson, director of the ICECP and professor of sport management at the University of Delaware. “The participants’ efforts were inspirational and I know all of them will make important contributions to their sport and the Olympic Movement for years to come.”
“The ICECP was a wonderful experience that has enhanced the knowledge of our junior and senior coaches” said Shahid Nazir a 2014 ICECP graduate from Pakistan. “We also have had the opportunity to organize our federation on a higher level from the information presented in ICECP. I still remain in contact with my apprenticeship site and they have been supportive of my efforts to grow and to improve the quality of rowing in Pakistan.”
“From my participation in the ICECP, I learned the importance of educating the coaches,” said Maria Fajardo Galdamez, a 2014 ICECP graduate from Guatemala. “I shared with coaches in my country the information I gained from the ICECP. Developing the project for ICECP challenged me to use the information. This is the first course I took where I had to give back what I had learned. Ultimately athletes will benefit because of my participation in the ICECP.“
The 2013-14 program included coaches from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Chile, Chinese Taipei, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Iran, Jordan, Latvia, Lesotho, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Serbia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, United States, and Uzbekistan.
For more information on the ICECP, visit udel.edu/icecp.
ABOUT ICECP
A program of the United States Olympic Committee, the University of Delaware and the International Olympic Committee, the International Coaching Enrichment Certification Program aims at assisting national-level coaches in developing proficiency in the areas of sport sciences, talent identification, athlete development, safe sport, coaching education, coaching management and grass roots sport development. The intended outcome is for ICECP participants to return to their countries and serve as coaches within their respective sports, while becoming foundation builders for future coaches and athletes and spreading Olympic spirit.
Courtesy of the USOC.