3:33 p.m., Sept. 18, 2008----The University of Delaware in partnership with the U.S. Olympic Committee and Olympic Solidarity is pleased to inaugurate the International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Program (ICECP) and welcome to the United States 28 coaches from Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania and the Americas.

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Offered as a part of the USOC's expanded international relations effort, the course is intended to provide a practical program aimed at developing a proficiency in the technical, theoretical, conceptual, managerial and ethical aspects of coaching at all levels of competition.

The program consists of lectures, guest speakers, participant presentations, group work and field trips. In addition, each coach will undergo an apprenticeship with a U.S. national team or college team as well as develop a project aimed at improving their national coaching infrastructure with the support of an international coaching expert.

Among the participating coaches representing 15 Olympic sports are Ivo Lakucs, coach of the gold medal-winning BMX team from Latvia, and Atanas Nikolovski, a whitewater kayak athlete who was the flag bearer for the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia during the opening ceremonies in Beijing.

“As a part of our commitment to international partnership and outreach, the U.S. Olympic Committee is excited to partner with Olympic Solidarity and the University of Delaware to offer coaches from around the globe a world class coaching education program,” said USOC Chief Executive Officer Jim Scherr. “The International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Program will provide national level coaches the possibility to keep abreast of the latest coaching principles from national level University professionals from the University of Delaware, and from USOC coaching and performance experts.”

“The University supports the high ideals of the Olympic Movement and is pleased to offer a well-structured, comprehensive and in-depth course of study,” UD President Patrick Harker said. “With a long and proud tradition in intercollegiate athletics, UD is a leader in research in the sport sciences and international initiatives. We all look forward to sharing our knowledge with the participating coaches and learning from them, as well, and we hope that they will use the experience and knowledge gained through ICECP to grow sport and further the Olympic ideals in their own countries.”

The aim of Olympic Solidarity is to organize assistance to National Olympic Committees, in particular those that have the greatest need of it. This assistance takes the form of programs elaborated jointly by the International Olympic Committee and the NOCs, with the technical assistance of the International Federations, if necessary.

The ICECP is made up of three modules scheduled over the course of the academic year, with the first module taking place at the University of Delaware from Sept. 21 to Oct. 12.

The second module includes an apprenticeship either with their respective U.S. national team or college team, with coaches being paired up with teams at the University of Delaware, Penn State University, Northern Michigan University and Texas Wesleyan University, followed by lectures conducted by the USOC's Sport Performance Division at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., from Oct. 12-29. The final module will take place at the Maison du Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, from April 18-22, 2009.

The 28 national level coaches participating in the program and housed on the University of Delaware campus and at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, were nominated by their National Olympic Committees and selected by Olympic Solidarity and the USOC to receive scholarships to participate in the ICECP.

Following is a list of the countries represented by the ICECP participating coaches: Bangladesh, Barbados, Botswana, Burundi, China, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Georgia, Greece, Guam, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Latvia, Lesotho, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands Antilles, Oman, Republic of Korea, Romania, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Virgin Islands, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

While at the University of Delaware, participants will attend sessions with Blue Hen coaches and faculty on such topics as sports psychology, physiology, sport medicine, biomechanics, nutrition, coaching methods and styles, and sports marketing and administration.

Also, they will participate in a field trip to the Philadelphia Eagles training facility and the Philadelphia sports complex.

Matthew J. Robinson, UD associate professor of sport management, is director of the program. Robinson has created international sport initiatives in Turkey, Senegal, Ireland, Cape Verde and India. The initiatives have included the education of international graduate students, sport outreach programs, travel abroad by UD faculty, staff and students, and goodwill tours to the U.S. by sport delegates from Turkey and Senegal.

Jeff Schneider, instructor in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences, is co-director of the program, which Robinson would not be possible without the support of UD's Center for International Studies and the Athletics Department.

Photos by Ambre Alexander