Coaching the Coaches. Quality Sports Coaching Education at Degree Level. Erasmus Project

Project Title

Coaching the Coaches. Quality Sports Coaching Education at Degree Level.

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Quality Assurance; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal)

Project Summary

Based on a needs analysis carried out by the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE, 2016) and the academic literature on sports coaching (Lyle, 2002; Cushion & Lyle, 2017), the design of effective programmes for the future should see field experts from National Governing Bodies (NGBs), sports associations and clubs, join forces with sports coaching academics. Furthermore, experts have suggested that, in the constructivist vein, learners themselves are the key to developing relevant educational programmes, curricula and syllabi.

A joint partnership of four Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) will therefore be partnering with NGBs and prospective learners to design, develop and obtain accreditation for four level 6 units on Sports Coaching. The project brings together the University of Southern Denmark, Reykjavik University, Mugla Sitki Kocman University, and the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology as lead partner. We will also be involving the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) in the quality assurance of the units developed in line with the ICCE’s Standards for Higher Education Bachelor Coaching Degree Programmes.

Our project objectives are:

-Addressing current gaps in sports coaching education through the development of four units which can be integrated in a level 6 course
-Promoting the results of our project beyond our project partnership

Our target groups are:

-Sports coaching students and practitioners in the field
-Sports coaching lecturers
-Higher education institutions (HEIs) providing sports coaching education
-Stakeholders in the field of sports coaching (e.g. NGBs and the ICCE)

The delivery of the units is to be piloted during the project in four weekend schools, organised in the Higher Education Institutions of each respective country. During its pilot phase, the project will also include mobility opportunities for six learners from each country to attend a weekend school in a foreign country and shadow an experienced coach in the workplace (job shadowing) for approximately 10 days. 1 foreign expert from the participating members will be invited in every weekend school to share his/her expertise with the academics and learners participating in the weekend school in its respective country.

In the long-term, the project will contribute to developing new and more innovative methodologies for developing units at higher education level. It will also establish closer cooperation among the participating HEIs as well as with the ICCE in the field of sport coaching education specifically. The developed units will continue to be integrated in sport coaching courses at level 6 in the participating HEIs. Through the envisaged project dissemination plan we will also be able to promote the project impact beyond our project partnership. The description of the units will remain available even after the end of the project.

OFFICIAL ENDORSEMENT and SUPPORT
Together with the collaborative support of the Malta Olympic Committee, Danish Sports Confederation, National Olympic & Sports Association of Iceland and Sports for all Federation Sports for All & Wellness Association, this project is officially endorsed by the Parliamentary Secretariat for Youth, Sport & Voluntary Organisations, headed by Parliamentary Secretary Hon Minister Dr Clifton Grima. The Parliamentary Secretariat will be invited for international meetings with representatives from foreign Universities, the ICCE and the foreign NGBs. Furthermore the generation of knowledge and intellectual output, together with good practices will be shared with the Secretariat as well.

Project Website

https://coached6.mcast.edu.mt/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 250705 Eur

Project Coordinator

MALTA COLLEGE OF ARTS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY & Country: MT

Project Partners

• INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR COACHING EXCELLENCE
• HASKOLINN I REYKJAVIK EHF
• SYDDANSK UNIVERSITET
• MUGLA SITKI KOCMAN UNIVERSITY