adminEllina Mhlanga
Senior Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Olympic Committee are set to host the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) Coach Developer Training starting in October.
The six-month programme will be in partnership with the National Olympic Committee of Zambia and supported by the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sport.
According to organisers, it will take place in phases between October this year and March 2025. The first phase will be from October 7 to 12, 2024 in Lusaka, Zambia. Participants will then converge in Harare for the second phase from March 16 to 22, 2025.
From November 2024 to February 2025 there will be practical work in the home organisation that includes coach training, field observation and coach review.
ZOC chief executive Marlene Gadzirayi said so far, the country has 14 coach developers.
They will be looking at increasing the number for the further benefit of sport.
“The ICCE Coach Developer Training is a programme offered by the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE). The training aims to develop the skills and knowledge of coach developers, who are responsible for educating, supporting, and certifying sports coaches.
“The ICCE is a global organisation that promotes coaching excellence and sets standards for coach education.
“The last cohort was done in 2021 in Zambia, with the first cohort having done the training in 2018. So far in Zimbabwe we have 14 coach developers from athletics, rugby, volleyball, judo, and boxing.”
The programme targets technical directors and experienced coaches who have a task to develop coaches in their sports.
Twenty participants from Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi are expected to take part in the course which focuses on developing the competencies of coach developers.
“The Coach Developer Training programme focuses on developing the competencies of coach developers, including; understanding coaching pedagogy and adult learning principles, designing and delivering coach education pro-grammes, assessing and evaluating coach learning and performance, mentoring and supporting coaches.”
ZOC are looking at encouraging innovation and creativity in sport among other goals through such initiatives.
“The ZOC will want to achieve the following from these collaborations; supporting the development of the Olympic Movement, the preservation of the objective of promoting peace, and the promotion of Olympism and Olympic Education.
“Providing training and development opportunities for athletes, which can help to improve performance and in-crease competitiveness.
“Sharing resources, expertise, and knowledge to help each other overcome challenges and achieve common goals.
“Strengthening international cooperation and diplomacy through sport, which can help to build bridges between nations and cultures.
“Encouraging innovation and creativity in sport, which can help to drive progress and improvement,” said Gadzirayi.
The ZOC chief executive said there will be more collaborations between the two countries — Zimbabwe and Zambia, on different aspects of sports in the future.
“This is not the first time we have been working with the National Olympic Committee of Zambia, we have been working together for several years.
“We strengthened the relationship through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in April 2024, and therefore more collaborations in different aspects of sports will be done,” Gadzirayi said. Applications for those interested in attending the course close today.
Online Reporter