LAUSANNE, Switzerland – The International Coaching Enrichment Certification Program honored its class of 2019 in a ceremony, held May 2 at the Association of National Olympic Committees headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. The 11th edition of the ICECP – an intensive coaching education program developed by the United States Olympic Committee, the University of Delaware and the International Olympic Committee – included 27 coaches representing five continents, 26 nations and 14 sports.
The ICECP is conducted in partnership with Olympic Solidarity, an IOC program that provides financial assistance to National Olympic Committees around the world. The ICECP has reached 323 participants from 28 sports and 113 countries over the 11-year history of the program.
“Congratulations to the ICECP graduating class of 2019,” said USOC CEO Sarah Hirshland. “It is vitally important that athletes have access to coaches of the highest quality in order to realize their full potential on and off the field of play. The USOC is proud to celebrate the 11th anniversary of a program that elevates the standard of coaching globally.”
The world-class coaching education program is offered to NOCs and consists of lectures, presentations, group work and field trips spread over four modules. The 2019 program began August 15, 2018, through an online platform offered through the University of Delaware and traveled to various locations, including the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and apprenticeship sites around the United Sates, before culminating at the Olympic capital in Lausanne.
"As always, it is an honor to work with the USOC in offering the ICECP and it could not be done without the support of the USOC and Olympic Solidarity,” said Dr. Matthew Robinson, ICECP director and professor of sport management at the University of Delaware. “It is so humbling to see the work of these amazing individuals. They have all done significant work that will impact sport in their country for years to come. Our ICECP Tutors have done an amazing job of mentoring the participants and helping them develop sound projects that have already impacted around the globe. The 11th edition was such an exciting year. It was exciting to expand the use of an online platform to share information, offer presentations and communicate with the participants. I believe this is the first step in further expanding the reach of impact of the ICECP for the future. It was so exciting to include seven coaches from the United States. They fully embraced the program and they were open to both sharing with their international colleagues and learning from them as well.”
In the final module, participants presented projects they completed over the course of the program – which focused on improving coaching infrastructure in their home countries – to the ICECP academic board. In addition, coaches had the opportunity to present their projects to their International Federations, including athletics, basketball, diving, fencing, field hockey, gymnastics, rowing, sailing, speedskating, swimming, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting and wrestling. The IFs are an important partner of the ICEPC and play a critical role in the selection and oversight of participants.
The 2019 module concluded with formal presentations and a graduation ceremony at the ANOC headquarters in Lausanne, featuring keynote addresses from Pedro Cunha, a 2012 Olympian in beach volleyball working for the IOC’s Athletes Career Program, and Jordi Serra, Head of Operations for the International Table Tennis Federation.
“I had no idea about all of the information that was provided in the course,” said 2019 ICECP participant Darcyann Muller from Marshall Islands. “I did not realize the importance of periodization training, nutrition and SafeSport. I am still an athlete and I am transitioning as a coach. I have grown as a coach during the course. I am a sport educator and I look forward sharing what I have learned on the ICECP with all back home.”
LaPrise Harris-Williams, ICECP participant from St. Vincent and the Grenadines said that participating in the ICECP “has basically restored my faith in coaching again. It’s given me the love of the sport back for gymnastics. And creating a project to help children sometimes is a way to find what God has given you or your inner gift and your true calling of what you are supposed to do. This project and this program has helped many people on the island just feel connected to something bigger than they are. It is something that has changed the lives of the coaches on the island in St. Vincent and I just feel overall that it has connected me to the community that otherwise I would have not been connected if I had not pursued and followed through with the ICECP program.”
“ICECP has really opened up my eyes and thoughts on how important a role of the coach is in the sport system,” said Chris Amini, Papua New Guinea ICECP participant. “I gained an understanding of where I fit within my NOC. I really want to help make the coaches better so that they can impact the athletes. The ICECP makes the participants better and in turn they make their athletes better. The program has not been about me; it is about me learning so I can make others better.”
The three participants were honored with the top-class project award, for the following projects: “Development of Coaching Framework to Formalize Beach Volleyball in the Marshall Islands,” Darcyann Muller; “Developing a Level One Gymnastics Coach Curriculum and Certification Program for St Vincent and the Grenadines,” Laprise Harris Williams; and “Team PNG Elite Performance Coach Education Program in Papua New Guinea,” Chris Amini.
2019 ICECP Graduates
*International Participants - Graduated with honors.
Boie Feliz Leo Corvah, Liberia
Benjamin Chaura, Malawi*
Issa Bockarie Fofana, Sierra Leone
Alfred Joachim Selengia, Tanzania
Albert Humes, Belize
Cristopher Sanhueza Yanez, Chile
Ronald Charles, Grenada
Junior Hercules, Guyana*
LaPrise Harris-Williams, St. Vincent & Grenadines*
Nancy Joseph, Trinidad & Tobago
Khurshida Khatun, Bangladesh
Ang Sok, Cambodia
Prabhakaran Radhakrishnan, India*
Riham Fawaz Aljallad, Jordan*
Djhonny Lakis, Lebanon*
Niti Wangpreecha, Thailand
Agita Purina, Latvia*
Rui Norte, Portugal*
Sasa Nikitovic, Serbia
Darcyann Muller, Marshall Islands*
Chris Amini, Papua New Guinea*
Katea Tebitara Ueresi, Solomon Islands
Mari Holden, United States
Brett Gorman, United States
Jen Lester, United States
John Fox, United States
Kevin Broome, United States
Jane Millman, United States
Chris Needham, United States
Coaches were selected for Olympic Solidarity scholarships in collaboration with Olympic Solidarity and the following International Federations:
International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)
International Basketball Federation (FIBA)
International Fencing Federation (FIE)
International Hockey Federation (FIH)
World Rowing Federation (FISA)
International Swimming Federation (FINA)
World Taekwondo (WTF)
International Gymnastics Federation (FIG)
International Volleyball Federation (FIVB)
International Weightlifting Federation (IWF)
United World Wrestling (UWW)
About ICECP
A program of the USOC, the University of Delaware and the IOC, 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 grassroots 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. For more information, visit: 1.udel.edu/ICECP/.