IAAF Academy Concept Project

The Mission: “The IAAF Athletics Academy will provide a high level of services to all the Athletics Key Personnel: coaches, technical officials, administrators etc.”

ACADEMY CONCEPT PROJECT

The Development Commission appointed in 2002 a working group to study the feasibility of an IAAF Academy.

The working group was formally commissioned to:

• Design an IAAF Academy to provide high quality programmes of professional development opportunities and other services for coaches and other key personnel in the sport
• Integrate the Academy's work with that of existing IAAF structures (Member Services Department, Regional Development Centres, Coaches Education and Certification System, etc.)
• Integrate the Academy's work with that of the IAAF Coaches Commission
• Integrate the Academy's work with that of the six Area Coaches Associations
• Design a system to measure coaching effectiveness

THE IAAF COACHES EDUCATION & CERTIFICATION SYSTEM (CECS)

The IAAF's main service to the coaching community, the Coaches Education and Certification System (CECS), was launched in 1991 and since then thousands of coaches have received valuable training through a high quality curriculum and materials, trained lecturers and a standard evaluation and certification process. However, like any educational programme, the CECS requires periodic updating and modification to stay current with best practice and developments in coaching knowledge.

As originally planned, the CECS would have three levels of instruction leading to the award of an IAAF Diploma in Coaching. However, after the Level II (event group specialisation ) course had been developed and implemented, a decision was taken by the Development Commission to award the Diploma following the coach's completion of Level II and a prescribed amount of work in the field. Factors leading to this decision included:

• The length of time taken to complete development of Level II
• The practical difficulties of developing and delivering the envisaged Level III course
• The inappropriateness of the highly theoretical and scientific training for the work of the majority of the coaches coming through the system

At the time of the decision, the Development Commission Chairman expressed the feeling that, having promised a three level system for 10 years, the IAAF owed the coaches the opportunity for a third level of instruction. This was in addition to the following recommendations he had made earlier regarding the CECS:

• Develop a system of equivalency that would recognise training received in national coaches education programmes and allow those coaches to participate in the IAAF system without starting from the lowest level
• Increase use of the Internet / E-learning in coaches education

Improving Support for Coaches

Research carried out for the IAAF in 1995-1997 showed that more than 60% of the coaches who had participated in the CECS Level I were dissatisfied with the ongoing support they had received after their course from IAAF and non-IAAF sources.

To address this situation, the Development Commission Chairman has made the following recommendations in this area:

•  Develop a database and follow-up system for coaches
•  Develop a coach/athlete tracking system
•  Develop a system of performance indices for coaches (coaching effectiveness)
•  Promote Area Coaches Associations

Area Coaches Associations, working closely with the RDCs, were seen as an important channel for providing ongoing support to coaches. However, both the existing and new associations have found it a major challenge to provide services and build a membership base that would make them financially viable. To ensure the survival of the associations without the IAAF simply paying for their operation, it has been seen as necessary to help them integrate their activities with each other and with IAAF programmes to provide attractive, valuable support services for coaches.

Independent of the CECS and the issue of Level III, there are those, both inside and outside the IAAF, who have been considering the lack of training available for the key roles of coaches who reach the highest level of their profession:

•  National Technical Director or Chief Coach, which requires specialist leadership and administrative skills that most technical-practical oriented coaches education programmes did not cover
•  Elite coach, which requires the type of high level preparation originally planned for Level III but delivered in a very individualised and flexible way
•  Educator or professional development coach, which the IAAF itself requires for operating the CECS (particularly to address the lack of suitable Level II Lecturers) and every country requires to run a domestic coach education system. This third role was given additional importance when the IAAF President announced his vision that each Member Federation would have a qualified coaching lecturer.

It is important to note that in most cases it is very difficult for a coach to fill more than one of these roles at a time. The lack of personnel to fill these roles is a barrier to federations producing well-prepared athletes to represent their countries and participate successfully in the IAAF World Athletics Series events. The specialised training required has been seen as a key development to reach the objective expressed in the Athletics World Plan of increasing “the level of competence in the sport of Athletics”.

Coaches Education

In practicality the global coach's education may take the following course:

A coach works with athletes on a regular basis and is involved in a coach development/education/certification programme recognized by his/her National Federation. Such programmes include IAAF CECS.

The coach chooses to apply for membership of his/her Area Coaches Association directly or indirectly via his/her National Coaches Association (where this exists).

The application is accepted on condition that it is endorsed by the National Federation in confirming: -

• the coach is an active/practicing coach.
• the coach has completed a basic coach development/education/certification programme recognized by the Federation or is acknowledged by the Federation as having a strong understanding of basic coaching principles.

The coach will also pay an annual membership fee to the Area Coaches Association and sign up to the IAAF Code of Ethics for Coaches. The “Bronze” Initial/Basic/Annual Membership package of entitlement is:

• Access to Annual Coaches' Association Conference.
• Area Coaches' Association Newsletter.
• Area Coaches' Association Report
• CECS and update digest.
• Relevant support services and products.
• Registration in the IAAF Coaches' Database

As part of building a sense of partnership and interdependence in the coach development process there will be regular communication between all parties involved. For example, dialogue between the National Federation and/or M.S.D. will be initiated soon after a coach's application is received, on matters relevant to coach development/education/certification programmes . This dialogue will include alignment or equivalence of programme components, using IAAF CECS I as a reference standard. This will take the sport, in time, to a parity of standards in basic coach development/education/certification.

The coach who becomes a member of an Area Coaches' Association and who is committed to higher levels of coaching knowledge and certification, may move on to the next level (“Silver”) of Association Membership package entitlements.

This package is designed not only to assist the coach in his/her pursuit of greater coaching effectiveness and of achieving higher coach certification status, but also in preparing for IAAF Academy entrance, should this be the coach's goal.

The coach will pay the “Silver” Area Coaches Association membership fee and sign up to the IAAF Code of Ethics for Coaches.

The “Silver” membership package of entitlement is: -

•  All “Bronze” package entitlement .
•  Access to other Areas' Coaches Association Conferences.
•  Annual Area/Coaches Associations Conference Proceedings digest.
•  Access to High Performance Training Centres .
•  Relevant support services and products in the “Coach 2 Coach” programme .
•  Sponsored IAAF publications, e.g. NSA.

Again, as part of building partnerships in the coach development process, dialogue will be initiated to work towards equivalence of those coaching awards at the top end of National programs, using CECS II as a reference standard. This dialogue will also contribute to the process of agreeing criteria for admission, to the IAAF Academy and how to supplement coaches' education where this is required, via the “Silver” package to provide a bridge to Academy entry. In effect, this means shaping the coach's preparation with one of the three IAAF Academy courses.

The Area Coaches' Association member who meets the criteria CECS II equivalent, or for Academy entrance, may move into the next level (“Gold”) of the Area Coaches' Association Membership package entitlement. This package is designed to support the coach in meeting the challenge of the chosen Academy course and/or to continue to assist the coach in pursuit of greater coaching effectiveness.

Application for Academy entrance is accepted on condition that it is endorsed by the National Federation and by the Area Coaches' Association in confirming:

•  The coach is an effective, active/practicing coach.
•  The coach has met the necessary criteria for Academy entrance.

Academy-related administration, etc. is dealt with by the Academy. The coach will pay the “Gold” Area Coaches' Association membership fee and signs up to the IAAF Code of Ethics for Coaches.

The “Gold” membership package of entitlement is: -

•  All “Silver ” package entitlements .
•  Access to the World Class Coaches Club.
•  Relevant support services and products .

Partnership built, at this level is based upon continuing consultation on, and review of, the relevance and value of all aspects of structure and function in the process of development from beginner to Academy levels, in meeting the changing needs of athlete, coach, club, federation, Areas and IAAF.

The detail of operation and of product and service offering is currently being addressed, but broadly speaking, the concept includes the following: -

There will be three courses: i.e. Coach in a leadership role.

•  Chief Coach (e.g. Performance Director, National Coach, etc.)
•  Elite Coach (e.g. coaching specialist at higher level)
•  Professional Development Coach (e.g. Coach Development//Education Director, IAAF Lecturer etc.)

There will be a coaches' development resource “market place” of modules and resource materials entitled “Coach 2 Coach”. This will be employed on a “pick and mix” basis to suit the development needs of coaches at “silver” and “gold” package levels and to those graduated as Academy Coaches via “Platinum” Area Coaches Association membership package of entitlement (see below).

•  There will be a service to coordinate Research and Development projects.
•  There will be a database focused on performance development and coaching effectiveness.
•  There will be a continuous review programme to monitor the coach development process.

A coach qualifying in any of these courses becomes an “Academy Coach”.

A coach who has graduated as an Academy Coach is invited by his or her Area Coaches Association to accept entitlement of the “Platinum” package. The only conditions which apply here are that the coach remains actively involved in coaching and/or its development and support at National and/or Area and/or World levels, and the coach signs up to the IAAF Code of Ethics for Coaches. The “Platinum ” membership package of entitlement is : -

•  All “Gold” package entitlements .
•  Honorary Membership

At the discretion of the Academy, on the recommendation of its award Panel, Academy Coaches may be accorded Academy membership or Fellowship status for outstanding contribution to the advancement of coaching theory and practice in athletics.

IAAF ACADEMY CHIEF COACHES PILOT COURSE

A MOU was signed recently between the IAAF and the University of Loughborough in order to start operations.

The first Pilot Course for Chief Coaches will be held in Loughborough from 30 th June-11 th July and 19 th -26 th September 2004. The course will be structured in two parts:

•  Part A: General – The lecturers will be drawn from the Professors at Loughborough University.
•  Part B: Specific – The lecturers will be chosen from amongst the most experienced and successful Chief Coaches of the recent past.

15 Coaches representing all six Area Coaches Associations will be invited to participate in this Pilot Course.