12:49 p.m., Nov. 16, 2009----The University of Delaware in cooperation with the U.S. Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee completed the first two modules of the International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Program (ICECP). The program included 27 National and Olympic level coaches from Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania and the Americas.

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Offered as a part of the U.S. Olympic Committee's expanded international relations effort, UD cooperated with the USOC, as well as 27 other national Olympic committees around the world, multiple national governing bodies of sport in the United States, U.S. based professional sport organizations, several university athletic departments and Olympic coaching development experts from Spain, Canada, England and the United States who serve as project tutors for the participants, according to Matthew J. Robinson, associate professor of sport management, director of the University's sport management program and ICECP director.

“Through the ICECP we have the opportunity to share as an Olympic Committee and as a nation our knowledge, resources and personal willingness to reach out to the rest of the world,” said Carolina Bayon, director of International Cooperation and Policy for the USOC. “We are especially grateful for the dedication, personal attention, courtesy and passion that Dr. Robinson and the whole team at the University of Delaware demonstrated towards the coaches and in making the ICECP program a great success.”

The six-week course held on the UD campus and the U.S. Olympic Training Center provided a practical program aimed at developing proficiencies in the technical, theoretical, conceptual, managerial and ethical aspects of coaching at all levels of competition.

The program consisted of daily lectures, group projects and demonstrations by UD professors and coaches, USOC performance staff, as well as world recognized experts in the sport sciences, strength and conditioning, nutrition and athlete development.

Participants also collaborated with their individual tutors to develop a project plan to address a specific need in their sport in their country and will implement the project over the course of the next four months.
Projects to be implemented include: “Development of a National Talent Identification Program for Youth Male Basketball Players” in Sierra Leone; “Reaching the Podium: Using Long Term Athlete Development Theory to Reshape Judo” in Libya; “Applying Sport Science Technology to Enhance Swimming Performance” in Greece; “Development and Implementation of Long-Term Athlete Development for Alpine Skiing” in Serbia; “Development of a 12-Week Strength and Conditioning Program for Guam National Basketball in Preparation for International Competition;” and “Research on the Efficacy of the National Sport Policy in Zimbabwe: A Case Study of Judo Performance.”

“The coaches have been an incredible group with which to work,” Robinson said. “Last year's participants had an incredible impact on sport in their respective countries through the implementation of their projects which is the goal of the Olympic Solidarity program. I know this year's group will do the same. I am also proud of the efforts of the UD faculty and staff who contributed to the program and am thankful of the support provided by the University's Institute for Global Studies.”

Along with the academic program, the ICECP participants traveled to Washington, D.C., where they received a guided tour of the White House. ICECP participants were recognized at half time of the Delaware-Delaware State football game and met with U.S. Rep. Michael N. Castle (R-Del.) prior to the game.

After completing the UD part of the program, the coaches, who represented 14 Olympic sports, participated in a two-week apprenticeship either with a U.S. national team staff or the staffs of university or high-level club programs.

The track and field coaches spent a week with the UD staff and a week with the Penn State University track and field staff. Five basketball coaches spent time with the UD men's and women's staffs as well as the staffs of the Philadelphia Big 5 universities (Villanova, Penn, St. Joseph's, LaSalle and Temple) and visited the Philadelphia 76ers training camp.

The Serbian national ski coach traveled to Switzerland with the U.S. Alpine Ski Team as they prepared for the 2010 Winter Olympic games in February 2010 in Vancouver, Canada.
The national swim coaches from Maldives, Greece, Pakistan and Malta had the opportunity to observe the training of U.S. Olympic hero Michael Phelps and learn about the long-term development program that Bob Bowman, coach of the North Baltimore Aquatic Club and of Phelps, uses to develop elite swimmers.

Patricio Bridgewater, national team coach for women's volleyball for the Netherlands Antilles, spent two weeks with the UD women's volleyball team. “Coach Bonnie Kenny was incredible in how she shared and allowed me to feel as if I was part of the team. It was a lifetime experience,” stated Bridgewater.

After the apprenticeship, the program moved to the U.S. Olympic Training Center where sessions were presented by the high performance staff of the USOC. The group also toured the Air Force Academy and attended a football game.

A demonstration of the Olympic spirit occurred at the Olympic Training Center when Igor Paskoski, the Macedonian national senior judo team head coach, earned his third Dan black belt. The certification exam was administered in the dojo by Nabil Elalem, a sixth Dan from Libya, and Ian Weithers. A fifth Dan from Barbados). Elalem and Weithers noticed that Paskoski was more skilled than his current belt, but Paskoski had never tested because there was no one in his country who could administer the exam. Elalem had the authority to administer the test and Paskoski passed with flying colors.

The program concludes in May 2010 when the participants and ICECP staff meet in Lausanne, Switzerland, headquarters of the International Olympic Committee, to present the results of the implemented projects.

Concerning the ICECP program, Robinson said, “It is important to recognize George Watson, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, who is a proponent of Problem Based Learning (PBL) theory. PBL serves as the theoretical framework for the development of the project component of the program. It has proved most effective for we get the coaches thinking about a real life situation that they can address upon returning to their country and developing the plan to address the problem. Last year's results were incredible in terms of growth of sport opportunities, creation and implementation of coaching education programs and the training and development of elite athletes in the countries.”

Robinson added, “ICECP was an incredible demonstration of international cooperation. So many great people worked together to make this a lifetime experience for everyone. The UD community, including faculty who taught in the program, Bill Sullivan and the staff and students in the Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management at the Marriott Courtyard Newark-University of Delaware hotel on campus, Lesa Griffiths and the staff at the Institute for Global Studies, and Bernard Muir and the coaches and staff in the athletic department were invaluable to the success of this program.

“On behalf of UD, I cannot thank the USOC and the IOC Olympic Solidarity enough for their belief, support and guidance and for the opportunity for UD to make a valuable contribution in promoting the high ideals of the Olympic movement and in sharing the Olympic Spirit,” Robinson said.