10:43 a.m., Oct. 2, 2009----University of Delaware First Year Experience (FYE) students had a chance to interact with coaches from 27 different countries as part of the opening ceremony for the International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Program (ICECP) on Sunday, Sept. 13.

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The students, who are members of an FYE seminar titled “Promoting Global Citizenship, Cooperation and Understanding through Sport,” each spent time at the reception with one of the coaches and learned about the coach's homeland, coaching career and goals for participating in the ICECP program.

“It was an opportunity for the freshmen to be introduced to new cultures through the medium of sport,” said UD's Matthew J. Robinson, ICECP director and associate professor of sport management who is leading the FYE seminar. “The coaches thoroughly enjoyed the chance to meet the students and I think it was a great introduction to the freshman to the many cultures of the world, which is one of the goals of the FYE program. It was a great night of sharing, learning and respecting and appreciating of different cultures and customs.”

Carolina Bayon, director of international cooperation with the U.S. Olympic Committee who was in attendance at the reception, said, “It was an incredible demonstration of what the Olympic Movement is all about -- using sport to bring diverse cultures together in a positive way. I was so impressed by the UD students and how they made the coaches feel comfortable while also asking questions to learn about the different countries. It was a great night for sport and education.”

Countries represented were American Samoa, Barbados, Chinese Taipei, Dominica, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Greece, Grenada, Guam, Indonesia, Kiribati, Kyrgystan, Libya, Macedonia, Maldives, Malta, Mongolia, Netherlands Antilles, Pakistan, Peru, Puerto Rico, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe.

“I have always felt that the best way to learn about a different culture is to speak to someone from that other culture,” said Casey Langrehr, a freshman from Bel Air, Md. “The dinner for the ICECP was very enlightening.”

Brian Malat, Langrehr's classmate from Baltimore, agreed. “I felt it was very beneficial for me because it gave me a world perspective. And since I am a history major, it was perfect for me,” he said.

After the students had one-one conversations with individual coaches, the coaches introduced themselves and talked about their country to the entire group. They shared information on the history and culture of their nations, tied together by their mutual involvement and passion for sport.

“I think it was interesting to hear how proud the coaches were of their countries, but also how enthusiastic they were about being in the United States,” said freshman Melissa Sapio.

Freshman Mike Chrimes spoke with Tatenda Guta, a judo coach from Zimbabwe. “It was my first experience with someone from a different country. It was really cool to learn about the lifestyle in Africa and compare and contrast it with America,” he said.

The introduction ceremony also included a presentation by UD's David Barlow, associate professor in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Science. Barlow spoke to the group about the history of the Olympic movement, the Olympic ideals and how ICECP sought to embody and promote those ideals.

The mission of the International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Program is to provide national level coaches and those responsible for the development of the sport national coaching structures in developing countries with a practical program orientated towards developing proficiency in the technical, theoretical, conceptual, managerial and ethical aspects of coaching at all levels of competition.

The University of Delaware worked in cooperation with the U.S. Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee's Olympic Solidarity department to offer ICECP on the Newark campus.

Article by Matt Volpe