Serving the modern athlete
Photos courtesy of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee June 13, 2024
Thirty-four coaches graduate from the International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Program
The International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Program (ICECP) honored members of its 14th class in a ceremony held in April at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. The graduating coaches came from 33 nations across 18 sports.
The ICECP is an international coaching course offered by the University of Delaware in partnership with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and funded by the IOC’s Olympic Solidarity.
Through the program, national-level coaches refine their coaching and leadership skills and learn about the latest coaching and sport science principles and trends, enabling them to improve the performance of their athletes while developing and growing sport in their respective countries. The program also focuses on promoting Olympic values and cultural understanding and respect.
“These individuals have been identified as professionals of promise by each of their national Olympic committees,” said Matthew Robinson, director of the ICECP and professor of sport management at UD. “Also they are now members of the Olympic family that strives to make a better world through sport.”
Three Olympians-turned-coaches were among the cohort: Kareem Ennab of Jordan (swimming, 2012), Ola Shelton of Poland (fencing, 2004, ’08, ’12 and ’16) and Dirk Van Tichelt, 2016 Bronze medalist from Belgium (Judo, 2008, ’12 and ’16).
“The diverse network of mentors and peers provided me with unique insights into the complexities of sports coaching across different cultures and environments, which has been instrumental in broadening my perspective,” Ennab said. “Moving forward, this experience will fuel my commitment to developing sports in my country by nurturing talent and promoting inclusive and sustainable sports practices.”
Over the course of the year-long program, the cohort completed modules virtually and in-person at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as well as at UD and at apprenticeship sites in the United States.
Each participant also drafts a personal project, which is developed under the guidance of an experienced tutor.
More than 1,300 coaches and 2,000 athletes have participated in 131 coaching education clinics organized as personal projects by this year’s graduates.
While on the UD campus, the coaches met with students from the First Year Experience class taught by Robinson. Several University faculty members, including Freda Patterson, associate dean of Research in the College of Health Sciences, also served as tutors for this year’s ICECP cohort.
“UD is truly a global campus and our recent ICECP graduates are just another example of this,” Patterson said. “These graduates have directly benefited from our Health Science faculty's expertise in disciplines from kinesiology to athletic performance assessment as well as UD's commitment to provide rigorous interdisciplinary and global opportunities.”
The graduation took place at Olympic House, home of the International Olympic Committee. Each coach presented their final project in front of an audience of their peers, tutors, IOC staff and International Federations.
Sarah Hirshland, USOPC chief executive officer, thanked the cohort “for their commitment to broadening their expertise to best serve the modern athlete.”
“Partnering with Olympic Solidarity and University of Delaware gives us the opportunity to provide coaches with world-class training opportunities, as well as the pathway to connect with coaches and instructors from across the world of sport,” Hirshland said.
Since its inception in 2008, the ICECP has hosted 491 participants from 130 nations and 42 sports.
“I am continually impressed by participants’ efforts and their contributions to the development of their sport,” Robinson said. "We look forward to our 15th cohort next year and surpassing 500 participants.”
For the XIV ICECP Graduating Class and Tutor Roster, please visit: XIV ICECP Roster
For more information on ICECP, please visit: https://www1.udel.edu/ICECP/
Contact Us
Have a UDaily story idea?
Contact us at ocm@udel.edu
Members of the press
Contact us at 302-831-NEWS or visit the Media Relations website
ADVERTISEMENT
Resources
Office of Communications & Marketing 105 E. Main St. Newark, DE 19716 ocm@udel.edu Phone: 302-831-2792