Sports coaching is the process of training, guiding and improving an individual or set of individuals in preparation for any sport. Across Europe there are courses and professional recognitions aimed at the certification of coaches, with different levels of knowledge. Not many coaches will follow a coaching career, they will only attend starting level courses that do not usually include modules aimed at the psychological aspects related to training, team management, psychological development, communication, etc. Thus, creating a gap of knowledge and skills that are crucial for young athletes’ well-being.
The PSYCOACH project has the goal of addressing this gap by developing an intervention for coaches and sports club
staff, based on the most relevant psychological theories and techniques in sports, that will help athletes to increase
their self-confidence, self-esteem and self-concept and to implement better behaviours aimed at a healthy lifestyle. An
increase in athletes’ self-confidence, for example, leads to better well-being and feelings of security, contributing also
for more efficient training and more satisfying sportive results.
The project, with a 24 month length, aims at the development of a Blended Learning course, named Psychological
skills for inclusive and healthy coaching, posteriorly maintained by the partnership, with five modules (Understanding
the athlete; What is sports performance?; Sports welfare? from utopia to sporting behaviour; Tools for a conscious
training; Give inclusion a chance). The course will be developed in transnational meetings, tried out by the sport clubs
in the partnership, assessed resorting to scientifically validated instruments. The assessment will consider the course
participants’ satisfaction and perceived utility of the course, and will compare the athletes satisfaction with training before
and after the course attended by their coach or staff.
A set of podcasts and a final conference will be also organized.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.