Athletics coach Henk Botha says his recently acquired International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Programme (ICECP) diploma will help him grow as an individual, as well as help many Namibian athletes.
The ICECP honoured members of its XII (12) and XIII (13) classes at a ceremony held on 24 April 2023 at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The course provided national-level coaches with enhanced coaching and leadership skills, along with the latest coaching principles from the University of Delaware, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and Olympic Solidarity (a department of the IOC).
The intended outcome of the course is to assist national-level coaches in developing proficiency in the areas of sport sciences, talent identification, coaching education, management, athlete development, safe sport principles and grassroots sports development.
In an interview with Nampa on Wednesday, Botha said he was happy to acquire the qualification as it is life-changing for him and the athletes he will be working with in Namibia.
“It was tremendous, we did a lot of modern coaching techniques which enriched me as a coach. I am better off as a coach and I can provide for my athletes, as well as other athletes in Namibia,” he said.
He added that attending the course connected him to several coaches around the world who he believes will work well with him, as well as help the different sports codes in future.
“I have set up links with other sports codes who can come help us in Namibia. I have also been approached by the Bangladesh Athletics Federation to assist them with their sprint athletes. Through this programme I have been in contact with European Athletics who want to add us to a coaching forum as a country where we can share information which in the end will help us become better,” said Botha.
The ICECP saw 31 coaches from 27 nations receive diplomas in 17 different sports codes. Since its inception in 2008, a total of 457 participants from 125 nations and 39 sports have graduated from the programme.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
