Recently, the 2026 International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) Executive Committee Meeting was convened at Beijing Sport University. This meeting brought together ICCE Executive Committee members, industry experts, and scholars from over ten countries and regions worldwide. It focused on core areas such as the upgrading of the global coach education system, the construction of professional standards, and the cultivation of high-level competitive talent, conducting in-depth discussions and exchanges. The meeting aimed to consolidate international consensus on sports education, lay a foundation for cross-national cooperation, and achieved several practical and innovative outcomes.
Opening Ceremony
Vice Director of the Sports Education Division of the General Administration of Sport of China, Wang Xinzhai; Party Secretary of Beijing Sport University, Director of the National Sports Administration Cadre Training Center, and President of the National Coaches Academy, Fan Zhanbei; ICCE President Lorraine Lafrenière; ICCE Secretary General Ladislav Petrovic; and Vice President of Beijing Sport University, Wang Ronghui, attended the opening ceremony.
In his opening speech, Wang Xinzhai fully affirmed the core supporting role of coaches in the development of competitive sports. He pointed out that as an A-category member of ICCE, China will continue to deeply engage in the council's core work, actively share the country's practical achievements in coach training and competitive sports talent development, absorb advanced international educational concepts and industry experiences, deepen practical cooperation between China and other countries in the sports field, and promote the coordinated development of the global coach education sector.
Fan Zhanbei reviewed the cooperation history between Beijing Sport University and ICCE since the university joined ICCE in 2005. Last year, both parties signed a cooperation memorandum of understanding, reaching important consensus in areas such as coach education and training, talent cultivation, and academic research, marking the partnership's entry into a new institutionalized and normalized phase. He mentioned that the National Coaches Academy has trained approximately 100,000 coaches to date and is undergoing a comprehensive transformation from solely undertaking training tasks to becoming a national-level coach development platform integrating education, training, academic research, standard setting, technological empowerment, and international cooperation.
Lorraine Lafrenière stated in her speech that Beijing Sport University has a solid foundation in coach education, sports talent cultivation, and international exchanges. This meeting has established an important platform for deepening exchanges and cooperation among all parties and promoting global coach development. She looks forward to taking this meeting as a new starting point to further strengthen international cooperation in coach education, research, and practice, collectively serving the development of coaches worldwide.
Academic Reports
Taking this meeting as an opportunity, the organizers meticulously arranged a series of high-level academic reports, creating a multi-dimensional and in-depth international academic exchange platform for the faculty and students of Beijing Sport University, bringing them cutting-edge industry insights and high-quality learning resources. Experts such as Sergio Lara-Bercial, Jon Grydeland, and Frédéric Sadys interpreted the new trends in global coach development and systematically introduced the experiences of high-level coach cultivation systems in countries like Norway and France. Chris Clements and Wiebke Fabinski delivered in-depth presentations on the coach support mechanisms in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic systems and the standardized coach education system in Germany, respectively, comprehensively showcasing the professionalized education models of different countries and sports organizations. These presentations provided important references for broadening the international vision of the faculty and students and learning from advanced experiences.
Sergio Lara-Bercial, Professor of Sport Coaching and Youth Sport at Leeds Beckett University and Vice President of ICCE, delivered a lecture titled "Global Trends in Coach Development and the Evolution of the Role of Coach Developers".
Jon Grydeland, Senior Advisor for Coach Development at the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports, and ICCE Executive Committee member, delivered a lecture titled "Norway's Coach Development and Olympic Coaching Practices: Lessons and Insights".
Frédéric Sadys, Head of High-Level Coach Education at the French National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance (INSEP) and ICCE Executive Committee member, delivered a lecture titled "High-Level Coach Development in France: The Mission of INSEP's High-Level Sports Projects and Continuous Professional Development".
Chris Clements, Director of Coach Affairs at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and ICCE Executive Committee member, delivered a lecture titled "Coach Support in High-Level Sports: Practices of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee".
Wiebke Fabinski, Head of Coach Education and Licensing at the German Olympic Sports Confederation, delivered a lecture titled "The German Coach Education System".
Workshops
During the special research workshop session, domestic and international experts and scholars focused on coaching research and industry standardization, engaging in precise exchanges. Hu Bin, Dean of the Development Research Institute of the National Coaches Academy, comprehensively shared the research achievements and educational development status in China's coaching field under the theme "Coaching Research and Coach Education in China". Christine Nash, Chair of the ICCE Research Committee, provided professional guidance on writing meeting paper abstracts, review standards, and peer-review mechanisms. Andy Rogers, ICCE Sports Development Manager (Coaching), detailed the preparation plans and core arrangements for the 2027 Global Coaches Conference, assisting the standardized and professionalized development of coaching research in China and abroad in multiple dimensions.
Hu Bin, Dean of the Development Research Institute of the National Coaches Academy, shared a presentation titled "Coaching Research and Coach Education in China".
Christine Nash, Chair of the ICCE Research Committee, conducted professional guidance on writing and reviewing meeting papers.
Andy Rogers, ICCE Sports Development Manager (Coaching), introduced the preparation arrangements for the 2027 Global Coaches Conference.
Outcome Release
During the meeting, the Chinese version of the "ICCE International Coach Developer Professional Standards and Practice Guide (2nd Edition)" was officially released, marking one of the meeting's significant achievements. The launch of this guide effectively connects international advanced coach development professional standards with domestic industry development, providing authoritative international reference materials for the professionalization, standardization, and regulation of coach development in China. It strongly promotes the practical implementation and innovative advancement of the international coach education system in the country.
The successful convening of this ICCE Executive Committee Meeting is an important practice of Beijing Sport University and the National Coaches Academy actively integrating into global sports governance and serving the national strategy of building a sports powerhouse. It is also a key initiative for China's coach education system to align with international standards, leverage openness for empowerment, and drive innovative development.
In the future, the university will take this meeting as a bridge, continue to deeply engage in international exchanges and cooperation in the field of coaching, integrate global high-quality sports education resources, focus on core areas such as coach cultivation, academic research, and standard setting, and strive to build a high-level coaching education and research platform with both Chinese characteristics and international vision. This will contribute to the high-quality development of the global coaching profession and continuously contribute Chinese strength to the advancement of the global sports coaching industry.
