Coaches change lives. Therefore, coach education and development are vital. With this in mind, the ISU has created the ISU Coach Education Qualification Framework available in our eLearning platform with a mission to include as many parts of the world as possible in the coach education and development process. Competent coaching, which follows science, is the key to preserving the health of the athletes and developing their unique talents.
The ISU Coach Education Qualification Framework is a multi-level tool for ISU Members that are interested in providing educational sessions or building a national Coach education pathway for their Coaches. It has been designed to provide a standardized structure for the education of Coaches that can be used as a reference and guide by ISU Members establishing a Coach education program for Figure Skating, Short Track, and Speed Skating.
The framework has 5 levels (ISU Levels 1-5) that are aligned with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) at Levels 2/3-5 and are modeled with LTAD (Long Term Athlete Development) in mind. Equivalences are established by the alignment of learning outcomes (what the Coach can do) rather than the scale of the educational experience.
Education can be designed and carried out in many ways. The ISU eLearning platform provides inspiration, courses, and modules on several topics which can be used by the Members to build up their own educational content within the framework. The well-being of the Skater(s) is central to coaching practice and addressing the Skater’s needs, in terms of both performance and personal development, and is one of the values embedded in the coaching program. The program has furthermore been designed and implemented in such a way as to encourage inclusivity, dialogue, and interactive engagement by Coaches.
The eLearning team is now working on a pilot course for Figure Skating Level 1 with 25 Coaches from different countries. This pilot course intends to give ISU members a first understanding of what the ISU Coach Education Qualification Framework will provide so that they can decide in what way they could incorporate it into their Coaches’ training programs.
We will continue to develop the ISU Coach Education Qualification Framework in the upcoming months to offer ISU members the best tools available to support their Coaches’ training and education.
