The Universidad Europea, along with seven other European institutions, is taking part in the iCoachKids project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ program and led by British university Leeds Beckett and the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ISCE). The project, known as iCoachKids: Innovative Education & Training for a Specialist Children & Youth Coaching Workforce, aspires to address the lack of opportunities for recognition, and suitable training, for youth sports coaches in the European Union.
iCoachKids aims to reverse the situation of these coaches by developing open, innovative education programs and resources, and training opportunities for sports teaching staff. The project is based on customized learning with coaches with close collaboration that is maximized by e-learning courses and an interactive online platform.
The project will run from September 2016 to August 2019 with various meetings and exchanging experiences between participating institutions at European level. The group behind iCoachKids is formed of eight institutions that include experts in education and sports coaching for young people: LBU, ICCE, Dutch Olympic Committee, Association of Coaches of Hungary, Sport Ireland, Lithuanian Sports University (LSU), Universidad Europea de Madrid and the Royal Belgian Football Association.