Coach Education Week

The Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership (HSP) runs its Coach Education Week programme annually.

The programme seeks to deliver opportunities for sports coaches and others involved in the sport and physical activity sector, to develop their skills, knowledge, and qualifications around a range of important issues – including safeguarding, the links between physical activity and mental health, dealing with participants with challenging behaviour, and how practitioners can better include disabled people and those from disadvantaged communities within their delivery programmes.

Coach Education Week originated in 2008 when the then Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership Board member, the late David Wray, secured investment from Hertfordshire County Council to support his vision to use the power of sport to raise the life chances of Hertfordshire’s young people.

David worked tirelessly to develop a pathway for young people to move into sports coaching, officiating and administration. Since that time, over 10,000 individuals have attended a range of formal coaching qualifications, interactive workshops, and lectures, delivered by such sporting luminaries as the former England Rugby Coach, Eddie Jones; former British Cycling performance guru, Shane Sutton; ex-British Lions Rugby Coach, Sir Ian McGeechan and highly respected commentator on racial equality and former NBA player, John Amaechi.

With David’s guidance and with the support of current HSP Chair, Mervyn Morgan, the annual Coach Education Week has gone from strength to strength, and in recognising David Wray’s contribution, HSP’s Director, John O’Callaghan said:

We remain indebted to David Wray for his enthusiastic and unstinting support of The Partnership’s work over many years, before his untimely death, and we continue to miss his warm, generous nature and passion for the power of sport to positively impact the lives of young people. David continues to be a real inspiration for our work, and the 2023 Coach Education Week is further testimony to David's vision more than a decade ago.

In launching the programme, event coordinator, Charlie Mann said:

The pandemic has shown how sport and physical activity can make a marked difference to the physical and mental health of the nation and if we are collectively to maximise its impact, we must establish a fit for purpose, professional workforce.  This is particularly true if we are to enthuse and attract those facing greatest inequality and disadvantage- who traditionally have been furthest away from the action- to get involved and stay involved in sport and physical activity programmes.

Our annual Coach Education week is one, but a very important strand of our workforce development programme and this year offers some 500+ opportunities for sport and physical activity coaches, instructors and professionals, to further enhance their applied practice in creating welcoming spaces and places where our residents can get their sport and physical activity fix, without fear of judgement, and in a fun and enjoyable way.

Details of the 2024 Hertfordshire Coach Education Week programme will be released shortly.

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