CoachForce21 started off with the first meeting of project partners

Czech Coaches´ Academy (ČOV coaches) is one of the partners of CoachForce21 project which officially started off with the first meeting in Leeds hosted by Leeds Beckett University, the project co-ordinator, at one of the oldest English cricket venues Headingley Stadium situated near the university campus.

The three-year project CoachForce21 received a significant financial support of the European Commission within the Erasmus+ Sport project and it is aimed especially at strengthening of the representation of coaches´ associations at the domestic and European levels on the basis of the provision of consultancy and support of the existing or developing coaches´ associations and organisations in the European Union. The project will also make efforts to achieve that the opinions of the coaches (“Voices of the Coach”) and coaches´ associations are heard and respected in the social dialogue in the area of sport, will support the improving of the conditions for education and employment of coaches in EU and their influence on the formation of the labour market.

Michal Barda, a successful handball goalkeeper and coach, is actively involved in CoachForce21 project representing Czech Coaches´ Academy. He is closely co-operating with Lukáš Kozáček, the co-ordinator and administrator of the project. “We are looking forward to the co-operating with our partners in our area. This can help us with education and organisation of our coaches´ community,” Michal Barda said.

“We are happy to have an opportunity to be actively involved in this project that will help not only to get new interesting experience with good practise for Czech coaches´ environment, but also will help to deepen and strengthen the international co-operation of Czech Coaches´ Academy throughout the European Union states,” Lukáš Kozáček said about the start of the project.

During their first meeting the partners of the project worked out the individual tasks, methodology and required qualitative and quantitative outputs of the project. The adoption of the time schedule of the project and its implementation in three-year cycle in a way to achieve the project objectives was also very important point. The next meeting is planned in Budapest in July of this year. The meeting in the Czech Republic will be held in June 2020.

CoachForce21 project was joined by Leeds Beckett University (the project co-ordinator), ICCE (International Council for Coaching Excellence), Professional Coaches Finland (Saval), POPA Greece (Hellenic Federation of Sport Coaches and Trainers), Hungarian Coaching Association, Trainerakademie Köln, Czech Coaches´ Academy, Treinadores Portugal a Polish Institute of Sport (Coaching Academy).