PSYCOACH - Psychological skills for inclusive and healthy coaching

Sports coaching is the process of training, guiding and improving an individual or set of individuals in preparation for any sport. Across Europe there are courses and professional recognitions aimed at the certification of coaches, with different levels of knowledge. Not many coaches will follow a coaching career, they will only attend starting level courses that do not usually include modules aimed at the psychological aspects related to training, team management, psychological development, communication, etc. Thus, creating a gap of knowledge and skills that are crucial for young athletes' well-being. The PSYCOACH project has the goal of addressing this gap by developing an intervention for coaches and sports club staff, based on the most relevant psychological theories and techniques in sports, that will help athletes to increase their self-confidence, self-esteem and self-concept and to implement better behaviours aimed at a healthy lifestyle. An increase in athletes’ self-confidence, for example, leads to better well-being and feelings of security, contributing also for more efficient training and more satisfying sportive results. The project, with a 24 month length, aims at the development of a Blended Learning course, named Psychological skills for inclusive and healthy coaching, posteriorly maintained by the partnership, with five modules (Understanding the athlete; What is sports performance?; Sports welfare? from utopia to sporting behaviour; Tools for a conscious training; Give inclusion a chance). The course will be developed in transnational meetings, tried out by the sport clubs in the partnership, assessed resorting to scientifically validated instruments. The assessment will consider the course participants' satisfaction and perceived utility of the course, and will compare the athletes satisfaction with training before and after the course attended by their coach or staff. A set of podcasts and a final conference will be also organized.