A two-day conference called "The Role of Sport Coaches in Society. Adding Value to People’s Lives” will start in Tallinn today. The topics under discussion include the status and responsibility of coaches, whether the training provided to coaches corresponds to the needs of today’s society, and what European Union Member States can do to help coaches better fulfil their changing role. The speakers at the conference include Roy Hodgson, Sergio Lara Bercial and many other global experts in this field.
According to Minister of Culture Indrek Saar, the topic of coaches has been actively developed in Estonia for the last dozen years, and thanks primarily to the strides that have been made, it was chosen as the priority topic in the sport field for the Estonian presidency. Saar explained that during its presidency Estonia wishes to focus on the broad social impact coaches’ activities have and to emphasise that viewing the role of coaches from a broader perspective will also open up new possibilities for resolving many societal problems. “By viewing coaches narrowly as athletic instructors, instead of more broadly – as the teachers of the principles of fair play and other necessary life skills – is also a timely topic at the European Union level,” said Saar. He added that the conference provides an excellent opportunity to initiate a broader discussion about the sport field and get necessary feedback, in order to finally reach a general agreement at the European Union level.
At the conference, the discussion will focus on the role of results-oriented and amateur sport coaches in society, considering their fundamental role in sport, impact on individuals and society, the role that training and qualifications play in this.
Watch the live stream of the conference online starting at 1:30 p.m. on the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU website HERE. More information about the conference programme available HERE.