Singapore is First SEA Country to Host Prestigious Global Coach Conference

• Sport Singapore announces keynote speakers for the International Council for Coaching Excellence Global Coach Conference.
• Singapore Coach Medallion – award for outstanding & inspiring local coaches – to make a return at the Conference.

Singapore, 10 October 2023 – Sport Singapore (SportSG) today announces its line-up of keynote speakers at the 14th International Council for Coaching Excellence Global Coach Conference (ICCE GCC) 2023 from 29 November to 3 December 2023, at the Marina Bay Sands and Singapore Sports Hub.

In 2021, Singapore won the bid to host the 14th ICCE GCC 2023, the biennial conference that brings together coaches, coach educators, researchers, sport scientists, technical directors, and sport administrators from the world to address current and emerging issues in coaching. The theme for this year’s conference is “Coaching for a Better Tomorrow”, where it seeks to focus on effective coaching practices, coach learning and development, coaching policy and systems, and inclusivity, with a view to prepare coaches better for a future that is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous, and technologically advanced. Singapore will be the first city in Southeast Asia and the third in Asia, after Beijing and Tokyo, to host the ICCE GCC.

The keynote speakers who will be present at the conference includes:

• Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner, Social Learning Theorists and Consultants, who will share about the importance of cross-boundary learning for coaches.
• Michelle de Highden, Senior Coach Development Lead, Australian Institute of Sport, and Claire Lamb, Coach Development Lead at the Victorian Institute of Sport, Australian Institute of Sport, who will highlight some strategies, interventions and potential within the international landscape that are impacting upon the representation and experiences of women high performance coaches. The keynote will also be joined by local women coaches in Singapore.
• Dr Ross Pinder, Paralympic Innovation Lead, Paralympic Australia, who will highlight how solution-focused mindsets and innovations can enhance the coaching practice in high performance paralympic sports.
• Dr Natalie Barker-Ruchti, Associate Professor in Sport Management and Sport Coaching, Orebro University, who will present on coach education for ethical sport.
• Michael Dunlap, American Professional Basketball Coach, who will discuss the importance of leading with an inclusive mindset and the value of cooperative learning.
• Lorraine Lafrenière, CEO, Coaching Association of Canada, who will chair a panel with Ju’Riese Colon, USA, Chief Executive, US Centre for Safe Sport, Jun Kubota, Project Manager, Japan Sport Council, and Pedro Sequeira, President, Coaching Portugal. The speakers for this session will focus on their country’s perspectives on leading practices in upholding the profession of coaching and the critical role of the coach to ensure safe sport, wellness and performance.

Mr Mohammed Azhar Yusof, Head of CoachSG, Singapore Sport Institute, Sport Singapore, said, “We are honoured that Singapore was selected to be the first city in Southeast Asia to host the world’s most prestigious coach conference. In the short time since its founding in 2017, CoachSG has made huge strides in coaching education and development, and has been invited to present at various international seminars and conferences, including those by ICCE and the International Olympic Council (IOC). Through this Global Coach Conference, we hope to underscore the important role that coaches play in developing better people and athletes through sport, and inspire them to continuously learn and upskill themselves. Eventually, we hope to elevate the coaching profession and let people realise the true value proposition of coaching in Singapore.”

In addition to learning from top coaching experts from around the world, delegates can look forward to uniquely Singapore elements during the conference, such as guided tours of the Singapore Sports Hub and sport facilities housed in the vicinity such as Decathlon, Active Health Lab and the Global Sport Innovation Centre (GSIC), as well as attend the Women’s World Floorball Championships held at the OCBC Arena on 2 December 2023. Pre-conference on 29 November 2023, delegates can also participate in a guided tour of Our Tampines Hub (OTH) – Singapore’s largest integrated community and lifestyle hub that incorporates advanced technologies and eco-friendly elements in its operations and infrastructure.

Post-conference between 5 to 7 December 2023, there will be additional workshops for coaches to upskill themselves, which includes the ICCE Coach Developer programmes and Para-Disability Coaching Workshop.

The Singapore Coach Medallion will make its comeback during the conference. Launched in 2019, the award is presented to outstanding and inspiring coaches in Singapore who have made a significant impact to the athletes, coaching community, the sport and its stakeholders. It was suspended for three years due to Covid-19. 2019 winners include Ms Jing Jun Hong, National Women’s Table Tennis Head Coach, Mr Bill Lee Wei Liang, National Sprint Kayak Head Coach, Mr Mohamad Hosni Bin Mohamad, National Para Athletics Coach, and Ms Lim Chea Rong, Shooting Head Coach at Singapore Sports School. As part of the selection process for this year, shortlisted nominees underwent interviews, and the finalists were observed during their coaching sessions. Winners will be announced on the first day of the main conference on 30 November 2023. 

Registration for the ICCE GCC 2023 has started and is priced from S$710 for the main conference. Full-time students can enjoy a discounted price at S$275 and virtual tickets are also available at S$80. For a limited time till 17 October 2023, ICCE members and local coaches registered under the National Registry of Coaches can take advantage of an early bird offer at S$475 per conference seat.