Recognising coaches through the EACCES qualification

CHRISC Tanzania and CHRISC Rwanda, two organisations that are part of the EACCES initiative, speak to sportanddev about what a recognised coaching qualification across East Africa will mean for coaches.

Recognising coaches

Not only will the EACCES vision of building recognised coaching standards and qualifications across East Africa raise the profile of the importance of the coaching role, it will also give coaches the recognition they are due.

As CHRISC Rwanda explains, “A standardised qualification will improve the quality of community coaching in our context, enhance skills of the coaches and create room for their recognition.”

CHRISC Rwanda is confident of the prospects a standardised system will provide. “This means jobs for the coaches; they will be in a position to get employment anywhere.”

Standardisation
“Coaches will be marketable,” CHRISC Tanzania says, adding that they “will be provided with different opportunities since they will be certified.” Standardisation will not only help the coaches, but also organisations, as “any institution needing the service of a coach will always have a reference point when seeking out coaching services.”

CHRISC Tanzania speaks of the important role a standardised system will play. “Coaches have a big[ger] role in community development that can be equated with teachers, pastors, parents, etc if they have a well structured system of delivering the right skills to the young ones participating in sports.”

Investing in community sports
They further add, “A raised profile [of the importance of the coaching role] will raise the self-esteem of most coaches since they will realise the value they have in the community if they apply the right skills and knowledge on coaching, sports and community development. Coaches will also as a result be viewed as role models who nurture not only the sports skills of the next generation but their life and social skills too.”

CHRISC Rwanda also comments on what a raised profile of community coaching will mean. “More focus and attention will be given to community sports, which are always the basis of elite sports.”

“There will be more investment to community sports and coaching, the way it should have been and should be currently.”