iCoachKids has today announced a new partnership with Save the Dream, which will see the two not-for-profits work together to promote and protect the core values of sport for young people at a global level. Save the Dream will offer its expertise to support the development and delivery of resources linked to the project, which is being led by Leeds Beckett University (LBU) and the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE).

iCoachKids is an international, multi-agency project aimed at supporting the development of a Specialist Children and Youth Coaching Workforce across the EU. As part of the agreement, Save the Dream will help produce innovative educational materials on topics such as intercultural dialogue, gender, child protection and integrity, while also expanding the scope of the project beyond the EU.

Cooperation between the two initiatives will also involve the promotion and implementation of strategies aimed at sharing knowledge amongst the project’s international network of partners in order to create stronger links between researchers and practitioners in the fields of children and youth sport. This partnership follows an earlier collaboration between Save the Dream, LBU and the ICCE on a separate EU-funded project titled PsyTool, an educational platform that promoted the use of sport psychology as a strategic tool in the fight against discrimination in grassroots sport.

Save the Dream Director of Social Innovation and Empowerment, Pedro Velazquez, said of the latest iCoachKids project:

“iCoachKids is an outstanding initiative which will provide concrete educational tools for coaches. We at Save the Dream are looking forward to joining forces with iCoachKids and its partner organisations to provide input to this project in fields such as Intercultural dialogue, children protection and integrity.”

Leeds Beckett University and the ICCE’s Sergio Lara-Bercial, project leader for iCoachKids, also praised the partnership, adding:

“Save the Dream has very similar objectives to iCoachKids and vast experience in supporting the creation of fit for purpose sporting opportunities for children and young people. We are very excited about this partnership”.

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