FIH Academy educator course and FIH Academy-Hockey India Coaching Education Pathway Level 1 Coaching Course gets underway in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, 13 June 2019: After the successful completion of FIH Academy – Hockey India Level 2 Technical Officials Course followed by the FIH Academy- Hockey India Level 2 Umpiring course, the FIH Academy Educator Course as well as the FIH Academy Level 1 Coaching Course presented by Mike Joyce, Executive Director – The Hockey Foundation and FIH Development Director is underway here in Bhubaneswar.

Being held on the sidelines of the FIH Men’s Series Finals Bhubaneswar Odisha 2019, the courses aims at effectively equipping the attendees with practical knowledge and on-ground scenarios. The seven attendees from India, Kenya, Japan and the Netherlands who are participating in the FIH Academy Educator Course spent couple of hours on the main pitch at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium on Tuesday, which was a rest day in the on-going tournament, with Mike Joyce engaging in animated discussions about match-situations and presenting scenarios on how to deal with it.

“Hockey India’s is clearly demonstrating its commitment to the development of Umpires, Technical Officials and Coaches through knowledge and practical-based courses that will equip them to deliver within the modern hockey environment. FIH believe it is important to work with all top hockey nations across all areas of the game. Education is one of the four pillars of Hockey4Life, our global development programme,” stated Mike Joyce, Executive Director – The Hockey Foundation and FIH Development Director.

“I am particularly delighted to see the enthusiasm of all the candidates. The educator’s programme will help develop a modern national performance pathway from grassroots to elite level with full integration into FIH education programmes. The FIH Academy is very happy to be working with Hockey India to develop their Coaching and Umpiring pathways,” Joyce added.

Ahead of the FIH Academy – Hockey India Coaching Education Pathway Level ‘1’ Coaching Course which began on Wednesday, Over 35 aspiring coaches who successfully completed the Hockey India Level ‘2’ Coaching Course last month were honoured with Hockey India Level ‘2’ Coach Certification.

“It is good to see several candidates from India showing interest in pursuing the FIH Academy Level 1 Coaching Programme. Successful candidates from Hockey India Coaching Education Pathway have been invited to the FIH Academy Level 1 Coaching Course and I believe we have some former players who have played at the domestic and international level who I believe already come with good knowledge about the sport. All the candidates are very passionate and enthusiastic about hockey. The course has been very engaging and interactive,” stated the FIH Academy Educator Darren Cheesman, who is presenting the FIH Academy – Hockey India Coaching Education Pathway Level ‘1’ Coaching Course. Cheesman is also the Talent Development Coach from the Royal Belgium Hockey Association.

“It is good to see Hockey India Acknowledging the need and the potential to develop their Coaching workforce across all levels of the game. So they can support the next generation of players to achieve the ambitions of this great hockey nation. I am impressed with the popularity of the programmes and we encourage Hockey India to continue their good work in the development and education pathway,” he added.

The FIH Academy Coaching Level 1 Award is a vocational qualification that provides students with the opportunity to study and be assessed on their coaching theoretical knowledge. It also provides the opportunity for formative assessment and development planning. After the successful conduct of Hockey India Coaching Education Pathway across 4 zones of the country and also at National Institute of Sports, Patiala; Hockey India Level ‘Basic’ and Level ‘1’ Coaching Course received overwhelming response with over 150 candidates attending the course. After successfully completing Hockey India Level ‘1’ and Level ‘2’ Coaching Course, over 35 candidates have become eligible for the FIH Academy – Hockey India Coaching Education Pathway Level 1 Coaching Course who will attend this course along with a candidate from Singapore.