The coach of the American Samoa mens National Basketball team, Diehl Langkilde, recently returned from the International Coaching Enrichment Certification Program (ICECP) in the United States, that was a joint effort between the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the University of Delaware (UD).

Participants in the ICECP are all national-level coaches in their home countries. The class of 2011 was comprised of coaches from 32 nations, 5 continents representing 10 sports. The program provided coaches with intensive education that consisted of lectures, projects, guest speakers, participant presentations, group work, field trips and project planning. It is funded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

“I was selected from our National Olympic Committee to represent American Samoa for basketball development and departed the territory on September 29 and returned home on November 21st,” said Langkilde. “It consisted of 3 modules in a six week time span. We done two weeks at the University of Delaware with presentations, lectures and group projects. We also shadowed national coaches and university coaches to absorb the different styles of coaching, ethics, sport science and technique in their respective sport,” he said.

Langkilde went on to say, that he was also able to travel to the United States Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colorado where they train all of the US Olympic athletes where there were more presentations made, lectures and meeting of the US Olympic athletes. He also stated that every coach was assigned a tutor, with his being Dr. Matthew Robinson, associate professor at the University of Delaware and Program Coordinator of the ICECP.

“All coaches were given an assignment to create a project that is going to be implemented back in their home countries. It will consist of everything from coaching, education, talent identification and long term athletic development. I have decided on basketball to create a grassroots development for basketball in American Samoa through coaching curriculum.

“My project will consist of touring selected elementary and private schools to begin development of young athletes between the ages of 8 to 13, by way of training interested coaches, preferably teachers. I believe that parents are would be more comfortable knowing their children are safe with their teachers who can also be their coaches in basketball or in any sport,” he said. Langkilde also said that he also got to travel to the University of Hawaii-Hilo, where was abel to observe the women’s basketball team in how they prepared themselves for practice, games and for mental and physical training. “All these state side programs were amazing, with their preparations and careful planning. I hope to have that same format and commitment for American Samoa,” said Langkilde.

According to the ICECP website, www.udel.edu/ICECP/, the mission of the USOC and the University of Delaware’s (UD) International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Program, is to provide national level coaches and those responsible for the development of the sport national coaching structures in their countries, with a practical program orientated towards developing proficiency in the areas of sport sciences, talent identification, athlete development, coaching education, coaching management, grass roots sport development and ethical aspects of coaching at all levels of competition and across multiple sports. The focus of the program will not only include training participants to identify and develop athletes, but will provide the participants with the skills and competencies needed to educate aspiring coaches in their home country. The program will present theoretical foundations and practical applications for the further growth of sport and the Olympic ideals within their home country. The intended outcome is for ICECP participants to return to their countries to not only serve as coaches within their respective sports, but to also serve as foundation builders for future coaches and athletes while spreading the Olympic spirit.