The period preceding the Rio 2016™ Olympic and Paralympic Games, the first edition in Latin America of the world´s largest sports event, will be ripe with opportunities for sports professionals in Brazil.  This Wednesday, it was the coaches’ turn to celebrate the inauguration of a pioneering initiative in the country.

The first class of the Brazilian Coach Academy (Academia Brasileira de Treinadores - ABT), a Brazilian Olympic Committee initiative that aims to contribute to the professional training of high performance sports coaches, was received in the auditorium of the Maria Lenk Aquatic Park, an Olympic venue in 2016.  109 students attended the presentation by Rio 2016™ and COB President Carlos Arthur Nuzman and the inaugural lecture by Bernardo Resende, Bernardinho, Brazil’s Men’s Volleyball Team coach and member of the Rio 2016™ Sports Council.

“Coaches need constant improvement. This course is an opportunity. We´ll go to our graves learning. If we think we already know everything, we’ll never improve.  Coach training is crucial for Brazilian athletes. The athlete needs to have confidence in his coach”, pointed out President Nuzman.

The first class of the Brazilian Coach Academy (Photo: Ismar Ingber/COB)

For Bernardinho, Rio 2016™ represents not only an increase in interest in practicing sports, but also an opportunity to encourage the training of professionals who are essential in preparing elite athletes. “Holding the Games in Brazil makes it clear how important sports are for the country and it encourages initiatives like this one, which are the greatest legacies.  Among the various advantages are exchanging knowledge and encouraging professional  development in all areas connected with sports”, he analysed.

Artur Zanetti, coach of the London 2012 Artistic Gymnastics Olympic champion, and ABT student Marcos Goto also praised the COB initiative: “This is a step in the right direction.  Coaches need to study, and not just technique, but all subjects related to athletes’ performance”.

Around 600 professionals from around the country registered to participate in the first edition of the course, which focused on Athletics, Artistic Gymnastics and Swimming. Of those who registered, 109 were approved after evaluation of the written test and CVs.  The course will last two years and, by 2018, the ABT plans to train 432 coaches in 14 sports.  All of the faculty are Brazilian, 31% have post-doctoral degrees, 52% have doctoral degrees, 9% master´s degrees, 4% are doctors and 4% architects.  In addition to the faculty, the ABT will work with coaches who are world references in their sport as part of the internship program.