More than 250 coaches gathered in Bratislava, Slovakia on 27 April for the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Coaching Conference, where ICCE joined ICOACHKIDS and Hockey Slovakia in supporting an event focused on creating positive environments where young athletes can thrive.
The conference centred on the theme “Coaching the Next Generation: Creating Environments Where Players Thrive” and explored practical, evidence-informed approaches to helping young people enjoy sport, stay involved longer, and benefit from safe, inclusive and development-focused coaching.
Throughout the day, a series of expert-led sessions highlighted key areas of youth sport development. Dr Sergio Lara-Bercial, Director of ICOACHKIDS, opened the conferenece by addressing the global youth sport landscape and emphasising the importance of placing children’s needs, rights and experiences at the centre of coaching practice.
Following Dr Sergio Lara-Bercial’s opening remarks Vicki Guy delivered a reflective look at inclusivity, offering practical strategies for intentionally designing spaces where every young athlete feels a genuine sense of belonging. This theme of intentionality continued with Vladislav Bespomoshchnov, who demonstrated how to translate the ICOACHKIDS Pledge into action; using the ice rink as his canvas, he showed how player-centered principles can be seamlessly embedded into daily coaching behaviors. Finally, Gary Hodgson rounded out the program by looking toward the future, highlighting the vital role current coaches play in inspiring not just the next generation of participants, but the future sport leaders and coaches who will follow in their footsteps.
The conference also reinforced the importance of collaboration across the international coaching community. Coaches from across ice hockey and other sports shared ideas, reflected on best practices, and strengthened a shared commitment to improving youth sport experiences.
The event reflected the continued commitment of ICCE, ICOACHKIDS and Hockey Slovakia to improving coaching quality and ensuring sport remains a positive and meaningful experience for every child.
The ICCE extends its sincere appreciation to all the coaches in attendance for their passion and commitment to improving youth sport. We would also like to express our gratitude to Nicolas Struhar and Igor Andrejkovic of Hockey Slovakia for their outstanding leadership and planning. Their dedication was instrumental in making this conference such a resounding success.
