United World Wrestling (UWW) Development Officer Vicent Aka and Education Manager Zach Errett recently completed Cohort 9 of the National Coach Developer Academy (NCDA), delivered at Nippon Sport Science University (NSSU) in Tokyo, Japan.

The NCDA is a seven-monthprogramme designed to support the development of coach developers through a “train the trainer” approach. Delivered by NSSU in partnership with the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE), the programme combines expert-led sessions with applied learning to strengthen participants’ ability to design, deliver, and evaluate coach education initiatives.

UWW Educators Vincent AKA, left, and Zach ERRETT.

Aka and Errett joined a cohort of 15 participants from a range of sports and countries. Throughout the programme, they developed their facilitation skills, explored new approaches to coach development, and designed and implemented practical development projects within their respective contexts.

Reflecting on the experience, Aka highlighted the value of learning from global experts and peers, noting the practical relevance of the programme in supporting the organisation and improvement of coaching systems.

Errett also emphasised the impact of the programme, particularly in strengthening UWW’s ability to better train coaches and educators moving forward.

Looking ahead, UWW Educator Oyan Nazariani will take part in Cohort 10 of the NCDA. His participation reflects an ongoing commitment to strengthening structured and sustainable coach education systems, both nationally and internationally.

The continued involvement of UWW in the NCDA highlights the importance of international collaboration in advancing coach development and strengthening coaching systems across sport.