Trainerakademie Köln des DOSB is the national competence centre of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) for the education and continuing professional development of coaches in high-performance sport. Through its combination of scientific expertise, practical application and strong professional networks, the academy supports coaches in developing the knowledge and skills needed to succeed at the highest levels of sport.
About Trainerakademie Köln des DOSB
Founded in 1974 by seven leading national sport federations, Trainerakademie Köln has grown to include 72 member organisations and works closely with DOSB specialist federations and leading sport-science institutions across Germany.
Its flagship programme is the three-year, part-time Diplom-Trainer degree, which leads to Germany’s highest state-recognised coaching qualification and the highest coaching licence awarded by DOSB.
Alongside the Diplom-Trainer programme, the academy provides continuing professional development opportunities, seminars and specialist qualifications in areas including strength and conditioning coaching, youth-coach development and coach mentoring.
Under its guiding principle, “Empowering coaches. Enabling success,” Trainerakademie Köln takes a practice-oriented and scientifically grounded approach while continuously adapting its work to developments across high-performance sport.
Alignment with ICCE
Trainerakademie Köln shares ICCE’s commitment to advancing the quality, development and professional standing of coaching through collaboration, knowledge exchange and lifelong learning.
Both organisations recognise that high-quality coach development depends on connecting research with practical application and creating strong professional networks across federations, universities, sport-science institutions and coaching organisations.
For Trainerakademie Köln, international exchange also provides an important opportunity to learn from different coach education systems and bring new perspectives into its work in Germany. Ultimately, both organisations aim to empower coaches so they can better support athletes in achieving sustainable and meaningful success.
ICCE Membership Impact
ICCE membership has connected Trainerakademie Köln with a global community of coaching organisations and created opportunities for international exchange, mutual learning and collaborative initiatives.
Through the ICCE network, the academy gains insight into different coach education models, quality standards and emerging research from organisations around the world. These connections help Trainerakademie Köln benchmark its own work, test new ideas and build lasting professional relationships beyond Germany.
The ICCE Global Coach Conference has also provided an important platform for the academy to meet international colleagues, share its own work and bring new ideas and contacts back into its coach development programmes.
“Being part of the ICCE has given Trainerakademie Köln direct access to a global community of coaching organisations, opening up valuable opportunities for exchange, mutual learning and joint initiatives that would be difficult to build alone.”
— Christoph Dolch, Scientific Assistant, Trainerakademie Köln des DOSB
Featured Initiative: SheCoaches
Trainerakademie Köln has launched SheCoaches, an initiative designed to support women coaches in high-performance sport while encouraging structural change within German sport federations.
Funded with €25,000 by Germany’s Federal Chancellery through December 2026, the project responds to the continued underrepresentation of women in elite coaching and addresses barriers including limited career pathways, male-dominated professional networks, restricted access to key positions and a lack of established mentoring structures.
SheCoaches works at both an individual and organisational level.
Women coaches participate in two multi-day workshop modules during October and November 2026, covering areas such as current research, career planning, mentoring, leadership development and professional networking. The project also draws on findings from the FeMaLe research project.
At an organisational level, two online events for national and regional federations are designed to make structural barriers more visible and encourage practical action around recruitment, coach support and work-life balance.
The project is aimed at students in the Diplom-Trainer degree programme, certified coaches from recent DOSB cohorts, talented women coaches nominated by their federations, and sport directors and coordinators.
“It is an important concern for us as an academy to promote women in the coaching profession — there is significant need for action in the sports system, and equally great potential for the future of German sport.”
— Lothar Linz, Academy Director, Trainerakademie Köln des DOSB
Learn more about SheCoaches:
https://www.trainerakademie-koeln.de/aktuelles/trainerakademie-koeln-startet-impulsprojekt-shecoaches
Connect With Trainerakademie Köln des DOSB
LinkedIn: Trainerakademie Köln des DOSB e. V.
Instagram: @trainerakademie_koeln
Facebook: Trainerakademie
Website: https://www.trainerakademie-koeln.de/
Email: info@trainerakademie-koeln.de
