The global youth sport community gathered at Universidad Europea in Madrid on 7 May 2026 for the ICOACHKIDS Conference, an event focused on creating better sport experiences for children and young people through high-quality, child-centred coaching.

Supported through the wider international coaching community connected to the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE), the conference brought together leaders from sport organisations, federations, clubs, and academia to explore how youth sport can better support positive development, wellbeing, and lifelong participation.

The conference opened with a keynote from ICOACHKIDS Co-founder Dr Sergio Lara-Bercial, who emphasised the importance of quality coaching, child-centred sport, and the shared responsibility of adults working within youth sport environments. The event concluded with a keynote from Kris Van Der Haegen (UEFA), who challenged delegates to continue raising standards in youth sport through leadership, education, and values-driven practice.

A major focus of the conference was collaboration and knowledge exchange through two expert roundtable discussions. The first explored how organisations can create environments that prioritise development, wellbeing, and enjoyment for young athletes, while the second examined the opportunities and challenges facing grassroots sport across Latin America.

Throughout the event, discussions reinforced the important role coaches play in shaping positive sport experiences for children and highlighted the value of international collaboration in advancing coach education and development.

ICCE continues to support initiatives that promote safe, inclusive, and development-focused sport environments, while strengthening connections between organisations working to improve coaching and youth sport experiences worldwide.

ICOACHKIDS extended its thanks to Universidad Europea for hosting the conference and to Guillermo Calvo for organising and coordinating the event.