Strength and conditioning coaches from the region have gathered in Fiji this week with an aim to work towards accreditation under the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA).
A collaboration between the Oceania National Olympic Committees’ (ONOC) signature programme, the Oceania Sport Education Program (OSEP), and ASCA sees 25 strength and conditioning coaches come together to work towards ASCA’s Level 1 Strength & Conditioning Coach Accreditation Course.
Chief Sport Education Programme Officer (Acting) Varanisese Karisitiana said that OSEP continues to work around the development of capacity and capability within the sports sector in the Pacific region.
“Strength and conditioning coaches play a critical role in athlete and entourage development and it is important that we properly equip and empower the very people who help prepare our athletes,” Varanisese said.
The regional course is funded by ONOC through OSEP, and it also sees participation from ONOC member National Olympic Committees (NOCs).
“This collaboration between ONOC-OSEP and ASCA is a first for the region and OSEP is working towards positioning ONOC as the fulcrum for coordination of sport education in the region,” Varanisese added.
The collaboration is also new for ASCA to be delivering a course in the region with ONOC-OSEP hosting the first ever Level 1 Strength & Conditioning Coach Accreditation Course in Fiji.
ASCA Course Facilitator Dr Trevor Clark said “I have been to a few countries in the world delivering this course – Thailand, India, Mauritius, New Zealand and now Fiji.”
“We are hoping with this being the first Level 1 that maybe by the end of this year, there might be another Level 1 with an option to run a Level 2 Course,” Dr Clark said.
Dr Clark mentioned that ASCA’s Level 1 Strength & Conditioning Coach Accreditation Course is a good starting point for coaches to work in rehabilitation and injury prevention in sports.
The three-day course in Nadi, Fiji has participants working through theoretical and practical sessions with topics such as training, coaching, fundamental movements and bodyweight training, strength, speed, energy systems, flexibility and mobility, recovery, and nutrition.
The course started Monday (08 April) and runs till 10 April in Nadi, Fiji.
