This week marked the end of the annual sports administration training for coaches held in Vilnius, organised by the National Olympic Committee of Lithuania (LNOC). During the last part of the training taking place on Friday, two dozen sports professionals focused on conflict management.

In a three-day free course funded by the LNOC and the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Olympic Solidarity, coaches were learning about influencing, emotional intelligence and modern tools of motivation and conflict management. The participants also learnt about the activities of the LNOC, the work at the Olympic Games and the opportunities offered by the IOC’s Athlete 365 programme.

“We have been organising this training for many years now, and we update the programme every year based on participants’ feedback and the latest developments in sport.

Last year, we introduced the topics on influencing and emotional intelligence, the participants showed lots of interest in them. Overall, all three topics are very relevant for contemporary coaches. Especially for those who work with young people. We see that completely different methods should be used when dealing with young athletes, their parents and the environment surrounding them,” Agnė Vanagienė, LNOC Deputy Director for Olympic Sport and organisor of the training, said. She is the only one in Lithuania certified by the IOC to organise this training.

The LNOC organises sports administration courses for coaches only once a year, therefore only 20 participants are selected to attend it. This year Dmitrijus Leopoldas, coach of the Lithuanian track cycling team, Edgaras Jankauskas, coach of the Lithuanian football team, Rita Ramanauskaitė, Olympic track and field athletics coach, and Birutė Šakickienė, medallist of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, were among the participants of the training.

Mokymų dalyviai (V. Dranginio nuotr.).

“This training is unique on the market. Usually, coaches participate in technical courses of their own sport, but here we provide an opportunity to bring together coaches from different sports, of different age groups and levels. From young beginner coaches who work with children to national team strategists.

The training is practical, participants work in groups, and the different tasks they perform often make them realise that they all face the same challenges and problems. And by working together, cooperating and talking, they often find solutions to them.

Our aim is to provide tools and knowledge. We hope that the participants will make good use of them in their work,” Ms Vanagienė said.

A. Vanagienė (V. Dranginio nuotr.).

Together with the IOC Olympic Solidarity, the LNOC organises three free sports administration training courses a year. In addition to the already completed training for managers and coaches, the LNOC will invite experienced professionals and managers in leadership positions to the advanced training to be held in August.