Photo courtesy of: Stephen HarveyStephen Harvey (right) with Masamitsu Ito (left), founder of the program, and John Alder (middle), lead trainer.

Dr. Stephen Harvey, associate professor of Recreation and Sports Pedagogy, graduated from the Nippon Sport Science University (NSSU) Coach Developer Academy in Tokyo, Japan, in February. Roughly 50 people in the world have completed the program, and Harvey is only the fifth person from the United States to do so.

“This was an opportunity to gain professional development and learn new skills and competencies alongside other coach developers in a safe but challenging environment,” said Harvey. “A driving force in completing the program was to bring some these skills back to Ohio University and integrate them into the programs that we have developed within The Patton College.”

The NSSU Coach Developer Academy (NCDA) was established as part of Japan’s governmental project, “Sport for Tomorrow,” which aims to make an international contribution through sports. It seeks to create coaching cultures that lead to positive experiences for all athletes and sports participants.

NCDA’s mission is to develop coaches around the world and create a global community of effective facilitators, coach assessors, mentors, and program designers. It has partnered with the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) and offers a blended learning experience, which includes e-learning as well as two one-week residential experiences in Tokyo. Harvey was one of 13 people selected for the 2017-18 program, which only accepted 25 percent of applicants. Five continents and 12 countries were represented in his cohort, including Australia, Brazil, Poland, and Switzerland.

“We all stayed in the Nippon Sport Science Guesthouse, which meant we got to interact and talk about coaching pretty much 24/7,” said Harvey. “This unique experience also meant we gained friends for life. One of the Japanese participants recently visited Ohio University to talk about NCDA with our athletic team coaches.”

In addition to residential work, NCDA’s program requires completion of 12 online learning modules. Participants learn facilitation skills, program development, and coach assessment, among other core competencies, and must submit a written portfolio demonstrating satisfactory completion of the program. If participants receive a passing grade, they achieve ICCE Trained Coach Developer status.

“I think the course allowed me to step back and reflect on my sense of purpose and why I do what I do,” said Harvey. “A lot of times, we, as faculty, empty our tanks mentoring and assisting students, but this course gave me space and time to fill my own tank so I can better serve my students and colleagues.”

Harvey has already incorporated facilitation and reflection skills in classes both on campus and online. He has also applied several new teaching and learning strategies to various courses, including Coaching Workshop 1, Ethics and Diversity, and Coaching through Games.

“The training helped me develop not only as an educator, but also as a mentor to students and faculty,” said Harvey. “I will use these skills to help re-develop our online Master’s in Coaching Education program as well as in classroom and clinical settings.”

Harvey received his Ph.D. from Oregon State University in 2006 and taught at West Virginia University from 2013-17 before joining The Patton College. He coached both soccer and badminton at the collegiate level in England, is a former international field hockey coach, and currently works with USA Field Hockey in coach development and education. He also coaches a local soccer club and has led sessions for the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) in its National Team Coach Leadership and Development Program.

“The skills and competencies I have learned at NCDA will extend beyond campus and into local communities within the United States,” said Harvey. “That, truly, is the mission of NCDA: to see coach developers assisting coaches and continuing to improve the experiences of those who participate in sport and physical activity.”

Photo courtesy of: Stephen HarveyStephen Harvey (left) with Steven Ferch, one of The Patton College’s online Master’s in Coaching students who currently lives in Tokyo. He attended the academy’s symposium held for coaches.