In English
Promoting Good Coaching and Appreciation for Coaches
Central to the activities of the Finnish Coaches Association is to enhance the public perception of coaches and coaching and to raise their appreciation in society.
The basis for this work is the Coach Matters campaign, which was launched at the end of 2016, in cooperation with the Professional Coaches of Finland (SAVAL) and the Finnish Olympic Committee. The principles of good coaching and ethical guidelines for all stages of the athlete's path are the foundation materials of the campaign. The campaign is constantly producing different materials to support and develop communication and education on the principles of good coaching and ethical guidelines making it available to a wide audience.
The launch of the Coaches Honor Gallery, Hall of Coaching Excellence, at the end of 2017, is a significant milestone of the Coach Matters campaign. It is a tribute to the people who have actively contributed to Finnish coaching. Nominees for the Hall of Coaching Excellence are selected from within influential persons, Finns and foreigners in Finland, who have added value to the Finnish coaching culture and who have promoted the appreciation of coaches within society. Nominated coaches can be found at: www.valmentajienkunniagalleria.fi
The 25th of September is the Coaches Day. The theme of the day is #ThanksCoach #kiittikoutsi, and is held in conjunction with the #beactive activities of the European Week of Sport. The idea of the Coaches Day is to highlight the valuable work of sports coaches by sharing thanks on social media and arranging small surprises for the coaches. The Coaches Day initiative was launched in Finland in 2019 when Finland was in charge of the European Week of Sport due to holding the EU Presidency mandate at that time. The initiators of the initiative are the Finnish Coaches Association, the Professional Coaches of Finland (SAVAL), the Finnish Olympic Committee and the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE). The Finnish National Agency for Education is involved as the contact point of European Week of Sport in Finland.
Other concrete measures promoting the appreciation of coaches include the selection of the Coach of the Year since 1978 and awarding deserving coaches in sports culture and sports with merit crosses and medals. The Finnish Coaches Association further highlights the work of coaches with the selection of the Coach of the Month.