Few sports organisations in Malta have the infrastructure and knowhow to prepare young athletes to become high performance competitors. Most coaches had to improvise through trial and error.

The Maltese Olympic Committee intended to address this problem and, on various previous occasions, the Youth Directorate organised specialised courses thanks to Olympic Solidarity support. Now that Internet Technology has advanced and is widely accessible in Malta, the MOC has proposed to introduce a 10-month third level intermediary coaching course aimed at preparing coaches to this specialised science, and at the same time, help the more advanced sport organisations to reorganise their youth sector and update to modern technology.

This is where Olympic Solidarity again came to the rescue. The MOC applied successfully for funding through the Development of National Sport Structure. The Olympic Solidarity considered the previously well organised Maltese activities and conceded to fund and allow the MOC to introduce this pilot project based on modern internet technology.

In order to accomplish this the Maltese Olympic Committee partnered with Semmelweis University, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, of Hungary one of the traditional partners of Olympic Solidarity. Together they drafted a ten month “Block Route” distance learning project – “Development of National Youth Sport Structure”

What is a ‘Block Route’ distance learning course?

Most coaches in Malta involved with national federations work part time and they cannot leave their family, their day job and their students, to go to Hungary and study how to teach young athletes. This is where the “Block Route” is useful.

The bulk of studies at University is delivered through lectures, research, assignments and tutorials. All these can be delivered via what is called a Course Management System (CMS). One such CMS is the freeware MOODLE

The study system will include lessons (through presentations, videos, photos, articles, reading lists and other learning methods), discussion forums, online questionnaires, quizzes, assignments and surveys.

The Course Leaders of Semmelweis will be using modern technologies such as Skype and other facilities offered by Moodle to keep audio visual contact throughout. The MOC Youth Directorate plays an important part in this project as they have to liaise between the University and the National Federations participating.

The course started last weekend when Dr. Csaba SÓS, M.D., Ph.D, Dr Tibor Kozsla, Ed.D.- Strategic and International Director and Mr. Gergely KISS Course Coordinator, arrived and met the MOC President Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco, Secretary General Joseph Cassar , Director of Youth Envic Galea and the MOC Course Coordinator Josephine Calleja.

Together, at the MOC Headquarters, they introduced this Olympic Solidarity course to the 21 coaches from 14 sport organisations namely Athletics, Cycling, Golf, Gymnastics, Handball, Judo, Netball, Rugby, Sailing, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Volleyball, Weightlifting.

Naturally coaching courses require personal interventions from the tutors and the tutors from Semmelweis University will be visiting Malta on another two occasions, in April and November.

During this first visit the course leaders met the federation officials as it is important that everybody who is involved in a distance learning course has the opportunity to meet and acquaint themselves with what is expected from the full course.

The University lecturers will be visiting again within a short while, to ensure that the coaches participating will have the opportunity to communicate and resolve any teething problems which might arise. In November the final visit will be all about final assessment and graduation.

The MOC, Semmelweis University and the participating federations have all concluded that this new approach to knowledge based coaching is practical, time efficient and economical, and all parties are grateful to Olympic Solidarity who made it all possible.