• To create and refine the current national structures of sport coach education to increase transparency.
• To create an educational structure based on learning outcomes and competencies that can be assessed in valid occupational situations.
• To explore the structure needed to realize national certification system based on quality assurance at all levels.

The outcomes of “The Aligning a European Higher Education Structure In Sport science” (AEHESIS)-Project managed, by the European Coaching Council (ECC), created certain reference points in order to both improve quality (of the coaching profession, the educational process and for sport participants) and transparency (of sport coach education). These to purposes go hand in hand and intertwine with each other in this process. Certain divisions are made for transparency purposes, certain divisions are made to improve an aspect of quality. To improve the transparency between countries, different concepts were utilized. First the concept of purpose was divides divided into two fields: Participation/recreation and performance. Basically the intent of participation in sport has these two aspects. Secondly the concept of skill was super imposed on the two fields to create four domains; beginners and recreation in the fields of participation, and talent development and elite in the field of performance. This categorization implies an age aspect in the different domains, based on the fact that elite is a narrow domain associated with the physical capacities to perform a sport. Regardless of the definition of elite (which is both nationally and sport specifically differently contextualized) the aspect of age plays a role. The categorization of elite implies an age aspect that affects the other domains based on performance and participation. Elite can be seen as a narrow domain (in regards to both age and proficiency in sports) that is associated with the physical capacities to perform a sport.  In relation to the elite domain the talent development domain has to have some age boundaries. To improve the quality of sport for participants in all domains it is important to improve the quality of coaching. For this reason, because of differences in culture and freedom of choice within the individual, four levels of expertise were agreed upon. These are in order of occurrence Assistant Coach (AC), Coach (C), Senior Coach (SC) and Master Coach (MC). In addition to this for the purpose of transparency all levels should be able to be compared to the European Qualification Framework (EQF), specifically to levels 3-7.  EQF is subdivided into three overall areas; knowledge and understanding, cognitive and practical skills and personal and professional competencies. These categories represent the areas of development that are necessary to gain an overall competency to function or work within different educational or occupational fields. For the purpose of comparison to the general educational system level 3 compares to Secondary education diploma, level 6 compares to bachelor and level 7 compares to Master level. This comparison also implies a certain numbers of hours needed for learning to acquire a specific level of competency. As suggested by ECC these numbers are in relation to coaching level, AC a minimum number of 300 hours, C a minimum of 600 hrs, SC a minimum of 2400 hrs, and MC still undecided (see ECC Document).[1]

To apply the functional models from the AEHESIS project[2], the European Qualification Framework[3], work done through the European Observatoire of Sports and Employment (EOSE), such as EQF-sport[4], the work done at the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP)[5], and to the current material from Denmark, Sweden and Hungary in a reflexive, dialogue process.

• Hungarian Sports Confederation (länkar hemsida, email address kontakt)

• Danish Sports Confederation

• Swedish Sport Confederation
• Sport Confederation of the Region of Scania
• Swedish Tennis Federation
• Swedish Swimming Federation
• Swedish Floorball Federation
• Swedish Track and Field Federation*
• Swedish Soccer Federation**
• University of Växjö Sweden
• University of Malmö, Sweden

Leonardo da Vinci projects are divided into work packages with specific aims and outcomes related to the overall goals of the project. The overall process was divided into three tracks. One international track to refine and improve the national structure in Hungary and Denmark, this track was joined by University of Växjö and Malmö University, from Sweden. The other track was a national one in Sweden joined by all the Swedish partners to develop both a sport specific education structure, and a national general sport education structure. These two tracks ran concurrently with the same focus in each work package. The third track, a cooperative learning track, met at the beginning, midterm and end of the project with all partners present. The purpose of this track was to share knowledge and learn from each other based on national structures, organisation and cultures. The knowledge that was developed throughout the project was disseminated continuously to all participating partners to improve the awareness of the different thought processes in the national and international tracks. To strengthen the purpose two partners from Sweden participated in all work packages (see graphic representation).