This year’s over-arching virtual conference theme of “Think Global, ACT Local – Adapt. Create. Transform” seeks to convey the evolving landscape of sport to articulate required global best practices and principles in coaching to address new demands of sport locally against the backdrop of a global pandemic. Unpacking the acronym of ACT, is the call to action, to encourage a posture in our coaches where they:

Adapt to change to be relevant despite the global pandemic and emerging challenges so that they can thrive beyond circumstances.

Create new opportunities and Challenge existing boundaries.

Transform the coaching industry and sporting ecosystem through constant Innovation.

Amidst the backdrop of our nation’s Vision 2030 blueprint, sport is appreciated as a space for national development and globally recognised as a microcosm of life and thus, an important lever for societies to engage. Therefore, the role and identity of the coach must be reimagined. He is a designated leader; a professional armed with the most appropriate and progressive pedagogy, an agent who moulds the current generation to face the uncertainties of the next. Arguably more pertinent is the digital nature of the world, most notably, that it is one steeped in tensions and change. We have thus, identified three broad themes to allow our community to better understand the times that we live in.

• Pedagogy & Leadership

Since the coach is fundamentally a practitioner and teacher, we seek to examine the theme of Pedagogy and Leadership - so that the most progressive and appropriate methods for sports education can be shared, examined and refined. Most importantly, we seek to highlight the inextricable connection between the realms of modern sports and values education. The concept of Leadership is central to this theme, and needs to be unpacked, articulated and reflected upon by our wider community.

• Sports Science and Technology

We cannot talk about progress and best practices without keenly engaging the role of Sports Science and Technology. Part of the culture of excellence and constantly pushing boundaries require a sound understanding of the various scientific disciplines that can inform our journey towards professionalizing coaching and the sporting ecosystem. New advances in exercise physiology and cognitive psychology must now be the foundation that underpins a coach’s approach to training and instruction. How can coaches use sport analytics to shape training programmes? Our breakout sessions on this theme seek to explore the ways in which Science can serve Sport in a more intentional and enlightened manner.

• Future Ready Singapore

In view of our hyper-connected economies and dynamic context, we seek to delve deeper into the culminating theme of Future Ready Singapore - in hope of gaining deeper insight into how to navigate between the tensions and polarities that characterise rapid globalization. How will future trends impact the sporting realm? How can we embrace technology and innovation to advance sport and coaching? This question is essential for us to chart our path ahead.

Lastly, driven by the ethos of inclusiveness and sharing, we have put together a programme that implements diverse mediums and platforms for conversation. Our hybrid conference format-which includes a human library and unconference as learning platforms, hopes to engage a wider audience and resonate with a greater diversity of participants. This conference hopes to be the catalyst that guides our community’s journey toward world class standards in coaching and sport. May our mantra for this year, “Think Global, ACT Local – Adapt. Create. Transform” come to fruition.

Save the date and spread the world to all colleagues, coaches, athletes and friends in the fratenity and we look forward to seeing you at the CoachSG Virtual Conference 2020!