Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) and the Hong Kong Coaching Committee (HKCC) co-organised a thematic seminar, titled “Developing Coach-Athlete Relationships for Effective Coaching”, on 17 December. This was the first seminar under the HKCC's Continuing Coach Education Programme offered in collaboration with a local university. Coaches of various sports and HKMU students participated in the event hosted on HKMU campus.

The seminar was delivered by Dr Bryan Chiu Wei-sheng, Associate Professor in the Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration (HKMU Business School) and Programme Leader of the HKMU's sports and eSports management programmes. The seminar examined recent research findings and literature reviews, and explored how coaching effectiveness can be improved through a stronger relationship with athletes.

“Coach-athlete relationship is at the heart of effective coaching,” Dr Chiu said. “It is our honour to be able to contribute to the professional development of sports coaches by collaborating with the HKCC. I believe this seminar is a great opportunity to promote exchange between research and practice in sports coaching in Hong Kong.”

As a joint committee of the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) and the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, the HKCC is committed to promoting standards and recognition of coaches at all levels. During the event, representatives of the HKSI provided an introduction to the professional development pathway for coaches in Hong Kong. Dr Masa Leung Kwok-wai, Coach Education Manager of the HKSI, said, “To encourage the professional development of local sports coaches, the HKSI emphasises not only the great importance of high-performance coach training, but also the whole-person development of all coaches in Hong Kong. We look forward to joining hands with HKMU in furthering the continuous education and development of coaches in Hong Kong.”

In 2021, HKMU and the HKSI signed a Memorandum of Understanding to foster collaboration on the promotion and development of sports in Hong Kong. Earlier this year, a team of academics from the HKMU Business School, led by Dr Chiu, started working on a consultancy project for the HKSI on sports coach development. Riding on the success of this seminar, HKMU looks forward to further opportunities for collaboration with the HKSI in support of sports development in Hong Kong.