The two-year, postgraduate online course is targeted primarily to meet the needs of team physicians from the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and International Federations (IFs). It will focus on the health and performance implications of participation in elite sport, but will also consider the role of physical activity, nutrition and other lifestyle factors in promoting good health in general.

Programme objectives
The new programme aims specifically:

•to provide students with detailed knowledge of the scientific underpinning of the practice of sports medicine;
•to promote understanding of current best practice in sports medicine;
•to make students aware of the practical issues involved in the practice of sports medicine;
•to train students in research methods relevant to the study of sports medicine; and
•to develop skills in written and oral communication of original scientific material.

Academic oversight, organisation and teaching methods

The course is run by the IOC’s Medical Commission and operates under the academic oversight of an International Academic Advisory Board, which will be responsible for all aspects of academic standards. Programme directors Prof. Ron Maughan from the United Kingdom and Prof. Lars Engebretsen from Norway are well known specialists in the fields of sports nutrition/exercise, biochemistry and traumatology/orthopaedic surgery respectively.

Taking advantage of the method of distance learning on a part-time basis, the programme runs for a period of six months from October of each year, and takes two years to complete.

The variety of teaching methods will include lectures in electronic format, web-based materials, paper-based reading, an online chat room and other Internet-based activities, and residential workshops.

Upon successful completion of all compulsory elements of the programme, including coursework, assignments and examinations, students are eligible to graduate with the IOC Diploma in Sports Medicine. Individual parts of the Diploma programme may form the basis of continuing education studies for those who do not wish to follow the whole course.

To learn more about the new Diploma programme and to sign up for it, please click here. www.iocsportsmedicine.com

The IOC Sports Medicine Diploma complements the existing IOC Diploma in Sports Nutrition, which follows a similar structure and time line. Learn more about this programme here. www.iocsportsnutrition.com

The BVI Olympic Committee will be conducting two courses for Sports administrators, coaches and physical education teachers over the coming 10 days.

The two courses, one in coaching and one in sport administration, will be delivered by Mr. Dave Farmer, Director of the Barbados Olympic Academy, who will arrive in Tortola on Friday 12 April. Mr. Farmer will be assisted by Mr. Cleave Farrington, Executive Director of the BVI Olympic Committee.

The Coaching Course will be the regional “Introduction to Coaching”, a sport General Coaching Course which covers the educational principles involved in coaching a sport.

The course is conducted regionally through the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees, CANOC. Among the range of topic areas to be covered in the course will be:
• Planning
• Safety
• Developing Skills
• Event Management
• Physical Preparation.

The second course will be the Olympic Solidarity course “Basic Sport Administration for National Federations.” This course covers the issues and topics related to the administration and management of a national Federation. Among the wide range of topics to be covered will be:
• The Olympic Movement
• Strategic Planning
• Financial Management and Budgeting
• Hosting a major sporting event
• Developing elite athletes and elite coaches
• Sports Medicine and Doping Control.

The Courses will be run from April 13 – 20, 2013 at the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports Conference Room. Registration for these courses is now closed but courses will be repeated in the fall to facilitate growth in the number of Certified Coaches and Sport Administrators in the Virgin Islands.