ICOACHKIDS

What ICOACHKIDS does

ICOACHKIDS is a UK-registered not-for-profit global coaching movement, founded circa 2017 and operated under the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE), a UK non-profit (Company Number 08871161) headquartered at Leeds Beckett University in Leeds, UK. Its mission is to provide youth sport coaches worldwide with free, evidence-based education and resources that put children first, addressing the absence of specialised training in child-centred coaching, safeguarding, motivation, motor-skill development, and inclusive practice. The organisation serves a global user base of youth sport coaches (an addressable market of over 37 million globally) plus downstream beneficiaries including primary-school-age girls reached via the ICOACHGIRLS programme.

The core product is a Moodle-based learning management system at e-learning.icoachkids.org, delivering SCORM-compliant courses organised into four curricula: Child-Centred Coaching and Physical Literacy, Child Rights in Sport, Coaching Children: Planning, Doing and Reviewing, and Developing Effective Environments for Children in Sport. Course modules range from 15 to 30 minutes, award digital badges upon completion, and are supplemented by a Knowledge Hub of guides, expert tips, and research articles. Two platform extensions extend the offering: ICOACHKIDS+ (EU-funded, targeting coaches of adolescents aged 13-18 with two MOOCs and research reports) and ICOACHGIRLS (a physical-delivery initiative operating 'Girls Play Centres' across 6 countries). A YouTube channel with 300+ educational videos provides supplementary top-of-funnel content, and SSO authentication is offered via Google and Facebook.

The business model is grant- and partnership-funded rather than revenue-generating: all courses and resources are provided free to coaches. Funding sources include Nike (founding partner through its Social & Community Impact initiative), the European Union (via the ICOACHKIDS+ co-funded project), UNICEF UK (co-development of child rights courses), and in-kind institutional hosting from Leeds Beckett University and academic partners. Distribution is achieved through international sports federations (FIFA, FIBA) and national governing bodies that promote ICOACHKIDS resources to their coaching networks. Co-founder Professor Sergio Lara-Bercial, PhD (Leeds Beckett University) anchors the academic credibility of the content.

Name

ICOACHKIDS

Legal name

International Council For Coaching Excellence

Website

https://icoachkids.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ICOACHKIDS is a UK not-for-profit global movement, operated under ICCE and hosted at Leeds Beckett University, providing free online coaching education and resources to youth sport coaches worldwide via a Moodle-based LMS and partnerships with Nike, FIFA, FIBA and UNICEF UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sport Coaching Education

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Physical Education & Health Instruction (EDAJAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Domain-Specific Curriculum (Literacy, Numeracy, Science, SEL, Motor, Arts) (EDACAJAB)

Keywords

• Youth sport coaching
• Coach education
• Child-centred coaching
• Online learning platform
• Sport safeguarding training

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Not-for-Profit / Grant Funded: ICOACHKIDS is a not-for-profit global coaching movement powered by the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE). The organization receives funding from institutional partners including the European Union (ICOACHKIDS+ project), Nike, and various national sports organizations. All courses and resources are provided free of charge to coaches.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ICOACHKIDS provides free online coach education courses and resources for youth sport coaches worldwide via a Moodle-based e-learning platform. The offering includes the ICOACHKIDS Essentials introductory course, structured modules on child-centred coaching, child rights, safeguarding, motivation, motor skills, and inclusive environments, plus the ICOACHKIDS+ extension with MOOCs for adolescent coaching and the ICOACHGIRLS initiative for girls' sport participation.

Product overview

ICOACHKIDS is a global coaching education movement and online platform providing youth sport coaches with courses, resources, and community support to ensure every child has positive experiences of sport. The platform operates a Moodle-based e-learning system (icoachkids.org) offering structured SCORM-compliant courses organized into categories: Child-Centred Coaching and Physical Literacy (Making Sport Inclusive, Motivation, Motor Skills, Child Development), Child Rights in Sport (Children's Rights courses), Coaching Children: Planning Doing and Reviewing (Planning, How Learning Happens), and Developing Effective Environments (Making Sport Safe, Positive Learning Environments, Role of Coach, What Sport Means). The offering includes the free Essentials introductory course, the Knowledge Hub for supplementary resources, the Coaching Girls Hub for gender-specific guidance, and the ICOACHKIDS+ extension for adolescent coaching (13-18 years). Badges are awarded upon course completion, and SSO authentication via Google and Facebook is available on the e-learning platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ICOACHGIRLS (ICG): A sub-initiative focused on promoting and increasing physical activity and sport amongst girls through 'Girls Play Centres' and training female coaches. Targets 35 centres across 6 countries reaching 1,050 girls and developing 420 female coaches.
• ICOACHKIDS+
• ICOACHKIDS e-learning

Products and services

• ICOACHKIDS Essentials
• Making Sport Inclusive
• Motivation in Youth Sport
• Motor Skills Development and Conditioning in Youth Sport
• How Children Grow and Develop
• An Introduction To Children's Rights
• How Do Children's Rights Apply to Sport?
• Planning for Success in Youth Sport
• How Learning Happens: Coaching Strategies for Youth Sport
• Making Sport Safe
• Creating Positive Learning Environments in Youth Sport
• The Role of the Children's Coach
• What Sport Means for Children
• ICOACHKIDS E-learning Platform
• The Knowledge Hub
• Coaching Girls Hub
• ICOACHGIRLS Initiative
• ICOACHKIDS+ Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% of girls transitioning to regular physical activity after completing the 10-session ICOACHGIRLS programme
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and regional.

• International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCE is the founding organization powering ICOACHKIDS. As a not-for-profit international organization with the mission of leading and supporting the development of sport coaching globally, ICCE provides the institutional foundation and credibility for the ICOACHKIDS movement. ICCE's network of National Representative Bodies and International Federations enables global reach.
• NikecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNike is a founding partner of ICOACHKIDS, providing funding and support through their Social & Community Impact initiative. Nike's Director Elena Korf has publicly endorsed the partnership, stating that Nike partners with ICOACHKIDS to empower coaches and shape the future of youth sport. Nike's logo appears prominently on the ICOACHKIDS website and courses.
• FIFAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIFA partnered with ICOACHKIDS to embed child-first approach within FIFA's Talent Development Scheme, strengthening coaches' awareness of safeguarding in high-performance environments. Lucy Cunningham from FIFA provided testimonial endorsement of the partnership.
• UNICEF UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNICEF UK partnered with ICOACHKIDS to develop child rights courses. Liz Twyford from UNICEF UK stated they shared a vision with ICOACHKIDS and that their complimentary skills made the project work well.
• Leeds Beckett UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeeds Beckett University hosts the ICCE Global Coaching Office and the ICOACHKIDS headquarters. Professor Sergio Lara-Bercial from Leeds Beckett University is the Co-Founder of ICOACHKIDS. The university leads research initiatives including the ICOACHKIDS+ project.
• Sport Coaching EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSport Coaching Europe (formerly the European Coaching Council) is a continental body for Europe of the International Council for Coaching Excellence. The aim is to promote the mission and objectives of ICCE and the development of coaching across Europe.
• Sport IrelandregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerSport Ireland is the authority tasked with the development of sport in Ireland, including participation, high performance sport, anti-doping, coaching, and development of the Sport Ireland Campus. Serves as a project partner for ICOACHGIRLS.
• NOC*NSF (Netherlands Olympic Committee & Dutch Sports Federation)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOC*NSF is the umbrella organisation for sports in the Netherlands with 77 National Governing Bodies and 17 associated organisations, representing more than 24,000 sports clubs and 5.2 million Dutch people involved in sports. Serves as ICOACHGIRLS project partner.
• Special Olympics EuroperegionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial Olympics Europe promotes respect, inclusion and human dignity for people with intellectual disabilities through sports, spanning from Iceland to Israel. Serves as ICOACHGIRLS project partner.
• Lithuanian Sports UniversityregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerLithuanian Sports University (LSU), founded in 1934, is a specialized public higher education institution and leading academic and research centre in sports science in the Baltic Sea region. Serves as ICOACHGIRLS project partner.
• Hungarian Coaches AssociationregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Hungarian Coaching Association (HCA) was established in 1993 as a national professional representation organisation for coaches in Hungary, providing professional, technical, legal and infrastructural services. Serves as ICOACHGIRLS project partner.
• FIBA (International Basketball Federation)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIBA is the world governing body for basketball, bringing together 212 National Basketball Federations worldwide. A non-profit organization with mission to develop and promote basketball, uniting over 450 million players and fans. Serves as ICOACHGIRLS project partner.
• Royal Belgian Football AssociationregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Belgian Football Association organizes all Belgian football activities and is responsible for education of Belgian football coaches. Serves as ICOACHKIDS+ project partner.
• Universidad Europea de MadridregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversidad Europea de Madrid serves as ICOACHKIDS+ project partner, contributing to the European research and education initiative.
• Deutsche Sportjugend (German Sports Youth)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeutsche Sportjugend represents the interests of around 10 million children, adolescents and young people aged up to 26, organized in over 90,000 sports clubs. Serves as ICOACHKIDS+ project partner.
• Youth Sport TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth Sport Trust is a UK-based national youth sport agency referenced as a founding partner of ICOACHKIDS. Worked with Ken Black as Inclusive Sport Officer.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) - NFHS Learn: US-based online learning platform for high school coaches and officials with a wide catalogue of free/paid courses. Comparable as a coach education LMS at scale, though US-focused, broader in age range, and tied to school athletics.
• Human Kinetics: Established publisher and education provider of sports science, coaching, and PE content (books, videos, courses). Comparable as a content library and coach education supplier, but commercial and much broader, serving PE teachers, coaches, and athletes across all categories.

Direct peers

• UK Coaching: UK-based national coaching charity providing coach education, resources, and certification. Directly comparable to ICOACHKIDS as a non-profit delivering online and in-person training to youth sport coaches in the UK, though with a broader (adults and youth) and paid/certified offering.
• Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA): US-based non-profit that provides workshops, online courses, and resources for youth sport coaches focused on positive, development-first coaching. Most directly comparable peer globally: same mission (child-centred coaching), non-profit model, federations as channel partners, and free/paid hybrid content.

Others

• International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE): Parent/host organization of ICOACHKIDS and the global body for coaching excellence. They share mission, leadership, and infrastructure; ICCE sets standards while ICOACHKIDS delivers practitioner-facing education, so they are operationally entwined rather than competitive.
• Sport Coach Europe (formerly European Coaching Council): Continental body (sister of ICCE) that promotes coaching standards across Europe. Listed as an existing partner of ICOACHKIDS; comparable as a continental coaching ecosystem player and potential referral/standards partner rather than a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Women in Sport (UK): UK charity focused on research and advocacy around female participation in sport. Directly comparable to ICOACHGIRLS in mission (girls' and women's engagement in sport), though advocacy-led rather than coaching-education-led.
• CoachTube: Online marketplace/learning platform for sports coaching courses ranging from youth to elite level. Comparable as a digital LMS-based coach education provider, though US-led, for-profit, and broader in scope than ICOACHKIDS' youth-only focus.

Regional players

• Coaching Association of Canada / Canada Coaching Network: National coaching body providing education, certification, and resources to coaches across Canada. Comparable structurally to ICOACHKIDS' federation-driven model, but operates in North America with a paid certification model.
• Sport England - This Girl Can: UK national sport body's campaign to increase female sport participation. Comparable to ICOACHGIRLS in targeting girls/women participation, though UK-specific and mass-marketing-led rather than coach-training-led.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/icoachkidsworld
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/icoachkids

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ICOACHKIDS