We organized the “Workshop for Designing Quality Coach Development Program” from August 5th to 7th, 2025, targeting ASEAN Member States.
This initiative was implemented as a continuation of last year’s program.
This workshop was based on the Chiang Mai Declaration, adopted at the 4th ASEAN+Japan Ministerial Meeting on Sports (AMMS+Japan) held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in September 2023.
The Declaration highlights the strengthening of ASEAN–Japan cooperation in sports toward 2030, identifying coach development as one of the key priority areas under Sport Management.
Following the study tour conducted in 2024, this workshop provided a more practical opportunity for participants to design trial coach development programs that each country aims to implement in the near future and to formulate concrete action plans.
The goal was to design programs that provide essential learning opportunities for coaches — regardless of sport or competition level — based on Japan’s “Athlete/Learner-Centered” approach, while adapting the programs to the specific contexts of each country.
【Day 1】 Learning “Learner-Centered” Approach
Lectured by Prof. Masamitsu Ito of Nippon Sport Science University, where they experienced and explored the concept of learner-centered coaching.
They deepened their understanding of how coaches can facilitate learning rather than simply instruct and exchanged reports and opinions on current challenges and future collaboration among countries.
Participants also visited the AJINOMOTO NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER (NTC) to learn about Japan’s high-performance training environment and coaching systems.
 【Introduction】 |  【Sharing progression and challenges
among the participants】 |
 【 Lecture of Learner-Centered】 |  【NTC visit】 |
【Day 2】 Lecture and Workshop on Diverse Perspectives in Sport Coaching
On the second day, participants explored the themes of Safe Sport, Gender Equality, and Para Sports, gaining broader perspectives on inclusive and safe sporting environments.
Through lectures and case studies, they discussed diverse approaches to coaching.
Lecturers:
・Safe Sport: Reiner Leong & Elaine Lim (CoachSG)
・Gender Equality: Aya Noguchi (International Research Center for Sport and Gender Equality, Seijo University)
・Para Sport: Naoe Yasuoka (Japanese Paralympic Committee)
 【Safe Sport】 |  【Gender Equality】 |
 【Para Sport】 |  【Discussion】 |
【Day 3】 Designing and Presenting Coach Development Programs
On the final day, each country presented its own coach development program, reflecting the learner-centered approach explored throughout the workshop.
During the program design process, participants exchanged ideas they hoped to implement and discussed possible directions for future collaboration.
 【Quality Coach Program Design】 | 
【Presentation of designed program】 |
 【Update of their Action Plan】 |  【Reflection】 |
★ Voices from Participants
“I’m truly grateful for being invited again to SFT program. I learned so much and hope to use this knowledge to help Brunei continue to grow through sports.”
— Participant from Brunei
“It’s very important for ASEAN Member States to gather and learn together, as it contributes not only to the growth of sports but also to human resource development, health promotion, and the overall development of ASEAN.”
— Representative from ASEAN Secretariat
Throughout the program, participants experienced the “Learner-Centered” concept through group work and interactive activities, discussing how it could be applied to their own contexts.
In the process, they shared their current situations and challenges, building new connections and potential collaborations — particularly among countries with similar cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
This workshop not only contributed to advancing human resource development in sports across ASEAN but also served as a meaningful initiative to strengthen ASEAN–Japan cooperation.
Moving forward, SFT will continue to support the development of coach education systems in ASEAN countries and promote deeper collaboration among them.
As part of the post-SFT legacy, we aim to build a foundation that supports the sustainable growth of sports in both Japan and ASEAN.
Program Videos:
🎥 Study Tour 2024 (Long ver.) (Short ver.)
🎥 Workshop 2025 (Long ver.) (Short ver.)
