Guest blog: Bryn Vaile MBE
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Participants on the fifth ILP intake
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Bryn Vaile 30 November 2011
One gets a real sense of the Olympics when you walk up to the Maison du Sport International (International House of Sport) in Lausanne, Switzerland where I am attending the second module of the UK Sport’s 5th International Leadership Programme (ILP) with 14 other UK representatives.
Lausanne is officially the Olympic ‘Capital' (having secured the naming rights from the IOC some years back) and is not only the home to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) but also a multitude of international federations and other sporting organisations that have based themselves in the city.
The focus on our two day workshop is to better understand the operating environment of international sport; who are the main ‘actors’, what are their responsibilities and how do they interact with one another in order to manage the world of international sport.
Our first day focused on the various organisations based here and coonsisted of a series of lectures from various international sports leaders from the IOC, Assocation of Summer Olympic International Federations, World Anti Doping Assocation and SportAccord which was further complimented today by sessions from the IOC on the evolution of the sports contained within the Olympic Programme and from two very different IFs (basketball and golf) on the challenges and opportunities they face.
Notwithstanding the formal teaching elements of the ILP programme, there is a real benefit in is the sharing of expertise among ILP participants and working in small peer groups. This has been very useful as British Bobsleigh and Skeleton continue to develop their international relations strategy.
There have been a few great tips, like if you want to communicate with the Olympic Family, there is no need to take out an advert out in the New York Times. The local Lausanne papers are far more effective given their readership by all those that work in this unique and fascinating city!
Bryn Vaile MBE, is President of British Skeleton and Chairman of the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association.
Launched in 2006, the ILP is one of several UK Sport people development programmes and is part of UK Sport’s commitment to ensure that the UK is able to contribute to the development and governance of international sport. The programme is designed to equip participants with the skills they need to become effective cross-cultural communicators able to operate successfully on the international stage and build relationships with International Federations and other key international sporting organisations.
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