About the Sports Leadership Programme

The Sports Leadership Programme (SLP) is a high-end international executive programme, specifically designed to guide you – as a leader in a professional sports environment – to realize your goals and ambitions. This unique programme provides an in-depth knowledge on the fast-emerging world of sports management and leadership. We will use a holistic and leadership approach to analyze the so called “sports ecosystem” and the indispensable underlying values of integrity, credibility and sustainability. Passionate sports leaders will come together to make sustainable improvements to the world of elite sports in an innovative way.

During this practical and personalized development journey you will further discover your strengths and develop them to reach their full capacity, while learning from inspirational faculty and the experiences of your fellow students. In combination with the personal development track, the programme enables a steep learning curve. Joining the SLP, is joining a community of inspiring people who together leave their mark upon this world.

Class of 2025 is now open for admission!

2025 course outline and details

The SLP consists of four modules that each take up two days and together with the personal leadership track combining a total course load of nine days, spread over six months. The personal leadership track is woven throughout the entire program. The modules will take place at a variety of inspiring locations to enrich your learning experience. We stay on location during each module. Hotel stays are included in the tuition fee.

Module 1 | Sports, Finance & Governance
Success on the pitch starts in the boardroom. Leading sports organisations must not only play by the rules, they must also be the epitome of effective governance; legislation and financial control. Governance is a serious topic in the world of sports. This module looks at the possibilities and issues related to the self-regulation of (international) sports organisations.
Module 2 | Sports, & Social Impact
Sports play an important role in our society and the values they embody have the ability to reach far beyond the playing field. In this module, you will explore the reach and impact of sport, its influence on local and national identity, and its role as an agent of community building. You will also look at how sports can influence issues related to race, gender, and identity, as well as broader strategic agendas such as equality and social justice. Finally, you will discover how sports can impact and affect positive change to promote a more inclusive future.

In the 2024 edition of the SLP this module will take place at Loughborough University in London.

Module 3 | High Performance Sports
The colour of the medal defines the success of an organisation. This module fosters a deeper understanding of the specific attributes that contribute to the success of a team, a (professional) club, sports organisation or an entire sporting nation. They require methodical decoding and can be translated into smart high-performance sports strategies that enable the creation of successful sports organisations.
Module 4 | Sports & Business
The sports sector has now become one of the world’s biggest industries, driven by governments, associations, institutions and commercial enterprises. In this module, participants will explore the relationship between sports, market principles and entrepreneurship in a case study driven learning environment.

Focus on personal leadership
Your personal development is an essential part of becoming a better leader! Therefore, personal leadership development is a core component of this entire program. Besides the specific course topics, each module incorporates elements to improve your personal leadership skills. In addition, you will also have both individual personal leadership sessions and group coaching sessions. These activities will help you create a practical, personalised development journey, and reach new insights into your personal and professional behaviour. This demanding but insightful development process will prepare you for all your future leadership roles.

More about the Personal Leadership Development Track
The Sports Leadership Programme is a high-class executive programme specifically designed to guide participants – as a leader in a high-performance sports environment – to reflect on their goals and ambitions and what personal skillset is required to achieve these. This unique programme provides an in-depth knowledge on the fast-emerging world of sports management and your leadership.

We will use a holistic and leadership approach to analyse the so called “sports ecosystem” and the indispensable underlying values of integrity, credibility, and sustainability. Participating in the Sports Leadership Programme means the beginning of a self-discovery journey with likeminded people in a unique learning environment.

Self-discovery can take many different forms – from noticing how you react to something in your environment to uncovering your purpose in life. The greater awareness you have of your inner world, the more your actions can line up with the life you want to create. And the more impact you can make as leader in a changing world.

The personal development journey is key in taking the next steps towards becoming a better leader and reaching your goals. Our professional coaches will guide you on this journey, using various methods to help you gain insights in your professional and personal behavior enabling a steep learning curve. During the programme there will be 4 group-coaching sessions, challenging you to operate outside your comfort zone and discover new aspects of your character and help you develop into the leader you want to become. Part of this journey is also two online 1:1 coaching sessions.

Course Topics:

✓ Getting to know yourself (better)

✓ Personal development

✓ Behavioral patterns

✓ Personal Leadership

Programme details
Module Leader: Conny Wenting
Executive coaches: Conny Wenting and Lucas Judge

Environment
The Personal Development Journey is tailored around the participant’s and groups’ specific needs. Working in small classroom settings with enough opportunities for personalized feedback is key in this programme. The experiential learning programme will provide interesting insights and developments that will provide insight in its own behavior. Our aim is to create a save and sound holding space for participants to feel free to share their personal challenges and support courageous dialogues within the group.

Supervised Group Coaching
The goal of this coaching is to gain insight into your own strengths and development opportunities regarding your role as leader. Supervised coaching ties together the processes of active learning and reflection. The coaches provide a structured and safe context for the participants to reflect on and deepen their understanding of their own leadership challenges: attitude and competences.

Who should attend?

The Sports Leadership Programme has been specifically designed for talented and ambitious sports coaches and managers, as well as entrepreneurs with a passion for sports. We feel diversity creates the ideal environment for growth. With this in mind, we aim to create a group of students from a variety of backgrounds and with a range of experiences and dreams.

Suitable candidates for this programme are: national team managers, Olympic coaches, top sports managers, business executives, technical managers, and entrepreneurs and sports managers that look to exchange ideas, knowledge and experiences.

Admission fee 2025

The admission fee is a total of €8.250,- excl. VAT. During the modules catering and accomodation is included. Traveling costs are not included.

SLP without the personal leadership track

It is possible to participate without following the leadership track. However, in the end you will be rewarded with a certiifcation of participation instead of the full Sports Leadership Programme diploma. Please contact us for further details.

Questions? Contact our programme manager Jill Eekhart (Jill@SportsinQ.com)