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Major Games comes one after one in the recent years. The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the National Games held in October were just completed, the East Asian Games (EAG) coming in December is on fire. While most athletes are preparing hard for the Games, they are also preparing for their future. Fifteen Elite Athletes completed the special Sports-General Theory (Part A) Course of the Hong Kong Coach Accreditation Programme (HKCAP) at Level 2, which is specially tailor-made for elite athletes. The Course required participants to attend class intensively during lunch break for two consecutive weeks in August and September. When they finished the Course and examination, they were all very excited and expressed that they would recommend this useful Course to their teammates.

Organised by the Hong Kong Coaching Committee (HKCC), the "Hongkong Bank Foundation Elite Athletes Support Scheme in Coach Education" (EASS) was firstly launched in 2007/08 especially for elite athletes of the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI), with the aim of sustaining elite athletes to become accredited coaches. Athletes from karatedo, rowing, tenpin bowling, triathlon, as well as the Hong Kong Paralympic Committee & Sports Association for the Physically Disabled joined the Scheme this year.

Teresa Au, Head of Corporate Sustainability, Asia Pacific Region of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited said, "Coaches play a significant role in developing athletes and we understand that many elite athletes are interested in becoming accredited coaches. The EASS, with a greater flexibility in class arrangement, can better suit elite athletes' tight training and competition schedules. HSBC hopes that the athletes, upon completion of the training, can assist in nurturing young talented athletes and contribute to the sports development of Hong Kong."

Dr Lobo Louie, Vice President of the Hong Kong Association of Sports Medicine and Sports Science, who is also a tutor of the HKCAP reassures that the Course is useful in nurturing accredited coaches, "Most athletes are familiar with their sports only, but lack of the knowledge of basic theory. The Course conveys the purpose of training in a scientific way and why the training is designed in a particular format. On the other hand, it is beneficial for athletes to explore different types of knowledge, such as Sports Physiology/ Psychology, Sports Nutrition, Managing Skills for Coaches, Doping and Sport, etc., make up as a liberal studies course for athletes." Dr Louie appreciates athletes' intention to squeeze time to study within the tight training and competition schedule with excellent learning attitude. Most of them are smart enough to ask questions based on their own background.

The examination was held in late September with over 90% passing rate. Rower Chu Ka-ming is one of the best-performed participating athletes. He enrolled after learning from his teammate about the benefits of this Course. "I hope to obtain the coach accreditation and indeed I have learned more about the theory of training. It does help improve my performance too." Chu said, "One of the important mental strengths is self-motivation. One could succeed and reach his goal only if he practises from self-motivation." He would recommend this Course to his teammates because he thinks that athletes usually lack of training in analytical thinking, training principles, the understanding of athletes' psychology. This Course definitely broadens his horizon for being an athlete.

Another outstanding rower Leung Chung-ming plans to be an accredited coach in the future to help nurture more elite rowers. He enrolled immediately when he saw at the HKSI the opportunity of joining the Course. Leung said, "In addition to coaching techniques, I also found that other knowledge is useful for my daily sports training. For instances, I realise the proper attitude that an athlete should have from the module of Sports Psychology."

The Hongkong Bank Foundation has been supporting the Hong Kong Coach Education Programme with over HK$21 million since 1992. Organised by the HKCC and administered by the Hong Kong Sports Institute, the Programme aims at providing coaches the opportunity to acquire theoretical and practical knowledge as well as formal accreditation. This EASS is one of the coach training activities of the Programme.