Sports Leaders' Workshop

NESSIC 2-Day Workshop

Host School:

Date:

Registration Fees:

Cogdel Cranleigh High School Wuhan

No. 9 Tianyu Road, Panlongcheng Economic Development Zone, Huangpi District, Wuhan

Saturday & Sunday, 22-23 March 2025

NESSIC & Non-NESSIC Schools: CNY2,800 per person

Designated Workshop Hotels

*Please note that at this time we only accept individual or school group registrations within China for payments via CNY bank transfer. International wire transfer options will be available soon.

Participating Sports Leaders and educators will gain a comprehensive understanding of effective organization and event management in private school sports programs.

Through a combination of theoretical knowledge, practical case scenarios, and interactive discussions, participants will enhance their skills as sports leaders, empowering them to set the tone for their programs and establish a program philosophy that aligns with educational athletics principles.

They will develop a deep understanding of the roles and responsibilities of sports leaders, coaches, and other stakeholders, and learn how to effectively navigate issues related to female athlete participation, ethics, communication, and conflict resolution.

Additionally, participants will discuss the importance of thorough planning and execution of sports events, with a focus on safeguarding, enabling them to create a safe and secure environment for student-athletes.

Overall, the workshop will equip participants with the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills needed to enhance the management and effectiveness of private school sports programs.

Program Format

Learning Methods

Participants will engage in four main topics. The first being “The Small Business Approach to Being an AD” – Thomas’ business model to running a sports program in a school setting. Next, Girls in Sport will provide participants with a Body Confident Coach certification and the knowledge to help bolster female participation in their schools. Further, a dive into Educational Based Athletics will help participants understand better ways to help coaches engage and connect with the student athletes in their schools in a meaningful way. Lastly, an overview of Sports Event Management will aid participants in overcoming the anxiety of missing details when hosting sports events.

Lecture
Interactive discussions
Case studies
Group activities
Role-playing & Peer Learning
Reflective exercises

Schedule

Day 1 (March 22)

8:30 am – 10:00 am: The Small Business Approach to Being a Sports Leader

10:00 – 10:30 am: Coffee Break

10:30 am – 12:00 pm: Sports Event Management

12:00 – 1:00 pm: Lunch

1:00 – 3:00 pm: Sports Program Philosophy

3:00 – 3:30 pm: Coffee Break

3:30 – 5:30 pm: Girls in Sports

Day 2 (March 23)

8:30 am – 10:00 am: Sports Leaders Safeguarding Scenarios & Roleplaying

10:00 – 10:30 am: Coffee Break

10:30 am – 12:00 pm: (cont.) Sports Leaders Safeguarding Scenarios & Roleplaying

12:00 – 1:00 pm: Lunch

1:00 – 2:30 pm: NESSIC Competition Calendaring

2:30 – 3:00 pm: Coffee Break

3:00 – 4:30 pm: NESSIC Competition & Calendaring

Session Overviews

The Small Business Approach to Being a Sports Leader

Sports Event Management

Sports Program Philosophy

Girls in Sports

Sports Leaders Safeguarding Scenarios & Roleplaying

Get to know me and how I came about my role & ways of thinking in a school – it was not the path you’d expect. It takes much more than just a knowledge of curriculum and sport to run a successful sports program. Take a journey with me through the many different roles that Sports Leaders should consider within their schools. During this session, participants will understand the many different hats a sports leader should wear in order to be successful within their school.

No matter the size of your school or the budget you are given, there is a way to host an event that participants will remember for a lifetime. We will discuss the preparation needed to successfully run a fantastic event as well as the importance of including stakeholders and the role they play. Participants will walk away with resources to help prepare for their next big or small event.

It is important for sports leaders to have an understanding of the term “Educational Based Athletics.” We will discuss this topic and how we can build a philosophy for our sports programs that is rooted in the school’s mission, vision, and philosophy while considering our own personal philosophy. Participants will walk away with a draft of a sports program philosophy that they can share with their school.

According to Dove, the #1 reason that girls quit sports is body confidence. We will complete the certification process to become a Body Confident Coach through the Dove & Nike partnership. We will further look at this topic to see what else contributes to low participation in female sports and what we can do at our schools to combat this.

Sports Leaders will discuss relevant topics to consider when planning for, attending, and hosting sports events. Participants will be provided best practices and ways to prepare for common situations that emerge at sports events. Consideration of stakeholders will be discussed as responsibility never rests solely on the sports leader.

Thomas Mathews

Thomas Mathews is an experienced international Athletic Administrator with a strong background in school leadership. In addition to coaching various sports, leading athletic and activities programs, and community liaising, Thomas is also an active presenter at numerous conferences within Asia. Thomas has been recognized for his exceptional leadership and currently serves as the Sports Chair for the Association of China and Mongolia International Schools (ACAMIS). In this capacity, he leads in the coordination of 14 unique sports events each scholastic year amongst the 90+ member schools impacting roughly 5000 student athlete lives each year.

Currently the Director of Athletics & Activities at Shekou International School, Thomas’ daily duties involve whole school program coordination across SIS’ three campuses. He also serves on the Secondary Leadership Team alongside the Principal, Assistant Principals, and Secondary Program Coordinators. Thomas prides himself on intentionally providing time each day to meet with students to stay connected to their lives and experiences within SIS. A former college and semi-professional basketball player, Thomas coaches the SIS Geckos Varsity basketball team.

Thomas took a unique path to school leadership – previously working in the American Sports Business sector. It was this four-year experience coupled with the knowledge gained through his MBA studies that shaped his “Small Business Approach to Being an AD.”

Thomas earned his Bachelor in Sport Management and Master of Business Administration degrees from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. More recently, Thomas completed a post-graduate Certificate in School Management and Leadership from the Harvard Business School. He earned the NIAAA Certified Master Athletic Administrator (CMAA) designation in 2023 – the most rigorous certification awarded by the association.

Designated Workshop Hotels

We strongly recommend booking your hotel room early, as there are limited rooms available at our designated conference hotels.

Designated Hotel #1

Ruitai International Hotel (Wuhan Tianhe Airport)

No.9 Tianyu Road, Huangpi Disrtrict, Wuhan

Rated as Excellent on Trip.com
Average room price is around 350RMB per night*
8.4km from airport
450m from subway station
3 minute walk to host school

Hotel Reservation Link (Trip.com)

*Room rate listed is for reference only, subject to changes depending when you make your reservation.

Note: No bus service will be provided to this hotel as it is located right next to the host school.

Designated Hotel #2

WASSIM Hotel
(Wuhan Tianhe Airport)

Tower C, Airport Centre, JingXing Road, Huangpi District

Rated as outstanding on Trip.com
Average room price is around 320RMB per night*
9.3km from airport
1.5km from subway station
15 minute walk to host school (can arrange buses if needed)

Hotel Reservation Link (Trip.com)

*Room rate listed is for reference only, subject to changes depending when you make your reservation.

Note: Buses will be provided to this hotel to the host school during the workshop days.

Notes with Bus Transport

Bus transport will be provided between only WASSIM Hotel and the host school:

on Saturday and Sunday mornings from WASSIM Hotel to the host school.
on Saturday evening after the sessions from the host school to WASSIM Hotel.
There will be no post-workshop bus service available. You may consider taking the metro, which is a five-minute walk from the host school and has a direct stop to the airport. Alternatively, you can use DiDi for a ride to the airport, costing less than CNY 30 per trip, including toll fees.

Notes with hotel reservation

You need to make your own hotel reservation (or for your colleagues who are going to attend the conference).
You (and/or your colleagues) can book other hotels but you will need to arrange your transportation to the host school.
Upon arrival, please arrange your transportation to the hotel.
Transportation will be provided from the above hotel to the host school during the workshop days (see above for details).

About the Host School:

Cogdel Cranleigh High School Wuhan is located at No. 9, Tianyu Road, Panlongcheng Economic Development Zone, Huangpi District, Wuhan City, covering an area of 51.6 mu, with an investment of 800 million and a staff of 1200. Ma Deju, the former headmaster of Wuhan No. 6 High School, served as the headmaster of the school.Cogdel Cranleigh High School Wuhan offers a dual pathway to higher education. International track offers AP,A-Level, Chinese-Canadian and International courses.The Domestic Orientation track offers a combination of subjects for the college entrance examination in strict accordance with the New Curriculum for Chinese Gaokao curriculum. Cogdel Cranleigh High School Wuhan is a new campus for the overall restructuring and upgrading of the International Department of Wuhan No. 6 High School. It inherits and develops the historical precipitation, school running tradition, educational philosophy and management system of the International Department of Wuhan No. 6 High School. The school is jointly founded by Hanjiang Hongyuan and Cogdel Education Group, and is committed to becoming a leading, national first-class and world famous boutique high school in Wuhan.

武汉康礼高级中学是由武汉六中国际部整体转制升级的最顶级民办双轨寄宿制学校，位于武汉市黄陂区盘龙城经济技术开发区天宇路9号，占地51.6亩，建筑面积10万平方米，总投资8亿元。由原武汉六中校长马德驹担任武汉康礼高级中学校长，依据办学顶层设计，实行双轨制升学通道，国内、国际、美术、小语种四大学部并行发展。国内高考方向，开设强基班、领航班、美术特色班、复读班、高三艺考文化课班；国际升学方向，开设IBDP、AP、Alevel、国际艺术、中加2+1留学班、日本留学班。学校是武汉六中国际部整体改制升级的新校区，传承并发展武汉六中国际部办学十年的历史沉淀、办学传统、教育理念和管理制度，融合中西方教育思想的精髓，是汉江宏远携手康德教育集团强势打造的民办、高端、国际化教育品牌，致力成为武汉领先、全国一流、世界知名的精品高中。