GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala – Concacaf convened the region’s technical leaders and coach educators in Guatemala City for the 2nd Concacaf Coach Education Conference, hosted with the National Football Federation of Guatemala. Centered on the theme “Coaching Excellence: Built on Standards, Driven by Service, Support & Sustainability,” the event provided a dedicated space to share ideas, align with global benchmarks, and strengthen the long-term vision for coaching across the Confederation.
Over two matchdays, participants engaged in presentations, workshops, and case studies focused on four key pillars of development: establishing consistent coaching standards, promoting a service mindset in coach education, building robust support structures for coaches and educators, and embedding sustainability into national coaching pathways.
Opening the conference, Concacaf Chief Football Development Officer Jason Roberts underscored coach education as a strategic priority for the region. “Coach education sits at the heart of Concacaf President Victor Montagliani’s football-first vision,” Roberts said. “When we invest in coaching development and standards—how we support coaches and the systems that sustain them over time—we are investing directly in the quality of the game across every Member Association.”
The agenda featured global and regional expertise. FIFA’s Head of Coaching Development, Branimir Ujević, presented on coach educator standards as a foundation for coaching excellence, while UEFA Technical Advisor Frank Ludolph outlined the evolution of the UEFA Coaching Convention and its gradual approach to change and development.
The Concacaf Development Department led multiple sessions focused on service-oriented coach education, using Guatemala’s history and culture as a lens to explore how Member Associations can better respond to the needs of coaches on the ground. These sessions were complemented by case studies presented by the Heads of Coaching Education in Guatemala, Jamaica, and El Salvador, illustrating how standards and services are being strengthened within their respective national frameworks.
The second matchday shifted focus to support and sustainability. A case study featuring the Anguilla Football Association and Concacaf highlighted how tailored technical assistance and clear frameworks can help smaller associations build effective coach education systems.
A panel on the Concacaf–UEFA Pro License collaboration and further presentations by Goalkeeping experts and the Mexican Football Federation on its new coach education model completed a full slate of insights on long-term pathway building.
In his remarks on behalf of the hosts, William Martinez, General Secretary of the National Football Federation of Guatemala, linked the conference’s ambitions to the country’s own football and cultural identity. He reflected that welcoming regional leaders to Guatemala was an opportunity to “share experiences, deepen our understanding, and reinforce a shared commitment to building stronger pathways for coaches throughout Concacaf.”
The conference forms part of Concacaf’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the collective capacity of Technical Directors, Heads of Coach Education, and coach educators, reinforce the Concacaf Coaching Convention, and contribute meaningfully to the global coaching landscape. As participants return to their Member Associations, they do so with new ideas, clearer standards, and a renewed sense of purpose in their work to support coaches and elevate the game across Concacaf.
