Christopher Hickey

Executive Director

Christopher Hickey, Executive Director

Christopher Hickey established the Institute for Sport Coaching in 2003 to provide support and direction to a profession that has been his passion since he was an honorable mention All-American and Maine Class A champion hurdler in the early 1980’s.

Since his introduction to sport, Mr. Hickey has established himself as a leading advocate for the development and advancement of coaches and athletes; directing a series of clinics and camps in Maryland and Virginia, developing the innovative Sport Coach USA Speakers’ Bureau & Workshops and authoring the soon to be published “Sport Coach USA Guide to Coaching Education.”

Currently, he is leading the development of the Metro Boston Coaches Academy.  The Academy’s mission is to create safe and quality sports experiences for Boston youth through a network of quality trained sport coaches.  All of its offerings will be designed with the goal of meeting the National Standards for Sport Coaches.  It started its efforts during the summer of 2007, and to date, over 600 coaches have been trained by the Academy.

Currently the Executive Director for the National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education (NCACE), Mr. Hickey administers the process for accrediting coaching education programs nationally.  A former member of the NCACE Board of Directors, Hickey’s involvement with NCACE furnishes insight into university- and national governing body-based programs and provides guidance to ensure that the Institute remains aligned with the standards and values that are most critical to the coaching profession.

Hickey has authored several articles for national publications including “Recruiting, Training & Retaining High School Track & Field Coaches in the 21st Century” for Track Coach magazine, the official coaching magazine for US Track and Field, and “Recruiting and Retaining Coaches” for American Track and Field magazine.  He has also presented several presentations at the National Coaching Educators Conference.

Hickey recently advised the Boston Scholar Athlete Program and the Boston Youth Sports Initiative regarding their plans for coaching education programs.  In the past, he has provided consulting services to Duquette Sports Academy, Up2Us, and Coach Across America regarding the professional development of their coaching workforces.

Mr. Hickey is a track and field coach who has also earned certification from the USATF as a Track and Field Coach and Official. He was Founder and Director for the Mid-Atlantic Track and Field Development Program and, since 1989, has served in various head coaching and assistant head coaching capacities at the youth, high school and college level. In addition to heading the Institute, he most recently served as Assistant Men’s Track and Field Coach for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston where he coached a Division III national champion and record holder.

Mr. Hickey holds a Masters in Sport Science degree from the United States Sports Academy in Daphne, Alabama; a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Maryland and earned his undergraduate degree from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.  Also, he has a certificate in strategic planning from the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. He is a member of USA Track & Field, US Track Coaches Association, and National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), and NCACE.

Hickey and his family live in Acton, Massachusetts.