I work with coaches, athletes and leaders who need to make good decisions and perform in demanding environments 

Kim Dietrichsen

I work with coaches, athletes and leaders who need to make good decisions and perform in demanding environments 

 

High Performance Coach & Coach Developer

P. D. Jensens vej 7, 3540 Lynge

Call: +45 20 43 86 33

Kim Dietrichsen is a Danish high-performance coach, coach developer and sport psychology consultant with more than 25 years of experience in elite sport.

His work sits at the intersection of coaching, psychology, leadership and performance environments. He has worked with international-level athletes across swimming and several individual sports and today focuses increasingly on developing coaches and integrating sport psychology into everyday training rather than treating it as a separate intervention.

Kim is Coach Developer at Aquatics Denmark and Chair of the European Aquatics Coaches’ Sub-commission. He also works independently through Sportsmind with athletes, coaches, leaders and other performers operating in demanding environments.

Kim holds an MSc in Sport Science and a Master’s degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology. He is also a graduate of the International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Program (ICECP), delivered through the University of Delaware, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and IOC Olympic Solidarity.

International roles & appearances

My work in coach development and high performance also includes international education, collaboration and knowledge sharing.

European Aquatics
Chair, Coaches’ Sub-commission
→ View my European Aquatics profile

European Aquatics Elite Coach Conference 2026
Invited speaker, Maia, Portugal
→ Conference programme

Strategic Coach Development, Lublin 2025
Facilitator of an international coach development clinic with participants from almost 20 countries.
→ Read the European Aquatics feature

The Swim Brief
Guest on the international swimming podcast discussing the transition from coaching athletes to developing coaches.
→ Listen to “Coaching Coaches”

International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Program (ICECP)
University of Delaware, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and IOC Olympic Solidarity

ICECP is an international coach education programme for national-level coaches and professionals involved in developing coaching systems. The programme combines coaching science, leadership, athlete development, sport psychology, coaching education and the development of a practical project within the participant’s own sporting context.

mentaltræning

Coach Development & Advisory

Better coaches build better performance environments.

I work with coaches, performance leaders and sporting organisations that want to strengthen the quality of coaching, learning and leadership in high-performance environments.

My approach combines coach development, sport psychology and more than 25 years of experience from elite sport. The focus is not on providing coaches with more models or information, but on helping them turn knowledge into better decisions and better coaching practice.

This can include individual coach development, sparring with performance leaders, development of coaching teams, workshops and longer-term advisory partnerships.

Typical areas of work

  • Coach development and reflective practice

  • Coach-athlete relationships

  • Leadership and communication

  • Integrating sport psychology into daily training

  • Building sustainable high-performance environments

The aim is simple: to develop coaches who can think, adapt and act well when the situation becomes complex.

High Performance & Sport Psychology

Performance under pressure is not about eliminating doubt. It is about being able to act when doubt is present.

I work individually with elite athletes, coaches, leaders and other performers operating in demanding environments.

My work draws on sport psychology, coaching, ACT, metacognitive perspectives and extensive experience from international high-performance sport. Rather than applying a standard mental training programme, we start with the person, the performance demands and the context in which they need to function.

We may work with pressure, attention, confidence, motivation, difficult emotions, decision-making, relationships or periods where performance and development are not progressing as expected.

The goal is not to feel confident, calm or motivated all the time.

The goal is to develop the psychological flexibility and judgement needed to perform and make good decisions when things become difficult, uncertain or important.

Speaking & Workshops

A good presentation should create more than inspiration in the room. It should change what people notice and what they do afterwards.

I deliver keynotes, workshops and professional development sessions for coaches, sports organisations, performance environments and organisations outside sport.

My presentations combine research, practical experience and cases from more than 25 years in high-performance sport. I am particularly interested in the areas where simple answers stop working: pressure, relationships, coaching, leadership, talent development and human performance.

Sessions can be designed as standalone keynotes or as interactive workshops where participants work directly with their own challenges and practice.

Core topics include

  • Sport Psychology in Daily Training

  • Developing Coaches in High-Performance Environments

  • Performing Under Pressure: From Insight to Action

  • Coach-Athlete Relationships and Performance

  • Talent Development Beyond Early Performance

The ambition is not simply to leave people inspired. It is to leave them thinking differently and better equipped to act.