build relationships will provide a better experience for all female coaches .
In the sports industry , everyone should be trying to recruit new people to get into coaching . Women especially need to be encouraging other women to coach . Having current female coaches encourage female athletes to investigate a career in coaching would benefit not just the potential coaches but the future of sports .
PUBLICIZE COACHING OPPORTUNITIES
Collegiate sports already provides female athletes the opportunity to participate in and enjoy the sports they are playing . This platform can also be used to inform current female studentathletes about coaching opportunities . The many existing collegiate sports organizations — from NCAA Division I , II and III , to the NAIA and junior colleges — have the ability to expose the many female athletes to coaching mentors and opportunities . As Wasend and LaVoi state , the “ increases in female sport participants since the passage of Title IX , means that increasing numbers of young women have the athletic capital , experience , knowledge , and passion to become coaches .” ( Wasend & LaVoi , 2019 , pg . 86 ). Current college or university coaches should use their platform to inform their athletes that coaching is a career path they can take regardless of gender . According to M . Kahn ( personal communication , November 19 , 2020 ), “ We need to encourage our athletes and actively talk to them about coaching . Make them aware that you don ’ t have to be just a college coach .” Using current athletes as a starting point provides a pool of potential coaches who already know and love their sport . So let ’ s encourage them to explore and expand female coaching opportunities .
CONCLUSION
The lack of female coaches is a global issue — all over the world females have a hard time getting into the coaching profession . Athletic directors or board members who hire sports coaches should be aware of and willing to address the lack of female coaches in the industry . This piece discussed four ways that female representation could be increased in coaching : 1 ) creating and promoting female-only coaching education programs ; ( 2 ) adding more females to the board of directors of high-level sports organizations ; ( 3 ) developing networking opportunities between current and aspiring female coaches ; and ( 4 ) encouraging females to see coaching as a rewarding and viable career choice . Publicizing coaching opportunities to female athletes will benefit the sport , the athletes , and all parties involved . That ’ s a goal worth striving for . n
26 | Soccer Journal