New research led by Professor Russell Hoye, Dr Pam Kappelides and Haley Baxter has examined the experiences of women who coach in community sporting clubs, uncovering a range of systemic challenges.
"The number of women in community coaching roles remains low compared to men, despite the growth in participation by women and girls in sport more broadly,” explains Professor Hoye.
“Our research sought to better understand the organisational practices that help or hinder women in this environment.”
The paper, which focused on football, basketball and Australian rules football, highlights some of the common barriers affecting female coaches in community sporting clubs.
“We found that women were often invisible in decision-making structures in community sport. While some organisations had overt goals to increase female participation, there was a lack of women in core governance and decision-making roles,” Professor Hoye explains.
“Women also reported feeling on the periphery of the coaching ranks compared to their male counterparts, citing unequal access to resources and a lack of recognition of their legitimacy as coaches.”
Poor behaviour from parents also played a role, says Professor Hoye, with female coaches reporting unwelcome comments and criticism from parents.
“These results highlight the negative impact of poor parental behaviour on women coaches, a challenge not faced by men coaching in community sport.”
Professor Hoye says there needs to be more intentional interventions to support women who coach in community sport.
“While community sporting organisations may have goals to increase the number of women coaches in their ranks, a much more overt and comprehensive strategy is needed. Some interventions could include policy changes, educational programs, recruitment practices, as well as individual and organisational support mechanisms.”
“Community sporting organisations also need to invest in cultural change to ensure a positive and supportive club culture for women coaches.”
This research was funded by the Victorian Government, through the Change Our Game Research Grants Program.
