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Where are all the women coaches?

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tennis coachThere are opportunities for women to get into coaching or sports management.

The retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson last week has sparked much discussion throughout the world of sport.

However, it is still relatively rare for a manager or coach to be the cause of so much adulation; it is more often the case that we are obsessed by the “talent”.

And although women are making great progress as “talent”, this seems to be at the expense of promoting women in backroom roles.

So what opportunities are out there for women hoping to make their way in sport, other than on the field of play?

Let’s get the depressing statistics out of the way.

According to research by Sports Research UK, out of every three coaches, only one is a woman.

And when it comes to qualifying as a coach, the figures are even worse; the ratio is approximately 1:5 women to men.

If you are going to come up with a name of a female coach, it will probably be that of England women’s football coach, Hope Powell.

Powell was appointed as the first full-time England women’s coach in 1998.

She had won 66 England caps and scored 35 goals in a distinguished international career.

In 2003 she became the first woman to achieve the highest coaching award in the game, the UEFA Pro-Licence.

As well as leading the senior team, Powell oversees the system from under-15 level to the under-23s.

She is an incredible example for any woman hoping to get into coaching, but, more than that, she is an example for any sportswoman who needs a way forward after retirement from professional sport.

And yet, dig deeper and you find that Powell is not alone.

The new Women’s Super League (FAWSL) has a number of female coaches and managers in place.

Chelsea has a female first team coach in Emma Hayes.

Lincoln also has a female coach in Leanne Hall, who is one of the few women with an FA “A” Licence for goalkeeping. She also is the goalkeeping men’s academy coach for Sheffield United.

Arsenal’s manager was Laura Harvey until January this year, when she left to take up a position in the USA with Seattle Reign FC.

Liverpool has Donna Wortley as video analyst, and Vicky Jepson is coach at the Liverpool Girls Centre of Excellence.

Other sports could take note from football’s lead.

Cricket, certainly, has a way to go.

Mark Lane last week resigned as England women’s coach after five years in charge. No successor has been announced, but there will be no women in the shortlist.

Women are just beginning to make waves in administration. Former England captain, Clare Connor, has the title of Head of Women’s Cricket with the ECB, but, now entrenched in administration, is unlikely to take up a coaching role.

The only other female “big name” in coaching is Judy Murray.

Until recently she was seen as a just another pushy sporting mum, but since taking over as Captain of Britain’s Fed Cup team, she has started to shake off this tag.

What you may not know is that this recognition comes after a mere 20 years of coaching experience, first as a volunteer in Dunblane and then coaching juniors and men professionally. The Fed Cup appointment is her first actually coaching women.

“For many, many years our Fed Cup captains were male and all of the girls have said it is nice to have a female captain,” she told The Scotsman (no irony intended).

And perhaps this is the point.

No one is saying that sportswomen would be better off being coached by a woman, but, as ever, it’s all about equality of opportunity.

So many sportswomen never get the chance to be coached by a woman, and, with no role models, never think to become coaches at the end of their careers, so perpetuating the situation.

So, what’s the good news?

Well, as usual, The Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation (WSFF) is at the forefront of trying to redress the balance.

Its campaign, “Trophy Women”, aims to get more women into higher positions in sport, whether this be in coaching, administration or sports development.

Check out its factsheet entitled ‘Developing Female Coaches’.

There is also an excellent article on the sportingcoachuk website called ‘Women…get coaching!’ by Inclusion Lead, Sarah Cohen. It goes a long way to discuss breaking down the barriers women face in getting involved and is full of great advice.

Finally, there are grants of between £500 and £5,000 available through the Women’s Sports Trust to support many aspects of women in sport, one of which listed is coaching. Click here for details.

You may have to search for help, work harder and be prepared to push yourself forward, but it could be worth it.

If you’re interested in becoming the next Hope Powell or Judy Murray, why don’t you go for it?

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