Understanding the Absence of Female Coaches in Sport and the Value of Same-Sex Role Models for Female Athletes in Their Coaching Pursuits

Like many leadership positions, women hold very few head coaching positions in sport. This does not mean that women are not involved in sport; in most cases, they take on smaller roles like assistant coach, trainer or executive/board positions. Previous research suggests that same-sex role models can aid in increasing the number of females that take on coaching as a career. Utilizing an online survey and focus group sessions with CIS level female athletes, the current study examined the influence of coaches, both male and female on these athletes and their desires or aspirations to coach as a career and/or as a volunteer. Fifteen of the 20 participants (75%) have never been a head coach but 14 (70%) had coached in a different capacity (i.e., assistant coach). Based on the data collected, participants felt they had the necessary skills and self-efficacy to coach however, due to various reasons, a majority did not identify coaching as a career aspiration but instead stated that they were more likely to volunteer as a coach. Additionally, participants did not identify females as their sole role models. It was often a combination of males and females and, in cases where they had male coaches, they expressed that these males had influenced their career and/or coaching desires