Recruiting, Retaining, and Supporting Women Coaches and Coaches of Girls

Getting more women into coaching and supporting coaches of girls, of any gender, is a key way to get girls in the game.

Did you know that only a quarter of youth sports coaches in the United States are women? Women are terrific, skilled, impactful coaches and more and more women want to coach and can. Follow these tips to ensure women coaches and the coaches of girls have what they need to create a positive youth sports culture for girls and all kids.

1. Women Coaches as Role Models

• Include images of women in coaching roles in all program materials (flyers, job notices, and outreach). Use imagery that conveys messages that women are very much encouraged to apply, integral to the program, welcome, and should seek out coaching positions.
• Girls and underrepresented youth seeing individuals in and around the game who are like themselves is powerful and relatable. In fact, 77% of women leaders report a lack of exposure to women coaches which limits girls’ sports participation. We can change that!

2. Actively Recruit Women as Coaches

• Personally ask women in your community networks to coach. Reach out to parents/carergivers, women volunteer groups and organizations, or local colleges. If they have never coached before or are hesitant, have them start out as assistant coaches or trainees.
• Start early! Encourage middle and high school girls to coach. Reach out to athletic directors at local schools and park sports coordinators to promote coaching as an opportunity for girl and young women players, plus officiation.

3. Promote Women Into Youth Sports Leadership

• Support and grow women in youth sports leadership. Just as girls appreciate seeing a women coach role model in order to get into the game, women coaches and others appreciate women youth sports leaders and such leadership can be encouraging to women to apply to coach and join staff. Women are terrific leaders to all!