Placements & Internships

Coach Placements, Internships and Co-coaching

By linking coaches together with other coaches in sports, or clubs, you can provide hands-on experience of what coaching entails at any level.

Likewise, placements or internships at the higher level will not only build knowledge and experience in the female coach, but it will also expose them to the often closed networks of high performance and elite coaches, whilst building the credibility of women coaches among other coaches, management and players.

This exposure and experience will prove invaluable in building a woman’s confidence, to push her to apply for higher-level coaching jobs when they arise. It is also what clubs/employers are looking for (equal to or more than qualifications). So experiential learning is key and providing opportunities to accrue experience is vital for coaches to progress.

Pro-active Support

Keep in touch regularly with your coaches and be interested in their development. Try to ensure they know who is available to support them. Provide them with access to networking opportunities both inside and outside sport. Advocate the importance of attending these events.

If women coaches lack confidence to attend it’s usually as a result of the environment they’re entering rather than their coaching ability. The need for a ‘nudge’ to attend events can be easily overcome by personal support from the organisation. However, a better approach is to build confidence into your structure and systems rather than reacting when you have coaches with no confidence, i.e. give them experiential learning, provide opportunities to accrue experience, ensuring inclusive environments. 

A central online network of your female coaches, mixed with face-to-face events, will ensure that a two-way line of communication continues and you have a better understanding of the development needs of your coaches and they feel supported and part of the sport.

Mixed Gender Learning Events (Learners/Delegates Attending)

Traditionally, in a lot of sports, more men are coaches than women, therefore, the likelihood is that coach development learning events can be attended and delivered mainly by men. Being outnumbered in an

environment can be uncomfortable for some people and may impact on their learning experience or completion of the training/session.

Monitor your attendees at these learning events and take the time to proactively invite women coaches to the session. The benefits of male and female coaches learning together can include:

• Sharing different approaches to coaching.

• Learning from each other’s own personal experiences.

• Reducing the instance of gender-based negative attitudes as relationships can be developed in a neutral environment where everyone is learning together.

Female-only learning events (with the exception of networks/forums) are beneficial but good practice would be to provide all options and on request from the women coaches themselves. Running separate

events for male and female coaches may only serve to increase the gender gap and exacerbate negative attitudes towards women as coaches. Presuming that female coaches want seperate women-only

coaching courses without asking their views could have a negative impact. A blended approach to mixed versus female only events seems to work best.