Women in Sports Coaching: What the Research Tells Us
- Save Today, Play Tomorrow
- Jul 23
- 2 min read
A 2026 report from Women in Sport and Leeds Beckett University has taken an in-depth look at the state of women in sports coaching across the UK, and it makes for important reading.
The report opens with a reminder of just how vital coaches are to our sporting culture:
"Coaches are the backbone of sport, whether grassroots or high performance, putting their time and sometimes their lives into supporting other people to find the best in themselves, to be active, to find joy and, sometimes, to win medals or trophies.
There are millions of people in the UK coaching in any one year, and approximately half are paid in some capacity even if only for an hour a week. Coaches are passionate, committed and love to coach.”
And yet, despite this, the coaching opportunities available to women remain far from equal.
The Broader Context
Men still dominate the leadership of sport in this country - holding three quarters of Chair, CEO and Performance Director roles across the twenty most popular sports in England. The coaching workforce reflects this too, with women facing significant disparity in both opportunity and treatment at every level.
That said, there is reason for optimism. Recent high-profile appointments within coaching signal what's possible: Marie-Louise Eta becoming the first female coach in the men's top-tier Bundesliga, Sarah Taylor as fielding coach for the England men's cricket team and Jo Yapp as inaugural head coach of the British and Irish Lions women's team. Progress is happening - but there is still a long way to go.
The report also highlights that 77% of CEOs agree that coaching as a career pathway needs modernising. Licensing and accreditation systems form the main framework for progression, yet the route from grassroots volunteer to professional coach remains poorly mapped - and for women, this lack of clarity is an additional barrier.
Coaching at Grassroots Level
At grassroots level, the case for more female coaches particularly strong. Younger girls in particular benefit from having coaches who share their lived experience and visible female role models helps shape what the next generation believes is possible for them, both in sport and beyond. As the old adage goes, ‘if you can see it, you can be it’.
With women's sport enjoying a real moment, particularly in the UK, with the success of teams like the Lionesses and the Red Roses, and rising investment across the sector, there's no better time to invest in the coaching workforce that will sustain it, starting at a grassroots level.
Useful Links for Female Coaches
If you're looking to get into or progress in coaching, these programmes are worth knowing about:
UK Coaching – for general advice and support.
MCC Foundation Women and Girls Cricket Coaching Programmes – apply through the foundation here.
Read more about the research and Women in Sports recommendations for reform here - https://womeninsport.org/resources/reimagining-sport-coaching-designing-a-system-that-works-for-women/
