The issue concerning the lack of female coaches at all levels of sport is nothing new. While some strides have been made in recent years, there are still too many barriers which are standing in the way of females interested in coaching from being able to get involved.
It is often heard from male and female athletes that he or she prefers a male coach. Eighty percent of all coaches top levels of sport are male. Roughly 5% of the coaches of men’s teams and less than half of the coaches of women’s teams are female. In any area of society with sport being no different, when members of one specific group are admitted into fields in which they have, historically, been the victims of restrictive access or discrimination, there are many subtle and overt barriers to achieving equal recognition, compensation and opportunities with members of majority advantaged group(s). In the case of coaching specifically, many will come up with what they feel are plausible explanations and justification as to why it isn't an issue of discrimination but rather that athletes simply feel that they can progress further with male coaches. It’s important to take a careful look at the myths and misconceptions being voiced and, for administrators and decision makers to commit themselves to educating the media, the athletes and the general public about the impact of perpetuating the long standing myths about why female coaches can't succeed in sport. From experience in coaching myself and through discussions with peers ( both female and male) , athletes and people taking an interest in coaching generally, I find that there are a few consistent myths that always seem to come up in discussions. I've highlighted 5 main stereotypical myths about the issue of gender in coaching and try to debunk them, or at least provide my insight into them. Myth #1: Female coaches aren’t winning championships. This proves that male coaches are better. Even in sports when there is a 50-50 ratio of males and female coaches, male coaches are more likely to have the highest paying jobs, the status positions at major institutions and therefore the budgetary, facility, recruiting and staffing resources to maintain their successful and advantaged positions. It is not surprising, when you consider this information, to hear that female coaches are less likely to win national championships than male coaches. Statistically, the odds would predict such an outcome. Myth #2: Women are less intense and as such are not as demanding of their players. They aren’t strong enough. Athletes and others must recognize is that it is one thing to say that “Coach Jane is not an intense or demanding coach” and entirely another thing to say that “Female coaches are less intense and demanding than male coaches.” Attributing broad attributes and characteristics to any large group of people is the root of discrimination and bias. There are those who would say that all stereotypes impart essential truths. If this is really the case, then why is not wrong when all people making general statements such as; - student-athletes are not really good students - female athletes are mostly lesbians - black athletes are more naturally talented than white athletes - the quarterback is always the smartest player on a football team - female coaches can't coach men because it would make the locker room uncomfortable. and so many more. If the above statements are considered insulting, wrong, to general, then why is saying that woman lack the mental make up to coach, not put in the same category. Any statement that imparts a specific characteristic to a group as a whole is false. Stereotypes are the product of ignorance and discriminatory bias. We should all question the understanding, motive and experience of those who falsely generalize individual characteristics to large and diverse groups of people Over time, I learned that it isn't enough just not to agree with or react to comments of this nature but if I really want to impact change I have to confront and correct those who make them. Myth #3: Women turn other women off and don't react well to women in leadership roles. It’s easier to take coaching from a man. This one is not unique to sport. I have heard comments of this nature throughout my working career. The flip side to this was always " a woman has to manage like a man to get anywhere". Even though stereotypes are wrong, our culture still teaches them. Unfortunately, our parents and grandparents who grew up in different eras oftentimes reinforced behaviors and beliefs which position men and women as fulfilling their stereotypical roles (i.e., men are outgoing, confident, strong, competent, aggressive, etc. and women are quiet, subservient, weak, passive, etc.). It is then easy for a young person to grow up believing that men are supposed to instruct women, to tell them what to do and women aren’t expected to play this role. It is extremely difficult for young athletes to recognize and overcome these deep influences. It is an educator’s responsibility to talk about these influences and assist young people in challenging such beliefs. It is also important for young athletes to recognize that there are many styles of coaching and teaching. Some coaches ask that athletes just do what they are told to do. Some coaches never tell athletes what to do; they want athletes to be able to think about why they should make one choice over another. Some coaches yell and are psychologically abusive. Others are quiet and subdued. How a coach gets an athlete to perform to his or her potential varies considerably and varies as within gender as well as between genders. Often coaches will use different methods with different athletes because different personalities respond to different teaching methods. What is important for athletes to understand is that other than teaching methods demonstrating basic respect for the individual, there is no one right way to coach or teach. Another common way for athletes to use stereotypes of various coaching styles inappropriately is to assume that the methodology of one successful coach is the preferred style of coaching. For example if the male coach of a team that wins the national championship yells at his players and practices for five hours a day, then players should assume that to win a national championship requires (a) a male coach, (b) a coach who yells and (c) a team that commits to practicing five hours a day. Experience and common sense should tell us that such assumptions are very wrong. Myth #4: Female athlete and teams prefer male coaches. t’s not unusual to encounter situations where male or female athletes express a preference for male coaches, especially after a well-liked or successful male coach leaves a program. There are several reasons for such statements and beliefs. First, when change happen, the athlete wants the situation returned to the way it was, or as close to what it was as possible. It is not uncommon for athletes in such situations to experience anger and betrayal. It is important for both student-athletes and educational leaders to understand common reactions to change such as fear, anger and discomfort. Likewise, it is important to talk about all of these feelings and their sources. Women and members of minority racial and ethnic groups would never be able to overcome discrimination if making sure people were happy and comfortable was more important than doing the right thing.We also know that research shows that female athletes who have never had a female coach believe that male coaches are better than female coaches. Male and female athletes who have been taught to devalue the athletic abilities of females may really believe that females cannot coach as well as males. There may also be male students who believe their friends and opposing teams will make fun of their female coach. Indeed, because so few females coach men’s teams, this is a different and new situation which makes athletes uncomfortable. Again, choosing to do the right thing should take precedence over making sure a group feels comfortable with a decision. Myth #5: Older female coaches simply don’t have the skills and knowledge to coach highly competitive programs. Today’s female athletes in top notch programs who are now being coached by males may be better qualified to coach in the future. Now you have two stereotypes working in conjunction to try and validate why females can't coach, age and gender. I have two clear examples where this is simply false, Pat Summit of Tennessee and Olga Hrachuck of UQAM here in Montreal. Two long time basketball coaches, the first for women, the second for men. Both highly successful coaches over many years. We must confront any belief that younger means better. It is not right to attribute the characteristic of better to any large class of people. Such beliefs also play into the hiring of young and inexperienced female coaches into lower paying positions because of the absence of a track record of successful coaching. Also, using the above logic, we are still perpetuating the issue of gender in coaching since basically the thought is that women coached by men, might develop into good coaches. However, if women continue to be mostly coached by men, when do we break the cycle. When does it become "normal" to see women coaching. The problem isn't whether women have the skill set to coach, males or females, but rather making sure that the barriers which have traditionally discouraged women from getting into the coaching ranks are removed. The profession must be made more welcome so that not only will women want to get into coaching, but that they are given every change to thrive and more importantly where relevant make an equitable compensation. So next time you hear someone say that not having lots of women in coaching isn't an issue, ask them why they think that. If they use any of the explanations above, challenge them to prove it.
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AuthorAfter many years of coaching at various levels and with different teams, I thought I would share some of my experiences and thoughts about coaching. Archives
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