Through several proactive and collaborative programmes to support British coaches, the number of women coaching in Olympic and Paralympic sports in the UK has almost doubled since the Tokyo 2020 Games.
The data, collected from national governing bodies of sport, features coaches who are supporting athletes on their journey to an Olympic or Paralympic Games. Across summer Olympic and Paralympic sports, 20% of coaches are women, up from 10% in 2020.
Director of Performance at UK Sport, Dr Kate Baker, said, “A diverse workforce brings innovative ideas, broader perspectives, and stronger collaboration, which we believe is integral for the sporting system to thrive.
“Our ambition is not only to create gender equity but to build a more inclusive and diverse community of sports, staff, and athletes.
“It is vital we do this to ensure the ongoing success of British athletes on the world stage and beyond the field of play, not just at the top end of Olympic and Paralympic sports but across the talent pathway.”
Despite not reaching the ambitious target that UK Sport set back in 2020, increasing the number of female coaches in Olympic and Paralympic sport to 25% - significant progress has been made. This includes a deeper understanding of coaching environments to enable a diverse workforce to flourish.
As part of our ambition to grow a thriving sporting system, in 2021, the Female Coaches Leadership Programme was created. This work shadowing and mentorship initiative provided learning and development experiences to support and develop female coaches in high-performance coaching environments. The programme supported 44 coaches working across 20 sports.
The programme then evolved into the Women's Coaching CPD Initiative, which aims to support the ongoing development of female coaches and grow the breadth and depth of coaching talent across British high-performance sport. Coaches from the programme described notable impacts across several areas including confidence, connection, capability, and value within their sport.
The priorities, developed in collaboration with the coaches, were to connect coaches with one another, enable sharing of ideas, and facilitate joint problem-solving. The programme included a variety of workshops featuring Kate Howey (judo), Claire Morrison (boccia), Mel Marshall (swimming), Jane Figueredo (diving), and Jess Thirlby (netball), who shared insights from her historic journey to the World Cup final with the England Roses.
The next stage of our commitment to creating and supporting a diverse workforce is a research project in partnership with UK Coaching, Leeds Beckett University and national governing bodies to better understand the coaching environment within sports for women coaches.
Commenting on the upcoming research, Baker said; “Understanding the environment in which women are embedded will be crucial in developing a diverse workforce and workplace in high-performance sport. Through this research and working alongside sports, we hope to understand how women’s experiences impact their ability to thrive."
Emily Handyside, UK Coaching, Women in Coaching System Lead, said: “We are proud to have partnered with UK Sport to pursue gender equity in coaching and support women coaches through the CPD initiative. We are delighted to share and celebrate their individual and collective achievements, and we are excited to continue supporting more women coaches in the future.
“It is essential that we continue to adopt a system wide approach to ensure positive impact on women coaches. The collaborative research project extends our work beyond women only programmes and is a significant step towards achieving more diverse and inclusive workplaces.”
Tracy Whittaker-Smith MBE, British Gymnastics Performance Director (Olympic Disciplines), said: “As a mentor coach in the Female Coaches Leadership Programme, I have been privileged to witness the incredible impact of this initiative in nurturing and empowering female coach leaders.
“Through mentorship and tailored learning experiences, these coaches have not only honed their skills and gained confidence but have also emerged as trailblazers in their fields. The programme’s commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and excellence in coach development is truly commendable and sets a powerful example for the future of sports leadership.”
Helen Scott, Men’s Podium Potential Sprint Coach at British Cycling, said: “The Female Coaches Leadership Programme and Women's Coaching CPD Initiative has been a rich addition to my early years as a coach in the high performance system.
“It has provided a place to connect and be inspired by female coaches who have been working at the top of the game for many years, and has also nurtured a supportive environment between coaches just starting out on their journey. The confidence and motivation I have taken from being part of this programme is adding to my work now as a coach.”
Rachel Carr, GB Climbing Performance Development Coach, said: “UK Sport’s Women in Leadership programme played a huge role in my progression and development over the last few years.
“Having opportunities to shadow other sports, learn how they work and what it’s like to be a top end female coach in those spaces provided me with so much knowledge and from that confidence on how I can best help our athletes and develop our sport as well.
“Learning about multidisciplinary teams specifically helped me to make some big changes in the lead up to the games knowing that it would truly be what’s best and I can proudly say it all paid off thanks to their trust in me throughout, trust I wouldn’t have without the ability to share the ideas and get them on board too. The skills I’ve gained are endless and I am so thankful to have been part of this programme and be where I am now.”