Money, family and sexism – why the number of women coaches is dropping

The number of women coaching sport in the UK has fallen, with the sharpest decline among volunteer coaches at grassroots level. UK Coaching says entrenched assumptions, bullying, harassment and unequal opportunities make it harder for women to enter and remain in coaching, despite greater visibility and success in women’s sport.

A UK Coaching study found a 6% overall fall in female coaches and a 10% drop in female volunteer coaches. In England, women make up just 7% of grassroots football coaches, although half of girls who play organised football say they would share something with a female coach that they could not tell a parent or guardian. Women’s representation has improved in the Women’s Super League, where eight of 14 managers are women, but training costs remain a barrier: the top-level Uefa Pro Licence costs £14,000, while a C licence costs £650.