Women and Coaching

Coaches are fundamental to sport, and having a good representation of female coaches is also just as important. It is widely acknowledged that there is a lack of female coaches in the UK and addressing this gender imbalance is an important area for sport in the UK- the need for more female coaches is important for numerous reasons. Firstly female coaches bring new skills and experiences and can act as a role model for younger children, thus providing other females with the confidence and motivation to participate in sport or even become a coach themselves.

Getting involved is easy! You don't have to be a sporting superstar, nor do you need to hold any sporting qualifications, as many sports can provide you with some basic training to start and you can take it as far as you want. All you need is the willingness to be involved. Even if you only have a couple of hours to spare there are plenty of sports clubs and organisation who are looking for keen and enthusiastic volunteers. There are plenty of jobs in a club so if you don't fancy going straight into coaching there are plenty of other ways you can assist. It can be a very valuable and rewarding experience so give it a try!

To find out what opportunities are available either contact your local sports development unit or the national governing body for the sport that interests you. If you have children of primary school age you may want to become involved in the Dragon Sport programme, which provides children with extra curricula sporting activities. Many of these clubs are based on a school site.

Many of the governing bodies of sport in Wales are starting to run women only coaching courses or taking proactive measure to recruit more female coaches. Contact the governing body for your sport to find out if they are running any such projects.