Female coaches in Australia triple, but 'misogynistic and abusive' behavior persists

While the landscape of sports coaching in Australia is slowly shifting, with the number of female head coaches in funded sports nearly tripling since 2021, significant challenges persist. The Australian Institute of Sport's (AIS) Women in High Performance Coaching project reports that female coaches now occupy over 25% of these positions, a notable increase, yet still considered insufficient by leaders.

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Maybe we've had a history where we've just had male coaches coaching our best athletes. We want to make sure the right people are coaching our athletes at the right time, female or male coaches.

Matti Clements, AIS Director, highlighted that historical underrepresentation means male coaches have often been the default for elite athletes. "We want to make sure the right people are coaching our athletes at the right time, female or male coaches," she stated, emphasizing the goal of equitable opportunity. However, the AIS report reveals that many women coaches endure "appalling, misogynistic and abusive" behavior. They also struggle with career-family balance and face hurdles in entering and progressing within the coaching ranks.

Clements stressed that fostering a culture of well-being is crucial for high-performance sport and for retaining diverse talent, including female coaches. "If you look at well-being as a sustainable high-performance lever, that will encourage all different types of people to stay in our system, female coaches included," she explained. Historically, high-performance sport has not been as welcoming to female coaches as it has been to their male counterparts.

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As a system, we've had a real focus in the last couple of years of wellbeing being fundamental to high performance sport in this country. If you look at wellbeing as a sustainable high-performance lever, that will encourage all different types of people to stay in our system, female coaches included.

Strategies contributing to positive outcomes include increasing the visibility of high-profile coaches, engaging in high-level discussions, re-evaluating recruitment practices, and implementing targeted development programs. Louise Sauvage, a decorated Paralympian and now a leading para-athletics coach, has witnessed this evolution over two decades. "It's been really good to see that infrastructure and also the investment into women's coaching," Sauvage told ABC Sport, noting the importance of balance as athletes are nearly 50-50 male and female. She believes women bring a unique perspective to coaching, underscoring the need to encourage their continued presence and contributions in these roles.

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It's been really good to see that infrastructure and also the investment into women's coaching. Our athletes are almost 50-50 male, female, so to have that balance is perfect. And I think women bring something a little different to the male coaches as well. So I think it's important that we encourage them to continue on in those roles and to show the identity and what we can bring as female coaches.