Studies blow the whistle on lack of women coaches

Many females say they'd welcome the job, and ask for more training and opportunities.

By RACHEL BLOUNT, Star Tribune

Last update: April 21, 2009 - 12:43 AM

From the perspectives of politicians and marketing executives, "soccer moms" exercise enormous influence in 21st-century America. Corporations lust after the buying power of this vast female demographic, while candidates covet the votes of these active, engaged women.

But soccer moms exert precious little muscle in perhaps the most obvious venue of all: the sideline. Recent research shows the scarcity of female coaches, already well documented at the college level, is just as evident in youth sports. Despite the tremendous surge of female athletes empowered by Title IX, few women are taking the next step of becoming a coach -- preventing their development as leaders at a time when women should be progressing up the sports ladder.

That issue will be the theme of a Wednesday lecture sponsored by the University of Minnesota's Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport. Studies by guest scholar Michael Messner and Tucker Center researchers have found several factors at play: ingrained gender roles, intimidating "old boys" networks, and time constraints. But the Tucker Center's Nicole LaVoi believes a shift can occur, which would be a priceless gift for all the girls yet to lace up their sneakers.

"We've heard people say, 'Women don't want to coach,' or 'We don't know where to find [women coaches],'" said LaVoi, associate director of the Tucker Center. "If Johnny's U-8 team needs a coach, his dad would be asked, because the automatic assumption is that men should coach, and they want to coach. But almost every woman we talked to [in a 2008 study] said, 'Ask us. Invite us.'

"By listening to women, by hearing about the barriers they face, we saw there are things we can do. We can help effect change. The next step in our research will be to work together with local youth sports organizations to make it happen."

When Title IX threw open the doors of opportunity for female athletes in 1972, only one in 27 girls participated in high school sports. Today, one in 2.5 is part of a team. But data from the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association showed that only 17 percent of all teams -- and 38 percent of girls' teams -- were coached by women during the 2007-08 school year.

LaVoi's research into youth sports has focused on soccer, a sport that attracts large numbers of girls. She found that 15 percent of coaches in the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association were women and that the number dwindled as the level of competition rose.

Most female coaches were placed with teams of very young children, usually girls. And oddly, even though many American men denigrate soccer, even that sport has its "old boys" club.

"When women do coach, they're relegated to teams that aren't 'important,'" LaVoi said. "But when it gets serious, when people want to win, then it's time for a 'real coach.' There is a glass ceiling for women, just as there is in the workplace."

In her study of mothers, LaVoi discovered that many would like to coach -- and they had concrete, workable suggestions that could bring more women into the ranks.

Some said they wanted to feel more competent before taking the responsibility of leading a team. Training clinics expressly for women would help, they said, by providing an unintimidating and welcoming environment in which to develop their skills. They also advocated female mentors and co-coaches as ways to build confidence and make it easier for women to get into coaching.

Others said having fewer games overall and more in their own neighborhoods would ease the time crunch that keeps some off the sidelines.

LaVoi plans to discuss these strategies as part of her work with youth sports groups, a critical first step in addressing the issue. And yes, it does matter. A strong female coach can greatly influence girls just beginning to explore their own athletic ability, and she can provide a critical model for their evolving aspirations.

"Girls are in desperate need of active female role models and women in positions of power," LaVoi said. "What does it say to our kids when there are only men in those positions? Female coaches can help girls with motivation and self-perception and shift kids' ideas of gender stereotypes. They can make a difference."

Rachel Blount • rblount@startribune.com

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