Perceptions of Gender in Collegiate Coaching: How Men’s and Women’s Experiences are Different

Abstract

The number of men in collegiate coaching, in comparison to women, is overwhelmingly unbalanced. The accessibility men have to the profession of collegiate coaching at a high level in comparison to women’s’ greatly affects women’s’ ability to achieve similar jobs. The ease at which men attain jobs coaching both genders is perpetuated through the desire to maintain collegiate athletics as a male dominated profession. The women’s perspective broadens the profession itself and helps to break down the societal roles that have been assigned to women. The lack of women in collegiate coaching discourages other women from entering the profession and the women did not feel supported, accepted, or welcomed as collegiate coaches. The results also show a combination of feeling scrutinized because of their gender, and pressure to prove themselves as valuable members of the profession, which led the women interviewed to question if they should continue to coach.