CHARLESTON, S.C. (Feb. 3, 2025) – A new report published by the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, out of the University of Minnesota, is illuminating trends and opportunities for positive change for women coaches.

“Based on decades of research, women coaches face many barriers and challenges at all levels of the system (individual, interpersonal, community, societal) their male counterparts do not,” the report notes, which is a comprehensive collection of data around emerging trends in sport. “Changes at every level of the system are needed for women to feel valued and supported when pursuing a career in sport coaching.”

US Club Soccer partnered with WeCOACH and Coaching HER this past August to provide members with complimentary access to research-backed educational programs and initiatives to combat dropout rates of girls in sport and improve female representation in coaching. Coaching HER curriculum was developed in concert with the Tucker Center and Nike, and WeCOACH was named multiple times in the Tucker Center’s report, specifically related to examples of changes that are occurring. 

One of the trends identified in the Tucker Center report is the universal struggle to recruit women coaches. Nearly every organization, at every level, in every sport is struggling to recruit women coaches. 

The report provides three key opportunities for improving the landscape for women who coach in relation to this trend:

1. Communities need to work together to create local strategies that encourage more women to become youth and developmental level coaches.
2. A coordinated, collaborative national media campaign is needed to increase awareness, and market and promote sport coaching to engage women of all ages. Research and insights are needed to determine which appeals entice and engage different audiences of women to enter coaching (i.e. high school girls, college women athletes, retired professional athletes, mothers, grandmothers).
3. A national media campaign can be initiated with investment by brands, sport properties and industry partners.
   • Example:  #SHECANCOACH is a campaign of the Tucker Center.

Read the full report here.