Women coaches leadership development programme: an evaluation study of programme effectiveness.

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Coaching Development
• Gender Studies in Sport

Background:

• Low representation of women coaches in the UK sports sector indicates a loss of potential talent.
• A leadership development program was created to address this gender imbalance.
• The program aimed to build women coaches' leadership identity, skills, and purpose in a supportive environment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a women-only leadership development program for coaches.
• To assess the impact of the program on participants' awareness, learning, application, and results.
• To identify factors contributing to or hindering women coaches' progression in leadership.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Kirkpatrick's four-level model for program evaluation.
• Conducted qualitative data collection through interviews with 17 participating coaches.
• Employed content analysis to interpret the interview data.

Main Results:

• Coaches reported positive program evaluations, highlighting key learnings and impactful aspects.
• Participants expressed a strong desire for career progression, with senior leadership roles feeling attainable.
• Identified challenges included organizational issues (recruitment, pay) and personal factors (work-life balance).

Conclusions:

• The program successfully raised awareness, enhanced knowledge, fostered connections, and inspired women coaches.
• Participants demonstrated increased confidence and moved into more senior leadership positions post-program.
• Investing in individual coaches is crucial for systemic change towards gender balance in the coaching workforce.