UK Coaching reports 6% fall in female coaches as new plan targets barriers

The number of female coaches in the UK has fallen by 6% in recent years, with a sharper 10% decline among female volunteer coaches, according to UK Coaching research reported by BBC Sport. The findings come as the organisation promotes a new Women in Coaching Plan, while separate football research highlights the limited representation of women on the grassroots touchline.

BBC Sport's Emma Smith reported that women account for only 7% of people coaching grassroots football in England. Research from Bloomsbury Football Foundation in association with the Football Association found that 13% of teenage girls play organised football at least weekly, compared with 46% of boys. Among those who play, 49% of girls are mostly or always coached by someone of their own gender, against 85% of boys.

The research also pointed to differences in how girls relate to coaches. Half of girls playing organised football said they would tell a female coach something they could not tell a parent or guardian; the equivalent figure for a male coach was one in eight. Those findings accompany a contrasting picture at elite level, where eight of the Women's Super League's 14 managers are now women, compared with four of 12 in January 2023.

Former England international Fara Williams told the BBC that qualification costs and the earnings available afterwards had prevented her from pursuing the coaching career she once expected. She had coached development teams while playing, but said she needed work that would cover her bills after retirement. Grassroots coach Zoe Conning, a UEFA B licence holder, also described financial obstacles, including travel expenses that remained despite help with course fees.

Childcare and working arrangements present further difficulties. Former England defender Anita Asante described balancing coaching opportunities with having a young child. UK Coaching lead Emily Handyside called for more job-sharing and part-time roles, alongside agreements that would allow coaches to return after a break rather than leave the profession permanently.

Handyside is fronting the Women in Coaching Plan alongside the organisation's signing of the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration on gender equality in sport. She told the BBC she wanted government-backed coaching measures that link funding to retention. Her proposals address keeping women in coaching, as well as improving access to the qualifications and opportunities needed to enter it.