UK study finds decline in women coaches as grassroots barriers persist

The number of women coaching sport in the UK has fallen by 6% in recent years, according to UK Coaching research reported by BBC Sport. The decline is sharper among female volunteer coaches, whose numbers have dropped by 10%, raising concerns about opportunities at grassroots level despite progress for women in some elite coaching roles.

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BBC Sport’s report also highlighted findings from the Bloomsbury Football Foundation in association with the Football Association. Only 7% of grassroots football coaches in England are women. Among teenage girls, 13% play organised football at least weekly, compared with 46% of boys. Of those who play, 49% of girls are mostly or always coached by someone of their own gender, against 85% of boys.

The research points to a further distinction in the relationships young players have with coaches. Half of girls playing organised football said they would share something with a female coach that they could not tell a parent or guardian. For a male coach, the proportion was one in eight. Those findings accompany a contrasting picture in the Women’s Super League, where eight of 14 managers are women, compared with four of 12 in January 2023.

Qualification costs remain an obstacle, coaches told the BBC. The report listed the C licence at £650, the B licence at £1,250 and the A licence at £4,150, with the Pro Licence costing £14,000. Former England international Fara Williams said the financial return and available opportunities had not justified the investment for her, despite her earlier determination to become a coach.

Grassroots coach Zoe Conning described similar pressures. She received funding help for her B licence but paid her own travel expenses between Wolverhampton and Manchester. She subsequently declined the A licence because of the cost. Conning, who coaches at Manchester Laces alongside her job at Wolverhampton Wanderers, called for better pay and clearer information about financial support.

Family commitments are another barrier. Former England defender Anita Asante told the BBC that opportunities with Bristol City and England Under-23s had brought a difficult balance with life at home with a young child. UK Coaching’s Emily Handyside is promoting a Women in Coaching Plan and called for job-sharing, part-time roles and stronger arrangements allowing coaches to return after a break. She also urged government support linked to retaining coaches, alongside measures addressing unequal opportunities and stereotypes.