The underrepresentation of women head coaches of women’s teams at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I level is well documented, and the percentage of women coaching women’s teams has remained stagnant at approximately 40%–43% for more than a decade. Documenting hiring patterns of individuals in positions of power is crucial to understanding why stagnation persists. The purpose of this study was to longitudinally examine the gender distribution of head coaches hired for women’s teams and statistically examine if the gender of the athletic director (AD) impacted who was hired. Data on head coach gender and AD gender were collected between the 2014–2015 and 2021–2022 academic years. Based on the data, gendered hiring patterns emerged. Results indicated that homologous reproduction was present in ADs’ hiring of head coaches of women’s teams. The findings can be used to increase awareness and motivate evidence-based action by holding ADs accountable for their hiring decisions. Findings illuminate the hiring processes in intercollegiate sport, which have numerous implications for women sport coaches. Future research on factors such as external influences on the hiring process and the glass cliff phenomenon is warranted.
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A Longitudinal Examination of Homologous Reproduction in Athletic Directors’ Hiring of Intercollegiate Head Coaches for Women Sports
Courtney Boucher and Nicole M. LaVoi
Acceptability and Preliminary Efficacy Testing of a Web-Based Coach Development Program Addressing Gender Essentialism Among Coaches of Adolescent Girls
Anna Goorevich, Courtney Boucher, Jekaterina Schneider, Hannah Silva-Breen, Emily L. Matheson, Aline Tinoco, and Nicole M. LaVoi
Gender essentialism in coaching discourses often goes unnoticed by coaches yet promotes gender stereotypes. Currently, no coach development program addresses gender essentialism. This study tested the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a novel web-based coaching intervention comprising seven self-led modules, aimed at reducing gender essentialism among coaches. A pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted with 102 coaches of adolescent girls across multiple sports. Coaches were randomized into the intervention condition (n = 54) or a waitlist control condition (n = 48). Both intervention and control group participants completed a baseline self-assessment prior. Intervention group participants undertook Coaching HER Foundation modules over 2 weeks and completed a postintervention self-assessment. Control group coaches completed the postintervention assessment without completing the Coaching HER Foundation modules. Based on the data, coaches found the intervention easy to follow, relevant, applicable, and enjoyable. Efficacy analyses illustrated the intervention group reported lower levels of gender essentialism at postintervention compared with the control group. Study results must be considered in relation to the small sample size and high attrition rate (72%). Study findings will inform intervention optimizations based on participant feedback, after which Coaching HER Foundation will be made freely available within a wider coach education and training framework.
