Shaping attitudes: exposure to women coaches and officials

Key findings

On exposure to women as coaches and officials

• Coaches and officials were dominated by women in netball and swimming, compared to being dominated by men in cricket, Australian rules football, rugby union and football (soccer).
• Across all sports, children were more exposed to having men as coaches (96% had men as coaches compared to 65% had women coaches)
• Across all sports, children were more exposed to having men as officials (100% had men as officials compared to 90% had women officials)
• 3 in 10 coaches that children were exposed to were women
• 2 in 10 children were exposed to mostly women officials

On satisfaction with women as coaches and officials

• Children who experienced at least one woman as a coach were 3 times more likely to associate a woman as 'looking' like a coach or an official, compared to those without any experience
• Children’s satisfaction with having a man or woman as their coach was influenced by their previous experience of these roles – with a clear preference for having a woman coach in netball and swimming, and a man in cricket, Australian rules football and basketball
• Previous experience with having a woman as a coach positively influenced children's belief that women can be great coaches
• Children with exposure to predominantly women officials showed higher satisfaction with women in these roles
• Girls’ satisfaction levels with having a woman coach and/or official was higher than boys

Parental influence on children's satisfaction with women as coaches and officials

• Children whose parent associated a woman as 'looking' like a coach were 6 times more likely to also associate a woman as being a coach (compared to children whose parents did not associate a woman being a coach
• Parents' satisfaction levels with men or women as coaches and officials was different based on the sport - with a clear preference for women in netball, and men in cricket, Australian rules football and rugby union

Social norms on women as coaches and officials

• Children were 2 times more likely to select a man compared to a woman as 'looking' like a coach or an official
• Children were quicker to identify men as coaches and officials, compared to women
• This bias was less prevalent in girls compared to boys
• The older children become, the more likely they were to believe that women can make great coaches and officials. This finding highlights the importance of young players being coached and officiated by women. Such early exposure could be pivotal in shaping more inclusive views of what it means to be a coach or an official in sport

Why is this important?

Women are underrepresented as coaches and officials, which are important leadership roles in community sport. Approaches that encourage women into these roles are at times stifled because of stereotypes that coaching and officiating are typically conducted by men. Exposure to women as coaches and officials at an early age, along with supportive attitudes from parents, could positively influence children’s perceptions towards women in these roles.