ABSTRACT

Women athletes, coaches, officials and leaders have to navigate their careers within organisational structures that have been built by men for men. For example, coach education, practices and methods primarily have been developed by men coaches for men athletes. Whilst women’s sport access and participation are increasing, women remain underrepresented in leadership roles like coaching and officiating. Indeed, the global shortage of referees is likely due to the oversight of women and women’s sport. Within this chapter we discuss the gendered nature of coaching before turning our attention to women’s experiences in sport officiating. We draw on relevant literature throughout the chapter and identify issues and opportunities for further research. We conclude by providing practical actions and recommendations to help facilitate coaching and officiating development for women and girls.