ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an ecological/multisystem approach for understanding and examining the women coaches. The focus on how to address individual problems for women, and to 'fix the women', leaves the impression that more women can advance to the leadership positions only after women make the changes needed to address their shortcomings and attain leadership positions. The Leadership Labyrinth has been used to describe the challenges that women face when attempting to reach the leadership positions in business. Eagly and Carli describe factors that are very relevant to the experiences of women in coaching which also need to be debunked. It is common within intercollegiate level coaching for women to exit the profession at the graduate assistant or assistant coach position. Sexism, heterosexism, and the homophobia are supported and reinforced within the sport, and it subsequently has negative impacts on all women in coaching.
