New research from the UK has highlighted a sharp decline in female coaches and various other key trends affecting the sector.
The research, conducted by YouGov for UK Coaching draws insights from over 30,000 adults and reveals both concerning declines and encouraging growth in different areas of coaching.
One of the most significant findings is the sharp decline in the percentage of female coaches, which has dropped from 44% in 2022 to 38% in 2024 — a 6% decrease over just two years.
This decline highlights the ongoing gender disparities within the coaching profession, which UK Coaching is committed to addressing through targeted initiatives and partnerships aimed at tackling barriers and fostering more inclusive environments for women in coaching.
Previous UK Coaching research had also revealed that 78% of women believe more visible female role models in coaching would support their career progression.
Gender Impact Strategy
To address this, and further barriers faced by female coaches, UK Coaching has developed its Gender Impact Strategy, designed to create inclusive and diverse coaching environments, promote equity, and drive systemic change.
In partnership with UK Sport, UK Coaching has also supported 60 pathway and high-performance female coaches in 2024, with further research initiatives underway to uncover and address the root causes of gender disparities.
The research also reveals a number of key trends within the broader coaching landscape, particularly regarding the status of active coaches in the UK. The proportion of UK adults who have coached in the last 12 months remains consistent at 6%, which represents approximately 3.1 million people across the country.
A notable shift in the sector is the increasing professionalisation of coaching roles. The proportion of active coaches being paid for their work has risen substantially from 38% in 2022 to 53% in 2024, reflecting a growing recognition of coaching as a viable career.
Additionally, the number of active coaches who consider coaching to be their primary occupation has increased, from 9% in 2022 to 12% in 2024. These shifts indicate that coaching is becoming a more sustainable and career-oriented profession.
Rise in Higher Level Coaching
While the majority of active coaches (68%) continue to coach at recreational levels, there has been a notable rise in those coaching at higher levels. The proportion of coaches working at academy level has almost doubled, from 8% in 2022 to 14% in 2024, and those coaching at the national level has increased from 3% to 6% over the same period. This suggests that more coaches are progressing into higher tiers of competition and development.
In terms of the types of sports coached, team sports remain the most common (37%), followed by racket games (15%) and dance (13%).
Access to coaching support continues to increase, with just over half (53%) of active coaches now receiving mentorship or development support, compared to 45% in 2022. This reflects a growing recognition of the importance of professional development and the role that mentors and coach developers play in supporting coaches at all stages of their careers.
In collaboration with UK Sport and Leeds Beckett University, UK Coaching is working to explore the challenges and opportunities for women coaching in the performance space, with an emphasis on sport-specific factors that could help promote inclusivity.
The organisation has also worked closely with partners such as Women in Sport, Sport England, Sport Wales, and more than 25 National Governing Bodies (NGBs) to drive a shared agenda for systemic change in the sector.
Valuable Insights
“The research has provided invaluable insights into the current state of coaching,” said Heather Douglas, Head of Coaching and Policy at UK Coaching.
“While there have been positive shifts in terms of the professionalisation of coaching and support for coaches, we must continue to focus our efforts on ensuring gender equality and creating a more inclusive coaching landscape for women.”
“Today’s Coaching in the UK publication serves as both an important reminder of the vital role played by coaches, as well as the challenges facing our sector,” added Sport England Executive Director of Partnerships, Phil Smith.
“Coaches are pivotal to delivering the right environments and experiences of sport and physical activity and can help people to build positive habits that last a lifetime.”
“However, the new data shows a collective need to continue to support a wider range of people to become part of the workforce. The decline in the number of female coaches is especially concerning, and Sport England will continue to do all we can to grow the number of women coaching through our investments and support of the Women in Coaching Taskforce.
Declining
At least 50% of coaches across sport should be female but we know this is not yet the case and as this report highlights, the number of women in coaching roles is declining,” said Lisa West, Head of Policy, Partnerships and Public Affairs at Women in Sport.
“At Women in Sport, we are determined to tackle the stubborn gender inequalities and institutional biases that hold women and girls back in sport – both as participants and in the workforce.”
“With support from Sport England, we are driving a growing movement and bringing about systemic change to create a more diverse coaching workforce that reflects lived experiences, supports those who are least active – often women and girls, and ensures the future generation of female coaches.”
“By raising the profile of the brilliant female coaches we already have, we aim to inspire women and girls and build a sporting culture where everyone can truly thrive.”
Download the full UK Coaching, Coaching in the UK 2024 report from UK Coaching . org here
SPORT FOR BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE
The decline in the number of female coaches in the UK is worrying given the higher emphasis placed on equality in recent years. The rise in the number of those for whom it is a viable career path is encouraging though the volunteer ethos of coaching at many levels in ireland is perhaps a shade stronger than across the water.
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