ADIDAS BREAKING BARRIERS RESEARCH PAPER

THE IMPORTANCE OF GIRL-CENTERED COACHING

This research paper, developed as part of the adidas Breaking Barriers Project in collaboration with experts Common Goal and Women Win, examines the current state of sports for girls in Europe and how coaches can have a positive impact on their participation. 

Write your awesome label here.

Together, we can change the game for girls, starting with our coaches.

When it comes to addressing the underlying causes of barriers to girls’ sports participation, the role coaches play is tremendous. Yet in most sports environments today, everything from girls’ physiology to unique relational needs are still not accounted for.

Take a deeper look into the impact coaches have on girls’ participation in sports and the role they can play in making sports more inclusive for all.

Write your awesome label here.

WHAT OUR RESEARCH EXPLORES

Our research builds on the experiences and insights from sports industry
representatives and coaches across Europe to investigate the following questions:

WHAT ARE THE KEY THEMES IN GIRLs' personal experiences with coaching and sports overall? 

WHAT ARE THE ROOT CAUSES OF COACHING AS A BARRIER TO GIRLS' SPORTS PARTICIPATION IN EUROPE?

HOW CAN COACHES AND SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS MEET GIRLS' NEEDS AND HELP KEEP THEM IN SPORTS?

THE IMPORTANCE OF GIRL-CENTERED COACHING

Our research uncovered three root causes for coaching acting as a barrier to girls' participation in sports:

1.INSTITUTIONALIZED BIASES PREVAIL

The gendered institution of coaching and women’s coaching pathways negatively impact girls’ playing experiences and create an aspiration gap.

2.COACH-ATHLETE RELATIONSHIPS DON'T MEET GIRLS' NEEDS

Girls have unique needs within the coach-athlete relationship that are not taken into account by coaches working with girl participants.

3.EXISTING PEDAGOGIES ARE NOT INCLUSIVE

The existing pedagogy is based on a historical understanding of coaching practices and influenced by a space still dominated by men, which does not account for girls’ differing bodies.

TOOLS TO CHANGE THE GAME

Identifying the barriers girls face is just part of the solution. This research paper provides actionable steps for coaches and sports organizations to take to raise the profile of women in sports and create more opportunities for all.

Write your awesome label here.

READY TO START LEARNING?

Do you want to make your coaching practices more gender-inclusive?

Join the adidas Breaking Barriers Academy for courses on gender-sensitive communications, becoming a gender-equitable leader, and more. 
\Learnworlds\Codeneurons\Pages\ZoneRenderers\CourseCards
Write your awesome label here.

READ OUR OTHER RESEARCH PAPER

"More Obstacles Than Achievements" An exploration of the key hurdles to girls' participation in sport in Europe and opportunities that remain. This research paper, developed in collaboration with topic experts Women Win and Common Goal, examines the state of girls’ sport in the EU looking at the barriers that limit and/or hinder sport participation, and the actionable opportunities that remain. 

PROJECT PARTNERS

To address the cultural stigmas and systemic inequalities that women and girls face in sport every day, we partnered with gender equity experts Common Goal, Soccer Without Borders, and Women Win to develop the Breaking Barriers Academy.
Drag to resize

Write your awesome label here.

Write your awesome label here.

Write your awesome label here.