Coaching Female High Performance Athletes

Each factsheet  provides insight into the female athlete and her needs, and guidance as to how better to coach and support her.

There is evidence to suggest coaching is still delivered in a way that assumes gender neutrality; ie female and male participants being coached as though their needs are the same. However, very little research exists that describes the female athlete experience and examines whether her needs really are the same as those of a male athlete.

To better understand the female experience, in early 2010, WSFF and sports coach UK spoke with a number of female athletes about their current coaching experiences and what they wanted from a coach. From these discussions, we have highlighted the elements that constitute good coaching experiences and the attributes of a great coach.