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 Are men better coaches? - Oct 22, 2008 | 16:30:17
posted by: Marta Lawrence
A report about perceived gender-equity barriers in college coaching and administration found that 51.7 percent of female student-athletes said they would prefer their coach to be a male. Only 40.7 percent said they would prefer their coach be a female. The reasons for the male preference are likely varied and individualized, but nonetheless surprising. Why do women prefer to follow male coaches? Before Title IX, sports were the jurisdiction of men and boys. While the hard work and dedication of countless women had a lasting and important impact on gender equity in sports, fathers also played a pivotal role. Without early encouragement, which often came from fathers, many women may never have picked up a glove or shot a basket. Could a father's mentoring predispose a woman to wanting male coaches? And what role does gender stereotyping play? As a society, are we trained to assume that men are better suited for leadership roles than women? How many female presidents have we had? How many female CEOs are there? What about coaching ranks early on? Does the lack of female coaches in the early years (elementary and high school) make student-athletes at the college level more comfortable with male leadership? Ever heard of the theory of hegemony? During a recent trip, a former female student-athlete told me many of her teammates didn't like having a female coach because "they work you harder." Is there a sense out there that women have something to prove and are therefore more likely to push their athletes harder and demand more? At a recent gender equity symposium, a female athletic director said she was being pressured by her student-athletes to hire a male, rather than a female coach. If female student-athletes indeed prefer male coaches, could a school that hires a female coach be at a recruiting disadvantage? Without opportunity female coaching numbers will remain low. Programs like the NCAA's Women Coaches Academy work to prepare young female coaches for professional careers, but then again, preparation has never been the issue. There's no question women have the innate ability to achieve at the highest coaching levels, but it's always been an uphill battle--one female athletes should understand. 
CommentsI took a survey regarding gender preferences in coaching a couple years ago, and at the time, I did say that I'd prefer a male coach. I think part of my reasoning was that all of my coaches in the past were male, and so I, whether consciously or not, was more comfortable listening to a man when talking about athletic performance. Is there a sense that men know more about sports than women, even now? By the way, its not just female athletes - I don't see a lot of men jumping up and down to get women coaches. I find it very interesting that female athletes prefer male coaches more often than female coaches. For me personally, I could care less if I had a male or female coach. As long as my coach is qualified and can show that he/she knows what they are talking about, I would have no complaints. I'm sure there are plenty of guys out there that would claim they would never play for a female coach, but I think that notion will change with time. No matter whether male or female, if they are equally knowledgable, it really shouldn't matter. Some female athletes will prefer male coaches because they may seem to be more lenient on females, but is this really what's best for the athlete? I've played for both male and female coaches, and as long as they knew what they were doing, it didn't even phase me as to what sex they were. The only aspect that matters is they are smart, determined, and they get the job done. Post a Comment |
  
Congratulations to all of the fall national champions! Most of you don't get the publicity you deserve, although you each have accomplished great things.
- john
   
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