The "Coach Like a Woman" (Valmentaa kuin nainen in Finnish) initiatives were Finnish national development projects to promote gender equality in sports coaching. From 2013 to 2023, they were accomplished in cooperation with 26 national sports federations, the Finnish Olympic Committee, the Finnish Paralympic Committee, and the Professional Coaches Association of Finland (SAVAL). The Finnish Coaches Association (Suomen Valmentajat in Finnish) has started and led the equality projects during these ten years. Text: Sanna Erdoğan.
The necessity of promoting gender equality in coaching
Noticing long-lasting gender inequality in coaching was the starting point for the “Coach Like a Woman” development projects. The absence of female coaches led to the creation of an initiative to increase the number of female coaches, especially at competitive and elite levels, and to support women transitioning from athlete to coach.
From the beginning, the key objectives of the initiative were:
- To encourage female athletes to continue in their sport as coaches after their competitive careers.
- To provide mentorship, education, and peer networks to support current female coaches.
- To raise awareness and build structural models to improve gender equity in coaching.
- To collect and share research-based knowledge to guide decision-making in sports organisations.
"Coach Like a Woman" originates from challenging traditional gender norms in sports coaching. Rather than implying a specific "female" way of coaching, the name highlights the untapped potential and unique value women can bring to coaching. Those include competences, perspectives, and historically underrepresented or undervalued experiences.
The projects were conducted nationally, but all best practices are shared internationally in seminars, conferences, and webinars. The success of the projects has gained recognition (e.g., featured in IWG reports) in international coaching conferences. Over the years, 845 participants have participated across project activities, including coaching clinics, mentorship programs, and awareness workshops.
The “Coach Like a Woman” includes three different projects, described as follows:
Ball Sports Project (2013–2019): Equality in coaching can be improved
The team sports participated in were football (soccer), ice hockey, ringette, American football, Finnish baseball, handball, floorball, basketball, volleyball, disability team sports, ultimate, and rugby.
In the first five years, the main objectives were to increase the number of female coaches in team ball sports by encouraging former female athletes to continue in their sport as coaches and supporting existing female coaches through mentorship, training, and peer networking. An efficient practical activity was regional and sport-specific mentoring groups, coach education sessions, and networking events. Additionally, the very start of the project created models to be applied to other projects. One of these was a development model to provide coach education to those who wanted to transit from athlete to coach.
As a result, the project increased women's participation in coaching roles, particularly in national junior teams and elite-level women’s leagues. These supported visible models for transitioning from athlete to coach and strengthened the visibility of women coaches in the media. Finally, the team ball sports project supported the development of a coaching culture toward gender equity and created a snowball effect that led to further national initiatives. Its success inspired the launch of similar projects in other sports fields.
Combat Sports Project (2020–2021): The project succeeded beyond expectations
The sports involved judo, karate, muay thai, fencing, modern pentathlon, boxing, wrestling, weightlifting (included due to administrative cooperation), taekwondo, and taido.
For two years, hardworking people from combat sports took action to increase and support female coaches. The project shed light on the importance of central coordination in multi-sport initiatives and the role of federation-level commitment. It demonstrated that targeted actions improve gender equality in coaching, mainly when federations are engaged and supported by dedicated project members.
Even though the project was conducted for a shorter time and during COVID, it supported 90 women through various levels of coach education and enforced the formation of mentor groups. Objectives accomplished via workshops, education programs, and meetings brought together over 400 participants (206 unique individuals). Integrating support into smaller, collaborative combat sport federations led to high engagement and participation. Furthermore, the number of female coaches participating in the projects exceeded all expectations.
Racket Sports Project (2022–2023): Promoting gender equality in coaching requires resources
The sports involved tennis, squash, padel, table tennis, and badminton.
The last project focused on promoting gender equality in racket sports by increasing the number of women in coaching roles and providing tools for federations and clubs to improve inclusivity. The project leaders cooperated with female coaches on the field to develop support systems for coaches.
The project succeeded in providing coach education and mentorship, including peer mentoring groups and local club events. It advanced the cultural shift in racket sports toward inclusive coaching practices and provided sustainable tools and networks for long-term progress. Furthermore, it increased understanding of the importance of promoting gender equality in coaching and underlined the need to accomplish well-organised gender equity projects in sports coaching.
The legacy of ten years of equality work
Based on the feedback from the participants, the female coaches have increased their coaching competence, created networks, and built a coaching philosophy of their own. The activities empowered and encouraged female coaches to take responsibility in coaching and apply for high-performance coaching positions. The personal outcomes can be described as remarkable based on the stories of female coaches who stayed in coaching with the help of the project's support. More importantly, they act as role models by showing that being a woman in coaching is not a limitation but an asset.
The Finnish Coaches Association has shown how important it is to continue promoting gender equality year after year. Moreover, the projects have significantly changed Finnish sports culture and increased the visibility of female coaches. Promoting gender equity has become both a statement and a mission to support, normalise, and celebrate women in coaching. Sports communities have been invited to reflect on biases, broaden their views on coaching competence, and recognise that effective coaching is not defined by gender.
As one of the most significant outcomes and legacies of the 10-year Coach Like a Woman initiatives, the Gender Equality Tool offers a sustainable framework for promoting long-term cultural change in sports coaching. It ensures that coaching expertise is recognised and supported regardless of gender.
The tool serves as a structured guide to assess, plan, and implement gender equality in both grassroots and elite coaching environments. It supports sports organisations in identifying gaps, setting goals, and taking informed, strategic actions to promote women’s participation in coaching roles. Additionally, the tool compiles national and international research, recommendations, and case studies to support evidence-based development.
The tool has a section for Sports Clubs focusing on creating an inclusive coaching culture at the local level, offering checklists, reflection questions, and action plans to recruit, support, and retain female coaches. Another section is for federations and organisations that are employers, supporting the building of strategies in policy and practice. It includes elements on leadership, recruitment, visibility, and data-driven decision-making regarding gender equity in coaching.
Both sections can be used as a model for continuous improvement in gender equity efforts within sports organisations.
Coach Like a Woman” Gender Equality Tool: www.valmentaakuinnainen.fi
The new Coach Like a Woman – Equality in Sports Club Activities project starts in early 2026. Learn more and submit your club’s application here.
