Finnish female coaches' career development and perceptions : a case study of six Finnish female coaches

Abstract

Women are often seen as needing to be good at everything and sometimes even better. The numbers of women and girls participating in sport are growing rapidly. However, the same pattern cannot be observed in the leadership positions within sport, which includes coaches. Although the field of female leadership within sport organizations has been researched, what factors influence female coaches’ career paths and the reasons behind the under representation is still under researched in Finland.

The purpose of this research is to describe the career paths and perceptions of the Finnish female coaches, who coach or have coached at a highest level of their sport in Finland. A qualitative study was conducted to describe the factors influencing the career paths of six Finnish female coaches from both team as well as individual sport. The data for this study was collected through semi-structured interviews after which the interviews were transcribed verbatim. This was followed by the analysis of the date by both reading the transcripts and using ATLAS.ti software to find reoccurring themes.

Based on the analysis of the data, Finnish female coaches’ careers are very versatile and individual, and are characterised by a vast number of features. Female coach’s careers have both traditional and modern elements. The beginning is usually an accidental one, followed by coaching as a hobby. Female coaches move fast from coaching as a hobby to professional coaching or serious leisure. Coaches who progress at a more moderate pace have more control over the advancement of their careers. Becoming qualified for coaching happens through various different ways, which shows the individuality of a coaching career. Getting hired for coaching positions, both voluntary and full-time, happen mostly through networks. Career success is defined both through traditional perceptions of success, as well as modern perceptions. Coaches are faced with a various number of challenges during their careers, including the expectations of society for coaches to be male and the difficulty of balancing work and private life. To be able deal with these challenges, a support network of family, friends, colleagues and mentors are essential. Coaching is a life-long career due to the high level of commitment that coaches have toward their own sport. The factors influencing the development of a female coaches’ career highlighted in this study can be used to provide information to help further women’s coaching development initiatives in Finland. This research was completed in co-operation with the Women Taking Responsibility in Coaching –initiative.