Where are all the mom coaches in youth sports?
Only an estimated 650,000 of the nearly 4.1 million youth sports coaches in America are women, and a recent study in the journal Gender & Society found that only 13.4% of American Youth Soccer Association coaches and 5.9% of Little League baseball and softball coaches are women.
“Whatever your sport: hockey, soccer, baseball, softball – it’s Dad, not Mom, who’s in the dugout, on the sidelines or behind the bench. Why?” wrote New York Times parenting blogger KJ Dellantonia.
“Even women who had participated in sports said they were worried that they didn’t know how to coach – a problem that, based on my personal experience, most men just don’t have,” she added.
“Women who are already coaching suggested that more sports organizations actually ask women to coach, instead of waiting for them to volunteer, offer coaching clinics (with other women if possible) and let women athletes know that parents have confidence in their abilities.”
What do you think? Have you ever coached your children?
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