Women’s Coaching Alliance (WCA) has big goals. It’s helping rec sports organizations fill much-needed coaching positions by training young women to coach. But the work doesn’t stop there. The WCA also educates their coaches to be empowered women leaders of tomorrow.
“Coaching is leading,” explains Pam Baker, founder of WCA. “Through coaching kids, these young women are developing lifelong leadership skills they’ll carry with them as they head into jobs and careers.”
This two-fold approach — helping sports organizations today, and supporting growth for tomorrow — is exactly why TeamSnap Impact (TSI) sought to partner with WCA in 2024. Says Lance Lee, director of TeamSnap Impact, “Gender equity initiatives have been a priority for TeamSnap Impact since its inception.”
Building up women coaches
WCA finds high school or college young women who have played a particular sport, but maybe they suffered an injury at some point, were cut from a competitive team, or didn’t mesh with a coach. “Coaching offers these young women a way to stay connected to the sport,” says Pam.
The young women attend the WCA Leadership Academy where they learn the fundamentals of good coaching – creating a fun environment that kids want to return to and where they can learn key skills.
It works. Recently, a mom told Baker that her son didn’t want to go to the first practice of the season. After it was over, he asked her when he could go back.
“It’s so powerful when we can create an environment that is different and better than what kids might expect,” says Baker. “It gives so many kids the opportunity to get those amazing life lessons and experiences that are unique to playing sports.”
Nationally, girls are dropping out of sports in large numbers in middle school. WCA is exploring whether or not female coaches can change that dynamic.“We know that for some girls, seeing a role model that looks like them, from their community, can really make a difference in sticking with sports longer,” says Baker.
I think it’s really valuable for both boys and girls to see young women as leaders and role models,” she adds. She looks forward to the day when it’s not a novel experience to have a coach who is a woman. “I hope it changes how kids think about who a leader is, that they are just as likely to be men as women, of all different races and ethnicities.”
