We Believe That ...

When more young women see coaching experience as leadership experience, more will raise their hands to coach.

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High School Girls Flag Football Players

Principles of our Model

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Target an athlete's formative years - ages 15-26
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Meet them where they are - have them coach a sport they have played
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Make it engaging - mix classroom training with real world simulations. 
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Underscore her value - pay her fair wages, build financial acumen
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Close the confidence gap - Mentors are the key
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Connect her to careers - create paths to internships & jobs
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Power a virtuous cycle - be role models for young players

"You cannot be what you cannot see. Having women be coaches and having young athletes see these women as role models and exemplars of what could be, what can be, ultimately will be."

Lisa Borders, Former President WNBA
Lisa Borders

Former President of the WNBA, WCA Champion

"Coaching serves as a springboard into leadership roles outside of sports, helping girls develop communication skills & build confidence."

Patti Phillips, CEO Women Leaders in Sports
Patti Phillips

CEO, Women Leaders in Sports, WCA Champion

The WCA Model

Her step by step coaching  journey from pre to post season and beyond.

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1

Partner with sports organizations

Partner with sports organizations such as AYSO and Parks & Recreation to identify coaching needs.

girls Youth Basektball coaches
2

Engage community leaders to recruit potential coaches

Engage community leaders, school administrators, athletic directors and coaches to identify and recruit young women who play sports.

Community & Recreational Sports  Leaders
3

Connect with potential mentors

Engage experienced coaches and accomplished leaders to volunteer as mentors for WCA coaches over a 3-month season.

Mentors for young women and teen girl athletes
4

Train new coaches

Train new coaches via in person & video-based learning that teach clear and consistent coaching methodologies, leveraging positive coaching  and research-based youth development principles.

Women's Coaching Alliance Pre Season Leadership Academy Trainer Training a coach
5

Pair coaches with mentors

Pair coaches with experienced mentors to facilitate meaningful relationships and integrate leadership skill development into coach experience.

Adult mentor works with a young woman coaching youth sports
6

Gain actionable feedback

Collect feedback from coaches, mentors and players' parents with an eye to continually increasing the impact of the WCA experience.

Mentor and coach reflect on leadership skills gained post season
7

Create post-coaching career paths

Partner with local employers to create a path to internships and jobs so WCA coaches can put their new leadership skills to work.

A coach uses her experience to apply for jobs and colleges
THE WCA MODEL

A model that can be scaled across any community

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01

Partner with sports organizations

Partner with sports organizations such as AYSO and Parks & Recreation to identify coaching needs.

02

Engage community leaders to recruit potential coaches

Engage community leaders, school administrators, athletic directors and coaches to identify and recruit young women who play sports.

03

Connect with potential mentors

Engage experienced coaches and accomplished leaders to volunteer as mentors for WCA coaches over a 3-month season.

04

Train new coaches

Train new coaches via in person & video-based learning that teach clear and consistent coaching methodologies, leveraging Positive Coaching Alliance and research-based youth development principles.

05

Pair coaches with mentors

Pair coaches with experienced mentors to facilitate meaningful relationships and integrate leadership skill development into coach experience.

06

Gain actionable feedback

Collect feedback from coaches, mentors and players' parents with an eye to continually increasing the impact of the WCA experience.

07

Create post-coaching career paths

Partner with local employers to create a path to internships and jobs so WCA coaches can put their new leadership skills to work.

Coaching girls youth basketball practice

What We Do

We connect young women who play sports with coaching opportunities, development and mentorship and prepare them to be leaders within and outside of sports.

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Coaching Opportunities

We provide young women who play sports with valuable coaching opportunities to develop their leadership skills in a fun and real-world setting.

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Leadership Development

Through our Leadership Academy we equip young female coaches with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed as leaders on and off the field.

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Mentorship and Support

We connect our coaches with experienced mentors who offer guidance, support, and inspiration throughout their leadership journey.

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Lifelong Impact

We prepare them to become confident leaders who can drive change and shatter the gender parity gap in leadership positions within and outside of sports.

WCA coaches coach youth basketball
WCA coaches work in pairs to coach youth sports

Designed to meet the needs of Community Sports Organizations

All of our coaches are trained by experts in the WCA Leadership Academy.  The curriculum is grounded in positive coaching principles and prioritizes mental health for all players. In addition, the WCA home office handles the logistics of local coach and mentor recruitment, simplifying adoption and delivering jobs back to the communities in which a sports organization operates.

WCA coaches being trained to coach basketball skills using positive coaching principles
Steve Young works with High School girls playing and coaching flag football