Play Like a Champion believes strongly that women make great coaches. At the youth or high school level and beyond, women have the character, experience and skill necessary to teach boys and girls of all ages. Further, we believe that sports need great female coaches to serve as role models for younger generations of girls, to show these leaders of tomorrow what they can become. Unfortunately, the number of women serving as coaches is not nearly high enough. Consider that it has been almost 45 years since Title IX was established and female sport participation is at an all-time high. Yet, only about 15% of youth coaches are women. This lack of female role models and female coaches may contribute to the higher drop out rate for girls; about 60% of the adolescents that drop out of sports are females.
Play Like a Champion is on a mission to increase the number of female coaches by increasing awareness, inviting women to get involved, and advocating for practices that promote the increase of female coaches in youth and high school sports. What can you do to join this important cause?
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Share your story! Connect with us on social media or email us to tell us about the amazing women coaching in your area and help encourage more females of all ages to get in the game.
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Promote this message with mothers of athletes and invite them to coach!
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Create a "Women’s Only" coaching clinic at your local level! Ask a great female coach in your area or school to provide a clinic in her sport. Invite local girls and women of all ages to attend and learn. Cover practice and game plans, game strategy, and also strategies for women balancing work and family with being a youth sports parent and coach. Promote the importance of women coaching. Make this 45-60 minutes and include child care during the clinic.
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Add a +1! Encourage everyone in your organization to bring a female coach on-board as an assistant coach or as the head coach of another team.
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Encourage high school and college aged girls to “sample” coaching by assisting on a youth or high school team.
Together, we can increase the number of female coaches and create opportunities for more girls and women to impact sports and demonstrate their awesome leadership ability. Join us as #WeChampionFemaleCoaches in communities across America!