Olympic Coaching Statistics

Olympic Coaching StatisticsOlympic Coaching Statistics• Sydney 2000Sydney 2000

– 4 out of 30 head coaches were women (13%)4 out of 30 head coaches were women (13%)– 16 out of 86 total coaches were women (18%)16 out of 86 total coaches were women (18%)

• Salt Lake City 2002Salt Lake City 2002– 3 of 14 head coaches were women (21%)3 of 14 head coaches were women (21%)– 14 of 57 total coaches were women (24%)14 of 57 total coaches were women (24%)

• Athens 2004Athens 2004– 2 of 27 head coaches were women (7%)2 of 27 head coaches were women (7%)– 8 of 82 total coaches were women (10%)8 of 82 total coaches were women (10%)

• Turin 2006Turin 2006– 10 of 68 total coaches were women (14.7%)10 of 68 total coaches were women (14.7%)

NCCP Statistics NCCP Statistics (as of Nov. 30, 2005)(as of Nov. 30, 2005)

WomenWomen MenMen %Women%Women

Level 1Level 1 72,53472,534 173,349173,349 29.5%29.5%

Level 2Level 2 21,01821,018 41,08341,083 33.8%33.8%

Level 3Level 3 2,5592,559 6,2466,246 29.1%29.1%

Level 4Level 4 158158 634634 20.0%20.0%

Level 5Level 5 88 7575 9.6%9.6%

Media coverageMedia coverage

• Traditional sports media (e.g., print Traditional sports media (e.g., print journalism, television) VERY malejournalism, television) VERY male

• Professional men’s sports predominateProfessional men’s sports predominate• Coverage during major sporting events Coverage during major sporting events

(e.g. Olympics) is excellent(e.g. Olympics) is excellent• New media (e.g., Internet) allows for more New media (e.g., Internet) allows for more

coverage, representation, and discussion coverage, representation, and discussion • Representations of female athletes still Representations of female athletes still

problematicproblematic• Few women in the sports mediaFew women in the sports media

April 24, 2006

Relationship of the women’s Relationship of the women’s (feminist) movement to (feminist) movement to

achieving gender equity in achieving gender equity in Canadian sportCanadian sport

Feminism and gender equityFeminism and gender equity

• Late 1960sLate 1960s: beginning of organized : beginning of organized (second-wave) feminist movement in (second-wave) feminist movement in CanadaCanada

• 1970s1970s::– legal challenges to sex discrimination in sportlegal challenges to sex discrimination in sport– increasing government involvement in sportincreasing government involvement in sport– barriers to inequality slowly being recognizedbarriers to inequality slowly being recognized– 1974: first national conference on women and 1974: first national conference on women and

sportsport


• 1980s1980s::– second national conference in 1980second national conference in 1980– Women’s Program in Fitness and Amateur Women’s Program in Fitness and Amateur

Sport Branch established in 1980Sport Branch established in 1980– CAAWS was founded in 1981:CAAWS was founded in 1981:

• ““to advance the position of women by defining, to advance the position of women by defining, promoting, and supporting a promoting, and supporting a feminist feminist perspective on perspective on sport and to improve the status of women in sport”sport and to improve the status of women in sport”

– Sport Canada formulated and adopted a Sport Canada formulated and adopted a Policy Policy on Women and Sport on Women and Sport in 1986in 1986


• 1990s1990s::– CAAWS becomes less a women’s (feminist) CAAWS becomes less a women’s (feminist)

organization (promoting its aims through sport) organization (promoting its aims through sport) and more of a sports organization for women and more of a sports organization for women (seeking to improve the situation of women in (seeking to improve the situation of women in sport)sport)

– shift in the discourse from “equality” to “equity”shift in the discourse from “equality” to “equity”– focus of CAAWS: bring gender equity into focus of CAAWS: bring gender equity into

Canadian amateur sport system; building Canadian amateur sport system; building national partnershipsnational partnerships

– CAAWS removed all references toCAAWS removed all references to “feminism” “feminism” from its mission statements and goalsfrom its mission statements and goals


• Where are we at today?Where are we at today?– new generation of feminism representing new generation of feminism representing

younger women (younger women (third-wavethird-wave))– second-wave feminism left many women behind second-wave feminism left many women behind

(white, middle-class women do not represent all (white, middle-class women do not represent all women)women)

– race, ethnicity, sexuality, class or country of race, ethnicity, sexuality, class or country of originorigin are equally, if not more important, to how are equally, if not more important, to how women experience their lives (women experience their lives (identity politicsidentity politics))

– gender is only one gender is only one relationship of powerrelationship of power


• Where are we at today (cont’d)?Where are we at today (cont’d)?– little of this third-wave analysis has been little of this third-wave analysis has been

considered by sport “feminists” (still focused on considered by sport “feminists” (still focused on gender equity)gender equity)

– the traditional the traditional liberal feminist definition of liberal feminist definition of gendergender is outdated: the universal categorization is outdated: the universal categorization of “women” as one discrete group in opposition of “women” as one discrete group in opposition to “men” based primarily on biological to “men” based primarily on biological differencesdifferences

– differencesdifferences based on based on race, ability, sexuality, race, ability, sexuality, class, and other factorsclass, and other factors, are equally as , are equally as important and powerfulimportant and powerful


• Where are we at today (cont’d)?Where are we at today (cont’d)?– university PE students rarely consider a feminist university PE students rarely consider a feminist

analysis (few, if any, courses available)analysis (few, if any, courses available)– few individuals working/volunteering today in few individuals working/volunteering today in

sport organizations in Canada are exposed to sport organizations in Canada are exposed to any sort of feminist analysisany sort of feminist analysis

– women’s sport organizations and advocacy women’s sport organizations and advocacy groups do not reflect diversity of Canadian groups do not reflect diversity of Canadian populationpopulation

– In sum, now very little connection between In sum, now very little connection between feminism and gender equity in sport movementfeminism and gender equity in sport movement

Role of feminist academics Role of feminist academics and researchers in the and researchers in the

change processchange process

Role of academics/researchersRole of academics/researchers

• Analyze and critique “new” strategies to Analyze and critique “new” strategies to promoting gender equality/equitypromoting gender equality/equity

• Promote feminist participatory research Promote feminist participatory research and actionand action

●● Work to bridge the widening gap Work to bridge the widening gap between academics and practitionersbetween academics and practitioners

Analyze/critique “new” strategiesAnalyze/critique “new” strategies

●● For example, For example, gender mainstreaminggender mainstreaming– systematic integration of gender equality into all systematic integration of gender equality into all

systems, structures, and organizationssystems, structures, and organizations– came into widespread use with the Beijing came into widespread use with the Beijing

Platform for Action adopted by the Fourth World Platform for Action adopted by the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995

– now espoused and promoted by the UN, the World now espoused and promoted by the UN, the World Bank, many bilateral aid agencies, government Bank, many bilateral aid agencies, government departments, and human rights organizationsdepartments, and human rights organizations

– accepted by the 5accepted by the 5thth European Women and Sport European Women and Sport Conference (2002)Conference (2002)

Analyze/critique new strategiesAnalyze/critique new strategies

• Does gender mainstreaming work?Does gender mainstreaming work?– Results have been mixedResults have been mixed– Keeps gender equality on the agendaKeeps gender equality on the agenda– Not simply a point to get to, but a processNot simply a point to get to, but a process– Women’s specific needs no longer the main focus of Women’s specific needs no longer the main focus of

attentionattention– ““Gender” as a category of analysis that focuses on the Gender” as a category of analysis that focuses on the

relationship of powerrelationship of power between men and women gets lost between men and women gets lost– Marginalized women (e.g., immigrants) feel unrepresented Marginalized women (e.g., immigrants) feel unrepresented

or misrepresented by or misrepresented by policies that prioritize a policies that prioritize a male/female analysismale/female analysis

– Ensuring Ensuring all all women’s empowermentwomen’s empowerment is more effective is more effective


• Importance of Importance of gender-based researchgender-based research and and gender-based analysisgender-based analysis– analyze policy impacts on women early in the

policy decision-making process– develop analytic tools, training approaches and

data for undertaking gender-based analysis– requires partnerships with all actors in the sport

environment (e.g., governments, sport organizations, women’s sport advocacy organizations)


• Gender-based analysis Gender-based analysis EXAMPLEEXAMPLE::

► Gender equity audits

► Gender equity consultation

► www.promotionplus.org

Promote feminist action researchPromote feminist action research

• community partners and researchers community partners and researchers collaboratively identify research questions, collaboratively identify research questions, collect data and develop actionscollect data and develop actions

• EXAMPLE: The Kamloops Women’s Action EXAMPLE: The Kamloops Women’s Action ProjectProject

– – funded by the BC Health Research Foundationfunded by the BC Health Research Foundation

– – designed to address health issues of women living designed to address health issues of women living below the poverty line by encouraging increased below the poverty line by encouraging increased involvement in community recreationinvolvement in community recreation

– – project expanded to three other communities in BCproject expanded to three other communities in BC

Bridging the gapBridging the gap

• Critical academic work is being Critical academic work is being ignored by the new policy makers ignored by the new policy makers and “femocrats” of women’s sportand “femocrats” of women’s sport

• Seem reluctant to engage with those Seem reluctant to engage with those who criticize the status quowho criticize the status quo

• National and international women’s National and international women’s sports movements have become sports movements have become overly governmentaloverly governmental


• Grassroots organizers (and critics) Grassroots organizers (and critics) are increasingly ignored, sidelined, are increasingly ignored, sidelined, displaced by glossy new committeesdisplaced by glossy new committees

• Change needs to be initiated by both Change needs to be initiated by both the grassroots organizers and critical the grassroots organizers and critical scholarsscholars


• International women’s sports movement International women’s sports movement will only grow in effectiveness if it canwill only grow in effectiveness if it can ““find ways of reaching those women who find ways of reaching those women who are marginalized in their own countries, to are marginalized in their own countries, to transform the existing set of power transform the existing set of power relations and to ‘reach out’ and ‘pull in’ relations and to ‘reach out’ and ‘pull in’ women from underprivileged backgrounds women from underprivileged backgrounds and involve them in a process of and involve them in a process of reconstructionreconstruction” ” (Jennifer Hargreaves, (Jennifer Hargreaves, Heroines of SportHeroines of Sport, , p.231)p.231)

Future of women’s sport in Future of women’s sport in Canada (and the world)?Canada (and the world)?

Future of Women’s Sport in CanadaFuture of Women’s Sport in Canada

• Our future is very promisingOur future is very promising• Declining sport and physical activity Declining sport and physical activity

participation rates very much a participation rates very much a healthhealth issue issue

• Need to work very hard on Need to work very hard on leadership leadership issuesissues (especially lack of women (especially lack of women coaches)coaches)

• Will continue to be a Will continue to be a world leaderworld leader in in equity issuesequity issues

As a world leader, we can show As a world leader, we can show leadership in various areas:leadership in various areas:

• For example:For example:– The inter-relationship between the women in The inter-relationship between the women in

sport movement and the women in sport movement and the women in development movementdevelopment movement

Women, sport and developmentWomen, sport and development

• Women in development movement has not Women in development movement has not focused much on sportfocused much on sport

• Women in sport (WIS) movement has only Women in sport (WIS) movement has only begun to focus more on developmentbegun to focus more on development

• WIS is rooted in the development of WIS is rooted in the development of women’s sport, and not primarily on women’s sport, and not primarily on women and development through sport women and development through sport

(Martha Saavedra, “Women, sport and development,” 2005)(Martha Saavedra, “Women, sport and development,” 2005)

The EndThe End

Documents

Olympic Coaching Statistics