Why There Are More Female Soccer Players Than Coaches

By Peter C

Women’s participation in soccer is gradually gaining momentum in recent times. Female players are getting as much recognition as their male counterparts. The vast number of views recorded during some of the 2019 Women’s World Cup matches is proof that women’s soccer is surging in popularity.

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Women’s soccer leagues have also witnessed a considerable improvement in hiring female coaches to manage football clubs. While this seems like good news for people who have been agitating for gender balance in this respect, it has not reduced the fact that men are taking the bulk of these coaching positions.

Male dominance in critical positions, even women’s soccer, has been attributed to many reasons. First, the decision taken by Football Association (FA) in 1921, which banned women from participating in soccer activities, dealt a serious blow to the progress of women’s football.

Although the ban was lifted after some years, women’s soccer could not match men’s football. And this accounts significantly for the female discrimination players suffer till today.

In a bid to pinpoint the root cause of the barriers faced by women in soccer, some female head coaches were interviewed, and they all identified sexism as a significant cause. In the world of soccer, there is a notion that men are inherently superior to women. As a result, men are often considered perfect options for coaching roles. That’s why there are still cases of men taking more important positions even in the women’s soccer league than women.

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Part of the revelation is that female coaches are not getting the same treatment as their male counterparts. Female players and their female coaches can leave the pitch if their training sessions clash with male players.

However, relevant authorities have been called upon to support female coaches to end the discrimination being faced in their careers.