The Female Coaching Network (FCN) is proud to announce the launch of its groundbreaking project, Advancing Female Coaches in International Athletics, made possible through funding awarded by the International Athletics Foundation (IAF). This ambitious initiative will be delivered in the lead-up to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo 2025, in partnership with the newly formed Women’s International Athletics Coaching Forum (WIACF)and the Centre for Social Justice in Sport & Society at Carnegie School of Sport, Leeds Beckett University.
This project aims to drive systemic change across the international elite athletics coaching landscape by addressing the persistent barriers faced by female coaches at the highest level. Central to the project is a commitment to amplifying the voices of high-performance female coaches, mapping the current global coaching landscape, and producing a comprehensive set of evidence-based recommendations for change.
“This initiative will provide a vital platform for female coaches to share their lived experiences, while also offering practical solutions to address inequities within international athletics. We will be working with a number of individual Member Federations to support changes within their current staff section systems and hope World Athletics will take on board the outcomes of this work. This project is not about ticking boxes or making stats look good, its a deep dive into the current systems and barriers of the high performance coaching system, and sustainable changes to make international teams a safer, more efficient and effective environment for high performance. “
Vicky Huyton – Founder of the FCN and project lead.
Key objectives of the initiative include:
- Development of the Women’s International Athletics Coaching Forum (WIACF):
A new, independent network for elite female coaches to connect, share experiences, and advocate for systemic reform. The Forum will serve as a central voice for change and a support hub for coaches worldwide. - Mapping the Global Coaching Landscape (2014–2024):
The project will analyze data from World Athletics Championships over the past decade, alongside surveys exploring the lived experiences of female coaches, to create a clearer picture of representation and barriers in coaching roles. - Research into Employment Conditions:
In collaboration with the Centre for Social Justice in Sport & Society, the project will investigate the instability and precarity of coaching contracts to inform policy reform and employment practices. - Toolkit and Policy Recommendations for Member Federations:
The final phase of the project will produce a practical and innovative guide for World Athletics Member Federations to implement. This resource will support improved recruitment, retention, and recognition of female coaches and serve as a foundation for future policy development.
By combining rigorous research, stakeholder collaboration, and coach-driven advocacy, Advancing Female Coaches in International Athletics aims to serve as a catalyst for lasting, global change in elite track and field coaching.