The Female Coaching Network (FCN) is proud to be supporting an important new research project led by Loughborough University and commissioned by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), exploring the experiences of female tennis and padel coaches as they navigate pregnancy, motherhood and returning to coaching.
While conversations around supporting women in sport continue to grow, there remains limited research into the realities faced by self-employed female coaches who are balancing their coaching careers with family life. Unlike many employed professionals, self-employed coaches often have no access to maternity leave, no guaranteed income during time away from work, and no formal pathway back into coaching following childbirth.
This research aims to better understand these experiences and ensure that future support for female coaches is informed by the voices of those who have lived them.
Professor Leanne Norman, Director of the Women in Sport Research and Innovation Hub at Loughborough University, highlighted the importance of the project:
“Too often, decisions about support are made without fully understanding the experiences of the people they are intended to help. We want to better understand these experiences so that future support for female coaches is informed by the realities of coaching and motherhood, based on the voices of the women themselves.”
The study will explore the experiences of female tennis and padel coaches during pregnancy, time away from coaching before or after childbirth, and their return to coaching. Researchers are particularly keen to hear from coaches whose experiences have been positive, challenging, or somewhere in between.
The findings will help shape future guidance, support systems and interventions for women coaching within tennis and padel, ensuring that the needs of female coaches are better understood and represented.
Who Can Take Part?
Researchers are looking to hear from female tennis and/or padel coaches who:
- Are qualified at Level 2 or above
- Are self-employed
- Have coaching as their main source of income
- Are aged 18 or over
Participants should also have experience of one or more of the following:
- Planning to have a family
- Pregnancy
- Motherhood
- Returning to coaching within the past five years following childbirth
- Leaving coaching within the past five years due to having children
How to Get Involved
The research includes a short survey, as well as opportunities to take part in interviews and focus groups.
Complete the survey:
https://loughboroughssehs.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5cqV5HXaJ2sYYw6
Express interest in an interview or focus group:
https://loughboroughssehs.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1KV0kUYvvKM3Uma
All participation is confidential and findings will be anonymised before being used to inform future support, guidance and policy recommendations.
At FCN, we are committed to championing the experiences of women coaches and advocating for environments where they can thrive at every stage of their coaching journey. We encourage eligible coaches to take part and help shape a future coaching landscape that better supports women through pregnancy, motherhood and beyond.
Together, we can ensure that the experiences of female coaches are heard, understood and used to drive meaningful change.
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