Addressing the Shortage of Women in High-Performance Sport: What Is Known and What We Need to Know

Abstract

The aim of this scoping review was to identify the attributes that have led female leaders and coaches to be successful in high-performance (HP) sport and uncover what may be missing elements aiding women wishing to advance in HP sport. To date, most research has focused on addressing the shortage of women in sports from the organizational perspective. This study investigates the challenges, and coping skills women have encountered on an individual level. Drawing attention to the skills and experiences of women who have been successful in attaining and maintaining their role in HP sport has the potential to help others advance in the field. Abstract screening (n = 411) and full-text reviews (n = 25) resulted in the inclusion of 16 studies. Included studies were conducted in the UK, Canada, Australia, the USA, and Europe, giving this review broad worldwide scope. Several areas of interest were revealed during data analysis: the challenges these women face working in the male dominated world of sport, how they faced and overcame those challenges and have maintained their role in HP sport, and the connectivity that has been established as a support mechanism for women in a leadership role. Lastly, these women discussed competency and knowledge of the sport as an important aspect of their tenure. What is absent from the literature, and exemplified in these data, is a clearly defined pathway into HP sport for the competent and knowledgeable female leader. The specific steps she can take are yet to be defined.

1. Introduction

The primary goal of this study is to identify and address the experiences of successful women in sports leadership positions and to suggest potential actions and behaviors leading to advancement in sport. While many studies have addressed challenges from an organizational aspect, this review is concerned with what an individual woman can do to advance in her field, as presently no clearly defined pathway to a position in high-performance sport exists. While the challenges women have faced in sports are multifaceted, it is important to identify, recognize, and validate these challenges, barriers, and blockers as they exist in the sport workplace. This is of particular importance as it is our intention to offer advice, skills, and support to ambitious women. In short, what can they do as individuals to realize their goals as opposed to simply waiting for social change (which is also important)? To date, however, we would suggest that research in this important area may have missed this crucial element. To set the scene for our attempts to address this gap, we first present summaries of what has been achieved before looking in detail at what else needs to be learnt.

1.1. Existence and Extent of the Issue

Many studies have identified the uncontested fact that, fundamentally, sport has a male power base (Burton & Leberman, 2019). This can display itself in various challenges concerning career advancement for women. Historically, barriers, obstacles, and challenges have been addressed in the literature, while more recently these barriers have been noted and identified by a plethora of authors. Examples include Piggott and Pike (2020), Gosai et al. (2023), and Burton and Newton (2021), who address gender inequity in English organizations and policy decision-making within sport. Similarly, Hovden (2021) reports gender disparity in Norwegian sports organizations, while Taylor et al. (2023) discuss organizational practices in Australian sport, addressing the need to increase the participation of women. Forsdike et al. (2022) and McRae et al. (2024) suggest that women face harassment and safety issues in the sports workplace, while Goldman and Gervis (2021) discuss sexism as a challenge for women in sport. Reported minority stress and incidents of discrimination are also common factors (Tan et al., 2019; Melton & Bryant, 2017). Surujlal and Vyas-Doorgapersad (2015) found women in their study faced similar challenges in South Africa advancing in sports organizations, as did Eime et al. (2022) in Australian sport leadership roles. Patil and Doherty (2023) and Jowett et al. (2022) researched sports in England and found evidence of female gender inequity, as did LaVoi et al. (2019) in the USA. Such evidence demonstrates that challenges for females working in sport is a worldwide phenomenon. Thus, internationally, it would appear the participation/inclusion of women leaders, coaches, and administrators face challenges regardless of their location.

1.2. Exploring Organizational Challenges and Solutions

Three organizational challenges have been identified in the literature: the glass ceiling, the glass cliff, and the glass wall. The glass ceiling (Yang, 2023) supports the idea that women face challenges in achieving promotion in sports organizations. Cunningham (2021) suggests there is also a glass cliff in sports organizations. Although in times of organizational turmoil women are often promoted into leadership positions for the short term, negative perceptions can often prevail, and the women’s tenure becomes short lived. The glass wall—rather than referring to a lack of upward mobility in advancing a career, such as in a glass ceiling (Walker et al., 2011)—identified problems in hiring qualified women for coaching positions based on their gender. Gender quotas, addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion, can and have increased the number of women in leadership roles (Jowett et al., 2022). Notably, however, Conrad (1976, p. 9) queries the value of quotas in academic roles and states that “rewarding women with a proportionate share of faculty positions or legislative assembly seats because they constitute half of the population ignores the question of whether they are individually deserving in some relevant respect other than their sex. The proponent of meritocracy insists that if those rewarded by a quota system are indeed deserving of the benefits they receive, it is only a lucky accident”. Perhaps this statement can be equally applicable to the sports environment? The debate is, do quotas really identify and enable the deserving or qualified female?

1.3. Group and Support Network Solutions

Landmark moments, such as the appointment of women to leadership roles in major sports governing bodies, signify a shift towards greater inclusivity (Harmon, 2020). Networking and developing a support group aids in building a foundation for mentoring opportunities and to develop role models, both of which have the potential to combat challenges. Importantly, in recent years, there has been a marked upsurge in women’s support groups both nationally and internationally. Examples of these female networking groups can be found in

Table 1. Women’s organization databases. Website links may be time-sensitive (accessed on 2 February 2025).

Organization	Database	Purpose
NCAA—National Collegiate Athletic Association	https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2018/12/13/ncaa-demographics-database.aspx?id=1729	Overall view of the mission and purpose of the NCAA, statistical reference to women in sport.
IOC—International Olympic Association	https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/Beyond-the-Games/Gender-Equality-in-Sport/2021-IOC-Gender-Equality-Inclusion-Report.pdf	Gender Equality Review Project covering funding, media, participation, and coaching opportunities for women.
The Female Coaching Network	https://www.femalecoachingnetwork.com/	Focused on female coaches and their experiences in coaching. All-women’s network.
Women’s Sports Foundation	https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/	Major focus on participation, one section on coaching, 24% female head coaches at college level (+Stats), all women.
WeCoach	https://wecoachsports.org/	Dedicated site to the promotion of women in coaching (all women), jobs, surveys, conferences, education of female coaches.
FIFA Women’s Soccer	https://www.womenssporttrust.com/data-shows-highest-viewing-time-on-record-for-womens-sport-as-fifa-womens-world-cup-attracts-a-younger-more-female-demographic/	Focused on accelerating gender equality in sports generally and specifically in women’s soccer (all women).
UNESCO	https://www.unesco.org/en/sport-and-anti-doping/women-and-sport	Site to discourage doping in the female athlete.
Women in Sport—England Org.	https://womeninsport.org/	All-women’s organization advocating for women participation in coaching, all women.
International Olympic Committee	https://olympics.com/ioc/overview	Overview of all aspects of the Olympic movement, section on equity in sport.
McKinsey Company.com	https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/the-business-of-sports-and-the-quest-for-inclusion-for-women	Only 40% of women in sport organizations agreed they are treated fairly.
Women sport Australia	https://www.womensportaustralia.com.au/	Advocacy body for women in sport, all women.
The Drake Group	https://thedrakegroup.org	Watch group on the operation of the NCAA, advancing positive legislation in college athletes, advocate for women’s athletics, double standards, women are treated differently than men.
2019 Women in Coaching Canada Games Apprenticeship Program	https://coach.ca/women-coaching-canada-games-apprenticeship-program	Recommendations and guidelines for increasing the participation of female coaches at major games level, general mention of female mentors.
Women Sport International (WSI)	https://womensportinternational.org/	The global voice of research-based advocacy for women in sport (all women).
Black Women’s Sports Foundation	https://www.blackwomeninsport.org/	Dedicated to increasing participation of black women in competing and leadership/coaching in sport (all women).
The International Association of Physical Education and Sport for Women and Girls	https://iapesgw.com/	Dedicated to increasing participation for females of all ages in sport, competing and coaching, has programs and seminars globally aimed at supporting women (all women).
UN Women (United Nations)	https://www.unwomen.org/en	Global champion of gender equity, women in all walks of society, not just sport.
Women Leaders in Sport	https://womenleadersinsports.org/	Women leaders in the USA having a large role in the promotion of leadership positions for women, e.g., female athletic directors.

.

These organizations’ websites promote connectivity of women in sport by presenting opportunities for grants, travel, conferences, coach education, supportive programs, and other ways for women to connect with one another. Indeed, a substantial number of women’s organizations have been created and developed that have recognized the need for the promotion of women in sport. For example, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the International Olympic Committee IOC (2022), with initiatives such as the Women in Sports High-Performance (WISH) project; national organizations such as WeCoach (https://wecoachsports.org/, accessed on 3 March 2025), a women’s-only coaching organization; and The Female Coaching Network (FCN), which states they are “The Leading Global Community of Female Coaches Who Support, Drive and Influence Real Change in Sports Diversity.”

1.4. But Are These Working?

As shown in the preceding sections, no one is denying that there are challenges which generate a disproportionate representation. Nor that the recognition of such issues through structured support networks and initiatives represents an important organizational response to such issues. However, an important consideration is the degree to which these descriptive research- and group-based initiatives are genuinely contributing to the advancement of women into leadership roles in sport. In this regard, the data are not completely positive. When considering the role of female coaches at Olympic level, only 11% of the coaches in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games were women. This increased to 13% at the Tokyo Olympic Games (held in 2021). It has been reported by the Female Coaches Network that the number of males to female athletes competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics reached an unprecedented 50/50% balance, Olympics.com/ioc (2025). Unfortunately, however, compared to the number of female coaches at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021, there was no change for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games at 13%. Whilst 32% female technical officials participated in the Tokyo Olympics, this number is believed to have decreased in Paris 3 years later, Olympics.com/ioc (2025). Furthermore, and to our mind most crucially, while these statistics provide indications of more women in leadership roles, there remains little guidance on what is necessary for the aspiring female to gain and sustain a position such as a high-ranking leader, coach, or technical official in HP sport.

Why is it important to understand how women can attain a leadership role, and what are the advantages and benefits to society as a whole? One oft-provided answer is to offer role models for other women aspiring to a leadership role in sport: “It’s hard to aspire to something you can’t see” (Burton & Leberman, 2019, p. 74). Furthermore, female mentors and role models for a younger generation can bring different perspectives and ideas to the fore. This compares favorably with accepting previously ordained solutions and can perhaps result in ever more comprehensive and innovative ideas. Arthur et al. (2017) discussed transformational leadership and found that women have demonstrated themselves to be effective leaders, exhibiting sound communication skills, strategic thinking, and an ability to collaborate within a team. However, against the generally accepted idea that HP sport is a male-dominated landscape, the promotion of women in this environment is challenging.

Investigating and synthesizing evidence that has been published, peer reviewed, and non-peer reviewed (aka “grey” literature), as well as opinion pieces may illuminate what we presently know. So, whilst acknowledging the challenges, the intention of this paper was to explore how the challenges are being or could be addressed by individuals, with the intention to provide clearer ways forward for organizations and individuals. We seek to address the call to action from García-Solà et al. (2023, p. 28), who stated, “a new door is opened to women’s sport with the aim of enriching and increasing research and the representation of women in this field”. In contrast to the existing literature, however, we wish to focus on individual actions, rather than descriptive data or organizational initiatives, whilst not dismissing the important contributions other approaches can offer HP.

2. Materials and Methods

Clearly, our purpose requires some form of review. A scoping review is a recognized method of combining information from multiple sources to form an opinion or a theory regarding an under-explored phenomenon. Scoping studies are useful in exploring a more general question and identifying when the literature in a specific area is diverse or lacking. When the literature is appropriate for the research question, it is acceptable to include qualitative and quantitative research, theoretical and narrative reviews, and grey literature (Peterson et al., 2017). Accordingly, this scoping study was focused on an extensive overview using guidance from Arksey and O’Malley’s framework (2005) and refined by Levac et al. (2010). The framework used is as follows: (a) identifying the research question; (b) identifying the relevant studies; (c) selection of the appropriate studies; (d) charting the data; and (e) collating summarizing and reporting the results. Additionally, Levac et al.’s development of Arksey and O’Malley’s framework was used to incorporate a numerical summary and qualitative thematic analysis, identifying the implications of this study’s findings for practical application (Levac et al., 2010). This type of study has the potential to provide a starting point for new lines of investigation (Grant & Booth, 2009), offering a broad “map” of the relevant literature (Arksey & O’Malley, 2005).

2.1. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

Our inclusion criteria involved studies with the following search terms: (a) successful women, coaches, administrators, and support staff such as athletic trainers, physiotherapists, and sports psychologists; (b) high-performance sport; (c) expressing their “lived experiences” through interviews. Only studies published between 2019 and 2025 were included to ensure the most up-to-date information possible, and an abstract in written English was essential. Databases identifying the needs and nature of women-focused support were included if they were presently operational (see Table 1).

Exclusion criteria rejected any study referring to or focusing upon COVID-19, as these were extraordinary circumstances unlikely to provide insight into the norms of women’s experiences in sport organizations. Although it is important when considering women in sport to address the issue of intersectionality, this was not a focus of this study, but we did not exclude papers sources that focused on members of specific populations such as LGBTQ+. Studies that focused on athletes transitioning into a coaching position or women early in their careers were excluded, as it was important to record the perspective of women achieving career longevity.

The intent of our study was to focus on HP; therefore, studies referring to youth sports, fitness, social sports, and other recreational activities were also excluded from selection. Many studies referring to successful women in coaching also referred to areas other than sport, such as business and the medical profession. Therefore, although sport was in the key search terms, those studies were therefore excluded from selection. Systemic and structural organizational studies focusing on the macro- or meso-level were also not considered, as individual beliefs, impressions, actions, and experiences were the focus of this scoping review. The approach included studies focused on women’s experiences in full-time coaching, administration, or support roles, such as sports psychologists and coach developers in high-performance sports. The voices of the participants were fundamental to understanding their experiences.

2.2. Identification and Selections of Studies

The following databases were used—as they provided the most appropriate avenues to research the role of women in sport—in the search for relevant peer reviews, empirical research articles, documents, and opinion pieces: SportDISCUS, ProQuest, Web of Science, and PsycINFO. The rigorous criteria applied to the search process and addressing the research question led to a limited number of studies. Selecting from a pool of relevant studies and searching two of the chosen databases, ProQuest and SportDISCUS, proved to be further limitations, with only four studies identified. Accordingly, a further search using Google Scholar produced most of the studies included in the final results. The search string was successful women in HP sport OR lived experiences OR interviews OR expression of lived experiences through interviews OR Women coaches OR qualitative OR quantitative OR barriers and support OR mentorship OR role models OR career advancement OR sponsorship or sports leadership. The search string format but not the words were adjusted based on the format of the database. Wording was broad in nature to identify papers addressing the research question.

2.3. Data Extraction

From the resulting output, sixteen studies were identified by the lead researcher reading the full text of the included studies to make sure they were relevant and appropriately addressed the research question. Initially, 411 studies were identified through the literature search on 4 databases, SportDISCUS, ProQuest, PsycINFO, and Web of Science, after reviewing and modifying the search terms to identify more focused studies. Titles and abstracts were read to assess for inclusion of the 189 studies in ProQuest; 3 studies were included. Of the studies in PsycINFO, 140 studies were identified but all were excluded as being outside the scope of this study. A complimentary search through Google Scholar highlighted 753 studies, of which 12 met the inclusion criteria. These, plus 1 study from SportDISCUS and 3 doctoral dissertations from ProQuest, comprised the 16 studies included as presented in the PRISMA flow diagram (Figure 1). To increase openness and transparency, this scoping review has been registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF) https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/4AJZ7.

This scoping review was constructed by focusing on (a) study characteristics, (b) title relevance to research topic, (c) information provided by successful women, (d) antecedents, (e) factors highlighting success and supportive issues, and (f) a pathway to success for women in sport. To ensure the search was systematic and valid, the three-step process recommended by PRISMA ScR, identification, selection, and inclusion, were followed. Further, in line with the twenty-step guidance list and one of the two optional points listed, a conclusion was included, and the guidance checklist was reviewed to ensure compliance with the PRISMA ScR recommendations. For the development of this scoping review, we relied on the PRISMA-ScR extension by Tricco et al. (2018) and the recommendations were followed.

Table 2. Results and characteristics of the “lived experience” of successful women in sport.

Author and Date	Study Title	Participant Sample Size	Context (Country) and Sport	Method of Data Collection	Study Aim	Thematic Analysis (Findings)
Allen and Reid (2019)	Scaffolding Women Coaches Development: A Program to build coaches competence and confidence	15 currently active coaches were identified with 10 female coaches participating	Scotland Women’s golf	Qualitative semi-structured interviews	Giving a good example of good practices for coaches’ education and developing women coaches.	Scaffolding—using coaches’ ed. workshops. Observation of coaching practices and mentoring. Themes: 1. Development of trust, opportunities, personal support, and mentorship 2. Know the right people, relationships 3. Knowledge of sport 4. Confidence, “Put yourself out there”, interact with other coaches. 5. Competency and self-efficacy.
Banwell et al. (2021)	Benefits of female coaches’ mentorship program on women coaches’ development: An Ecological Perspective	7 women mentee coaches receiving guidance	Canada Multi-sports	Qualitative semi-structured interviews	Analyzing the benefits of mentorship on a personal and interpersonal level.	Themes: 1. Improving communication. 2. Work/life balance and protection against burn out. 3. Increase confidence and dissipate fear of weaknesses. 4. Growth of skills and coaching knowledge. 5. Growing a network through mentoring. 6. Improve relationship with organizations.
Cosentino et al. (2021)	Strategies to Advance Women: Career insights from senior Leadership Women in Professional Sports in Canada	7 women in senior leadership position in professional sports	Canada Multi-sports	Qualitative open-ended interview questions	Develop recommendations for the next generation of women to advance in their careers.	Themes: 1. Mentors, role models, sponsors. 2. Networking. 3. Self-promotion. 4. Develop a career portfolio. 5. Prevent self-limiting behaviors. 6. Confidence, “Sticking up for yourself”.
Hotham et al. (2021)	“Going on a witch hunt” Investigation the lived experiences of women working in male team sports in regional Australia	25 female coaches and support personnel including age group, volunteers, and full-time coaches	Australia Various male-dominated sports, including rugby, soccer, etc.	Qualitative online survey (Survey Monkey)	To reveal the experience of women working in male-dominated sports.	Themes: 1. Questioning the ideas of womanhood, gender, masculinity, and femineity. 2. Confidence in a leadership role 3. Barriers—some choose to ignore them; some found them inspiring. 4. Most of the women were not accepting of traditional female roles. 5. Ownership and control of their role.
Anderson (2022) Doctoral Dissertation	I definitely need that support: Examining the support for women Sport Coaches	18 head female coaches	USA NCAA 111 Women’s volleyball coaches	Qualitative semi-structured interviews	Exploring the support needs for Division 111 female VB coaches.	Themes: 1. Formal and informal networking. 2. Mentoring opportunities. 3. Role models. 4. Self-efficacy and self-belief. 5. Implementation of scaffolding. 6. Confidence.
Richards et al. (2022)	We need a whole range of different views: exploring the lived experiences of women leaders in Australian rules Football	26 women working in a male-dominated sport	Australian rules football	Qualitative in-depth semi-structured interviews	To highlight the positive experiences of women working in a male-dominated sport.	Themes 1. Advocacy for women—“no changing behavior to fit in”. 2. Authenticity. 3. Benefit for diversity. “Right person right job” approach. 4. Job needs a feminine approach or a “Tom Boy” approach. Both accepted.
Riddell (2022)	Stories for leadership by U.S. Division 11 and Division 111 Female Coaches	8 HP females, all hall of fame coaches	USA National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) volleyball coaches	Qualitative narrative inquiry	Exploring the “lived Experiences” of female volleyball coaches in the NCAA.	Themes: 1. Love teaching and coaching. 2.Continuous learning. 3. Role models and mentor networking important. 4. Authenticity. 5. Relationships with the team and others within the sport. 6. Self-efficacy and confidence. Persistence and drive. 7. Work/life balance
Solanas et al. (2022)	Is sport Coaching a socially sustainable Profession for women? Analyzing the experiences of women coaches in Spain	20 women coaches in a variety of sports	Spain Multi-Sports	Qualitative semi-structured interviews	To analyze the experiences of women’s experiences in their profession as a coach.	Themes 1. Strong interpersonal relationships. 2. Positive social interaction in sport. 3. Multi-factors both supportive and barriers to progress. 4. Consent of men to battle and break down barriers. 5. Suggestion that women work better with disabilities and low-level sports. 6. Women work hard to fit in. 7. Others commented they never felt judged, always valued.
Borrueco et al. (2023)	Women Coaches at top level: Looking back through the Maze	13 women coaches with five years of head coaching experience	Southern Europe (Spain) Multi-Sports	Qualitative in-depth semi-structured interviews	Exploring the factors that have led to these women being successful.	Themes: 1. Having an athletic background an advantage. 2. Having a close entourage. 3. Role models and gender allyship.
Levi et al. (2023)	Women in a Man’s World: Coaching Women in elite sport	10 elite coaches identified, 6 men and 4 women	Australia Multi-Sports	Qualitative observations, informal and unstructured interviews, group and individual interviews, and semi-structured interviews	To study how male and female coaches interact and work together.	Themes: 1. This subject is bigger the sport. 2. Same, same but different. 3. Women not taken seriously. 4. Although sport is masculine in nature, many men are unaware of the bias until it is pointed out. 5. Males proclaim gender neutrality. 6. Call for male coaches to self-reflect.
Mollin et al. (2023)	Legitimizing and delegitimizing women coaches in the Golf Industry. Women Golf Professional experiences of Advocacy	11 women’s professional golf coaches	UK Golf	Qualitative in-depth conversational interviews	To explore experiences of women golf coaches’ advocacy experiences.	Themes 1. Advocacy and allies open doors. 2. Support has a positive effect on self-efficacy. 3. Male advocates can be both positive and negative. 4. Innate self-reliance and mentality builds resilience. 5. Network to build relationships. 6. Partner with both men and women to be proactive in developing allies and advocates.
Taylor (2023)	To examine the Strategic organizational practices in sport to encourage women high- performance coaches in Australia	2 study groups: 16 HP coaches and 13 managers, all female	Australia Multi-Sports	Qualitative semi-structured interviews	Good practices to support female professionals in sport.	Themes 1. Mentors and networking. 2. Knowledge of sport. 3. Communication skills. 4. Clarity in understanding—what is HP coaching? 5. Advocacy.
Haughey et al. (2024)	Using the coaches voice to improve the representation and experience of females in coaching: A Gaelic Games perspective	38 female coaches in 5 cohorts, approx. 8 coaches in each cohort	Ireland Gaelic Games	Qualitative semi-structured focus groups, narrative discussion	Focused on understanding the experiences of female coaches in Ireland.	Four Key Themes: 1. Personal factor. 2. Coaching context. 3.Organizational support. 4. Social influences. Sub-Themes: (a) Mentoring. (b) Networking. (c) Positive recognition. (d) Reinforcement. (e) Merit-based advancement. (f) Self-belief and credibility. (g) Strong family ties.
Taylor-Toomay (2024) (Doctoral Dissertation)	How women successfully navigate the NCAA Division 111 Volleyball Coaching Journey	15 coaches identified for participation, 6 females finalized for participation	USA NCAA Division 111 Volleyball coaches	Qualitative narrative inquiry	Exploring the “lived experiences” of female volleyball coaches.	Themes 1.Resiliance and adaptability. 2. Leadership and mentoring. 3. Personal growth and development. 4. Passion and dedication. 5. Female empowerment and advocacy for women.
Gosai et al. (2024)	The Goldilocks Dilemma in coaching: women coaches experiences of stereotypical bias and two-dimensional approach to combating them:	20 female coaches: coaching both men and women athletes in both individual and team events	UK Mult Sport	Qualitative semi-structured interviews	To identify how women deal with and suggestions for dealing with stereotypical bias.	Themes 1. More opportunities for women coaching female sport. 2. Being careful with speech. 3. Dilemmas with too soft/too tough, high standards/low rewards. Competent but disliked/liked but not competent… not both.
Angriman et al. (2025)	Benefits, Challenges and Strategies for including women coaches in Elite Sports. The Trail to Gold (T2G) Initiative in US Cros Country Skiing	12 coaches identified, 8 female coaches participated	USA Ski Association	Qualitative semi-structured interviews	Identifying factors that will increase and support women coaches in elite sport.	Themes 1. Role models and mentors. 2. Work/life balance. 3. Advocating for women. 4. Robust networking. 5. Effective sponsoring. 6. Confidence. 7. Constructing an inclusive environment.

presents the number of studies identified using the inclusion criteria.

3. Results

3.1. Study Characteristics

The sixteen studies selected and presented in Table 2 focused on the factors that enabled women to be successful in their career. These studies came from both white and grey literature. Three were doctoral dissertations, with all others being peer reviewed published studies. Several of these studies did mention negative barriers and blockers. Again, reading the full text of these studies was vital. Several women in decision-making roles discussed their challenges, then shared their positive experiences, highlighting factors behind their success. Notably, only 3 of the selected 16 addressed women in leadership roles other than coaching. We return to this issue later in the Discussion Section.

3.2. Data Selection and Coding

The first author was the lead in identifying the main characteristics of the selected studies. The following characteristics were identified: authorship, year published, study title, participants and sport involved, country of origin, type and method of study design, aim of the study, and the main identified themes. Studies were organized chronologically, according to the year published, up to 2025. Review of study results followed the framework set by Arksey and O’Malley (2005) and refined by Levac et al. (2010): namely, (1) provide a descriptive numerical summary and qualitative thematic analysis, (2) report results in answer to the research questions, and (3) describe the meaning of the findings and the implication for practice and future research. Fifteen studies involved qualitative research with one study focused on a survey. We now offer a narrative highlighting the findings of these studies.

3.3. Description of and Messages from the Included Studies

Over the past several years, interest in women’s experiences in sport appears to be consistent, although an emphasis on positive recommendations for the advancement of women in sports remains rare. Most of these selected studies recommended strategies to increase women’s representation in sports coaching and leadership roles by learning from women coaches and administrators who work in environments that value and actively pursue gender parity (Angriman et al., 2025). They describe and suggest positive tangible actions that can be taken to further the advancement of the ambitious female. Although having identified some strategies, however, advancement for women into leadership roles in HP sport is still uncommon. The studies were carried out in eight different countries, providing a comprehensive overview of the experiences of women in sport worldwide. Countries included were the USA (n = 4), Canada (n = 2), Australia (n = 4), the UK including Scotland and Ireland (n = 4), and Spain (n = 2). A total of 261 women leaders, administrators, coaches, and support personnel participated across all of the sources in the review.

Two of the three doctoral dissertations used the narrative approach, which revealed general explanations and an understanding of women’s experiences (Taylor-Toomay, 2024; Riddell, 2022). As previously mentioned, several studies referred to the challenges facing women but expanded upon these challenges by highlighting the type of support they had experienced. Encouragingly, whilst Hotham et al. (2021) report on the barriers women in their study encountered, they also state that their participants either ignored or were inspired by them. A somewhat similar “can do” attitude was apparent in other studies. Both Richards et al. (2022)’s experiences of women involved in Australian rules football and Mollin et al. (2023)’s “lived experiences” of female Golf coaches in the UK discussed the challenges women face but also provided supportive evidence on behavior leading to support.

3.4. Networking, Role Models, Mentoring, and Sponsorship

Several studies included a general discussion regarding the need for role models, networking, and mentorship. These factors are mentioned in seven of sixteen studies (Haughey et al., 2024; Cosentino et al., 2021; Angriman et al., 2025; Banwell et al., 2021; Borrueco et al., 2023; Mollin et al., 2023; Allen & Reid, 2019). In studies that do not specifically mention this, there is reference to support from other women, or general advocacy for women (Taylor-Toomay, 2024). These could be described as external factors that may or may not be within the control of the individual female desiring to enter and advance in HP sport. Importantly, however, they may be sources that women should actively seek (cf. seeking and using social support as a characteristic of developing excellence—MacNamara & Collins, 2017). Banwell et al. (2021) state that role models, mentoring, and networking are important considerations when an ambitious female sets her sights on a position in HP sport. Allen and Reid (2019, p. 104) suggest “putting yourself out there”, intentionally getting to know the right people and build strong relationships leading eventually to an advocate or sponsor. Cosentino et al. (2021) and Angriman et al. (2025) agree, suggesting sponsorship is another aspect females should consider: the ambitious female should seek out people who would be an advocate and assist in actively seeking opportunities for advancement.

Allyship, another external feature that can be solicited, is mentioned by three studies (Borrueco et al., 2023; Mollin et al., 2023; Allen & Reid, 2019) advocating women only coach education programs that would allow for women to find same-gender allies within their sport. Borrueco et al. (2023) mention developing a close entourage of support as being of value and Mollin et al. (2023) present the idea that support can lead to confidence-building and self-efficacy. Collectively, these authors also introduce the idea of self-control over career and advancement choices, mentioned in several of these studies.

3.5. Defining the Need for Self-Efficacy and Self-Promotion

Many of the studies (Angriman et al., 2025; Cosentino et al., 2021; Gosai et al., 2024; Mollin et al., 2023; Allen & Reid, 2019) include a reference to either self-advocacy, self-reliance, self-belief, confidence, or resilience: all internal factors under the control of the individual aspiring female. In a study by Eubank et al. (2014, p. 31), the environment in HP sports is described as having “organizational challenges, coach athlete conflicts, media negativity, financial challenges and a culture which is ruthless, fast-paced, results focused, and resistant to change”. In such an environment, confidence and resilience would appear to be essential qualities. Resilience is mentioned by Mollin et al. (2023), stating that an innate self-reliance and mentality can be the foundation of resilience, a much-needed quality in dealing with the afore-mentioned challenges. Hotham et al. (2021, p. 408) report that some of the participants in their study were “beginning to question, reclaim and redefine previously portrayed ideas about womanhood and gender masculinity and femininity”, illustrating and questioning the much-entrenched idea that sport is male-based and masculine in nature.

It is of interest that women are now questioning this perspective. Self-advocacy—or as Cosentino et al. (2021, p. 8) state, “strategically self-promote” and “stop self-limiting behaviors”—is key in gaining promotion or attaining a position in HP sport. Richards et al. (2022) and Riddell (2022) both support this idea, stating authenticity is valuable whilst changing behavior to “fit in” is unacceptable. This is further supported by Gosai et al. (2023), who report that being aware and careful with your speech and behavior in coaching is important.

3.6. Organizational Advocacy

Although this scoping study focused on the individual attributes needed to succeed in HP sport, organizational influences cannot be ignored, and it would be remiss to ignore their importance in supporting the professional female. Notably, our selected studies indicate a need for self-advocacy, remembering the high-performance female is most likely working within a network and is accountable to an organizational structure. As such, support for her within that structure is paramount to her longevity and success. Taylor et al. (2023) discuss organizational practices in sports, suggesting several initiatives the sport organizations could employ to attract and enhance the involvement of women, such as flexibility of work and family time, developing a talent identification program to seek out retiring athletes with the potential to succeed in coaching, and finally developing training camp environments to enhance the development skills of aspiring coaches, administrators, and support personnel. Angriman et al. (2025) also discuss the need for work/life balance as does Riddell (2022). In their evaluation of organizational structures, both recommend developing a more inclusive environment for the female leaders. Haughey et al. (2024) also call for more organizational support, whilst Banwell et al. (2021) suggest the need for improved relationships between female coaches and the organizations they work within. These issues suggest that the relationships between organizational leadership and staff—including coaches, administrators, and support personnel such as physiotherapists, coach developers, and sport psychologists—still have room for improvement.

4. Discussion

Four categories emerge from this scoping review, addressing how women can be successful in gaining positions in HP sport. Notably, these emerge from both what is and is not apparent in the literature. Firstly, the many challenges these women face in gaining a decision-making position in sport is worthy of addressing. Secondly, strategies for dealing with challenges faced while holding a leadership position equally require attention. Thirdly, investigating the way women have attempted to join or develop communities to combat challenges by developing support networks and allyships wherein role models, mentors, and facilitators can be found is of further interest. Lastly, regarding coaching, an often undervalued aspect of this research, even though it shows majority representation in the present literature set, is the abilities and knowledge of a coach in their chosen sport, which can be gained through formal and informal experiential learning. As Banwell et al. (2021, p. 69) note, “The growth of skills and coaching knowledge” is essential to success and longevity in any coaching career context. How can this skillset be developed and nurtured? These issues are addressed in this Discussion Section:

First, the challenges women face in attaining a job in HP sport, indubitably a male-dominated environment (Schull et al., 2013). To gain a position in sport as a female HP coach or administrator, certain character traits and skills seem essential. Many HP coaches and some leaders (often via a coaching route), both male and female, come from a background as an athlete. Blackett et al. (2018) refers to this entrance into HP as an “active and passive” pathway. “Active”, as the athlete during their late competitive years can be actively learning and preparing for a role, often participating in some coaching or performance management in HP. It can be argued that women are making progress in the world of HP sport. Recently, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) appointed the first female President of the International Olympic Committee, Kristy Coventry, a former Olympic medalist in swimming who developed largely through the leadership and management route. This appointment is an example of a former athlete in a sustainable “active” pathway to success. In contrast, “passive” refers to the athlete who retires and only later considers a leadership role. Several authors (Allen & Reid, 2019; Banwell et al., 2021; Taylor et al., 2023) refer to knowledge of sport, persistence, and drive as being important. These qualities, it can be argued, can be found among athletes with a successful competitive record at the elite level and therefore identifies another pathway into coaching or a leadership role in HP sport. As Allen and Reid (2019, p. 104) state, “put yourself out there” and actively pursue the “Dream Job” (Strickland et al., 2014, p. 39). Indeed, Hotham et al. (2021) report that most of the women in their study were not accepting of stereotypical traditional female roles such as caregivers and took ownership and control of their role by engaging in activity not generally thought of as a female role: for example, on-field coaching or management of male athletes. In summary, there is a clear need to stay strong and focused in the pursuit of HP roles, echoing what is needed for an individual’s success as an athlete.

Second, maintaining a job in HP can be a challenge. Hotham et al. (2021) found some women chose to ignore challenges whilst others were inspired by challenges. Sport presently, as in the past, remains a primarily male domain, representing male characteristics such as power and aggression, and is intensely competitive in nature. In contrast, the female stereotype of caring and nurturing demonstrates a gentler approach to the highly charged world of HP sport (Pfister, 2010). Although female experiences in these studies align with past research, there also appears to be recognition of what it means to be a powerful and strong woman in sport (Knowlton & Newland, 2024). As a women employed in HP sport, there are various factors that could lead to a successful tenure. Developing male colleagues as allies (Borrueco et al., 2023; Mollin et al., 2023), awareness of self-limiting behaviors (Richards et al., 2022), developing confidence through competency, and knowledge of the sport and work environment (Allen & Reid, 2019) are all important positive considerations. Adopting supposed or apparent “super-male” characteristics as a female is also apparent but less positive, both for the individual and the general perceptions of women in sport.

In this regard, Levi et al. (2023) discuss the masculine nature of sport, stating many men are unaware of their biases toward women until they are pointed out. Discussing the existence and impacts of bias with a male ally might strengthen relationships with male colleagues and encourage their self-reflection. Both Levi et al. (2023) and Solanas et al. (2022) suggest that women work hard to fit in, whilst Richards et al. (2022, p. 1952) recommend “no changing of behavior to fit in” (cf. the adoption of a super-male style). These recommendations would suggest that women may often exhibit self-limiting behaviors to be successful in their workplace, either through limiting natural tendencies or adopting unnatural but perceived as needed behaviors. Being aware of these tendances allows the female leader to avoid these behaviors. Indeed, several of the scoping studies highlight an extreme need for competency, referring to a knowledge of sport and the working environment, rather than the ‘simple’ adoption of a role set. Taylor et al. (2023) emphasizes clarity, asking for an understanding of what is, and what is essential for, HP sport? By attaining clarity, both personal and professional, it is then possible to identify the “right person, for the job” Richards et al. (2022, p. 1949). These examples, together with clarity of approach, suggests there is a place for women to be successful and have longevity in HP sport—importantly, however, only with the right set of skills and the attitude to apply them.

Third, there is a multitude of websites, associations, and foundations addressing the need for connectivity and networking. Two major events influenced a rise in the awareness of women participating in sport, the Brighton Declaration in 1994 and (Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 2018). The legacy of the first World Conference on Women and Sport in 1994 and the Brighton Declaration on Women and Sport identified the need to develop programs to increase the number of women in leadership positions in sport (Gosai et al., 2023). The focus on women in sport developed further with the inclusion of the Helsinki Declaration (IWG Women & Sports, 2014), which focused on providing women with skills and connections to be leaders in sport (Evans & Pfister, 2021). In the United States, Title IX could be considered the single most influential and impactful legislation to promote and encourage women to participate in active and skilled athletics. An interest in connectivity and networking has led to an increase in women’s organizations promoting their activities on the internet (see Table 1). These web-based programs, such as The Female Coaches Network and WeCoach, offer interviews with successful women coaches, promoting women in coaching by providing conferences, giving grants to attend conferences, and providing educational opportunities—all these, as shown in the Introduction, with the focus of increasing female participation in coaching. These organizations provide a valuable means with which to connect women with each other and share their experiences. Unfortunately, however, while these initiatives can certainly highlight the need for and encourage the implementation of change, they offer little for the individual ambitious woman searching for practices she can implement independently to move forward. As such, what is often missing from these sites is a clear “action pathway” for the aspiring female to attain and maintain a position in HP sports.

Lastly, and notwithstanding the need for a wider perspective on females in leadership, there is a need to consider the particular case of coaching. It is only quite recently that coaching in the UK has been widely recognized as a profession. Contrastingly, in the USA, sport coaching has been a recognized profession for many years, due perhaps to the need for full-time coaches in intercollegiate athletics. Saks (2012, p. 2) describes a profession in the following terms: “professions typically had a stronger formal knowledge and higher educational base than other occupations” (cf. with ideas on the characteristics of professions—Carr, 2006). Several of the studies in this review call for the improvement of competency in coaching: Allen and Reid (2019) refer to knowledge of the sport, and Allen and Reid (2019), Banwell et al. (2021), and Taylor et al. (2023) discuss the necessity to continually learn. What appears to be lacking from sport coaching is “formal knowledge” or a “higher educational base”. The education of the coach appears to fall under the supervision of the organizational body or be a matter of self-motivation. Administrators, sport psychologists, athletic trainers, and physical therapists all enter the sports world with an opportunity for a higher educational base, leaving the sport coach with limited formal educational opportunities. Collins and Collins (2019) offer a solution to this deficit in learning in the form of pracademics. A pracademic approach is a method by which institutions of higher learning could offer the opportunity, in a full-time role, to students with an interest in sport, offering both practical and academic work to gain a “higher educational base” in their chosen sport. By interacting closely, perhaps daily, with the expert sports leader or coach and a simultaneous active involvement with academia, this interaction has the potential to build an opportunity for innovation, research and addressing competency in coaching, with and clear and stellar career pathway into sport for the aspiring female coach.

In closing, we should highlight a key limitation inherent in our dataset. The predominant focus on coaching is a limiting factor, potentially due to our restrictions regarding inclusion criteria, or perhaps because the literature itself has failed to consider the wider roles of management, leadership, and policy-making to which many women aspire. We would suggest a clear need for empirical data to follow from the leads set by this review, making use of both qualitative and quantitative approaches to examine the challenges and coping behaviors adopted by successful women in HP sport.

5. Conclusions

Considering the substantial interest in the role women play or should play in HP sport, it is surprising that very little is known regarding a clearly defined expertise that leads to a leadership role in sport. Defining clearly the steps women can follow to be successful in gaining a position is worthy of future investigation. The results of this scoping review reveal that obstructions do present a challenge for women leaders. Women face these challenges initially by finding a position, keeping a position, and advancing in their careers. The results of this study relate to leaders in sport such as coaches, administrators, and support personnel such as physiotherapists, coach developers, and sport psychologists who, as females, work in a sport setting, which is a male-dominated environment. Positively, there are indications that women are making progress in attaining decision-making roles in HP sports. Networking and connectivity, it can be surmised, have contributed to this advancement. The aspiring female leader would be wise to take advantage of, or indeed, to actively solicit and develop, these opportunities to connect. As one of many possibilities, attending educational conferences can be an avenue to increase connectivity and competence in a leadership role. Notably, competency is an issue mentioned several times throughout this review. Building relationships with both female and male colleagues has the potential to lend support to the ambitious female leader in that they offer one important means to demonstrate and publicize their skillset. We would suggest that an explicit focus on evaluating and building these skills is another positive step that needs to be taken. At the micro-level of this review, the ability to be self-aware cannot be underestimated; attributes such as perseverance and resilience were also identified as being significant in a female leadership role.

As with all scoping reviews, the function is to explore an expansive research topic and map the field of interest. Given the wide scope of such an approach, there can be limitations to the depth of understanding needed to ensure a complete understanding of the topic. This review entails a description of the realities of successful women working in HP sports. There is, however, much more research needed if a clearly defined pathway into HP sport is to be established for an aspiring female. Perhaps most importantly, initiatives need to focus on explicitly evaluating and developing the individual skills that are needed and how these may best be acquired.