Join the Women’s Sport Collective, Sport Birmingham and This Girl Can for a morning focused on women in coaching and coaching women and girls.
We’ll be bringing together coaches, leaders and those interested in coaching to explore the realities of working in the space — the opportunities, the challenges and what support really makes a difference. Through a panel conversation with women working across sport, we’ll share honest experiences, practical insights and lessons learned along the way.
The panel will include:
Emily Handyside is Head Coach of Wales Netball and Coaching Lead at UK Coaching. With over 20 years in high performance sport, she has led international success and plays a key role in developing coaches, leaders and workforce capability across the sector. She is also a strong advocate for women in coaching.
Melissa Dhillon is a Performance Psychologist and Founder of Athletes In The Zone, working with elite athletes, teams and organisations across sport and business. A former competitive tennis player, she combines lived experience with applied psychology to support performance under pressure and develop high-performing individuals and cultures. She is particularly passionate about empowering women to step into their identity and perform at their best.
There will also be time for structured networking, creating space to connect, share experiences and build relationships with others working in sport.
As part of the session, there will be an opportunity to go behind the scenes at Villa Park, offering a unique insight into one of the UK’s most iconic sporting venues.
Whether you’re currently coaching, supporting coaches or thinking about your next step, this is a chance to connect, learn and spend time with others who understand the space.
Agenda
10:00 Arrival
10:00-10:30 Informal networking
10:30-11:00 Panel including coaches from a range of sports
11:00-11:30 Structured networking
11:30-12:00 Behind the scene tour of Villa Park Stadium
A huge thank you to Nicola English and the team at Sport England for organising and Aston Villa Foundation for hosting us at Villa Park.
Location: William McGregor Room, Trinity Stand, Villa Park Stadium, Birmingham, B6 6HE
This event is open to members of the Women’s Sport Collective - you can join for free here.