Roundtable Discussion: Coaching as Work – Realities, Challenges, and What Needs to Change

Coaching is one of the most rewarding careers in sport – but also one of the most precarious. Drawing on findings from the new National Coaching Survey, this roundtable will explore the realities of coaching as work: contracts, pay, job security, and the challenge of balancing coaching with wider life commitments.

We will share early insights and invite you to bring your own experiences to the table. Together, we will consider what “good” should look like in coaching and identify where change is most urgently needed.

Focus areas

• Employment conditions: contracts, pay, job security, written agreements

• Work–life balance & caring responsibilities: maternity/parental leave, flexibility, workload

• Why coaches stay/leave: burnout, lack of structure, lack of progression, financial insecurity

Discussion prompts

• Does this reflect your own coaching experience?

• What “minimum standards” would you like to see for coaching work?

• If you could change one thing tomorrow about coaching as work, what would it be?

This roundtable will be led by Tanya Martin, Head of Insight & Innovation at Women in Sport, and Professor Leanne Norman from the Carnegie School of Sport, Leeds Beckett University. They are leading the first national survey of its kind into the working conditions and culture of coaching across all sports and levels.

About the project

This work forms part of the Women in Coaching Taskforce, a wider project funded by Sport England and led by Women in Sport to transform the experiences of women in coaching. The Taskforce is building a shared understanding to drive lasting change and create better environments that support more women to thrive in coaching.