2017 Women Coaches Symposium Tickets

The 2017 Women Coaches Symposium, held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was a groundbreaking event that shone a light on the importance of women in sports leadership roles. This three-day symposium brought together over 400 women from various areas of sports coaching and featured keynote speakers, panel discussions, and networking opportunities.

One of the main themes discussed at the symposium was the fact that women are underrepresented in coaching positions across a variety of sports. According to a 2016 study by the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, women make up just 21% of college sports head coaches. This lack of diversity is not just an issue of representation, but can also have negative impacts on athletes themselves.

Studies have shown that female athletes who are coached by other women report higher levels of satisfaction and motivation than those who are coached by men. Additionally, female coaches may serve as important role models and provide unique perspectives for female athletes navigating the challenges of sports.

Throughout the symposium, attendees participated in breakout sessions covering a range of topics, including skill development, mental health awareness, and building effective relationships with athletes. One particularly powerful panel discussion focused on the intersection of race and gender in sports coaching, with speakers sharing their experiences breaking barriers as women of color in predominantly white male spaces.

The symposium also featured several high-profile keynote speakers, including Lisa Borders, the president of the WNBA, and Mary Jo Kane, the director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport. These inspiring women shared their insights on the importance of women in leadership and encouraged attendees to continue pushing for greater representation and equality in sports.

Overall, the 2017 Women Coaches Symposium provided a critical space for women in sports coaching to connect, learn from one another, and advocate for change. By highlighting the lack of diversity in sports coaching and providing tangible strategies for moving forward, this symposium took an important step towards creating a more inclusive and equitable sports landscape.