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High Performance Coach Development

Women in High Performance Coaching

The underrepresentation of women in High Performance coaching roles in Australia is a critical issue, with less than 10% of the top 36 funded High Performance sports led by women head coaches.

The Women in High Performance Coaching Project (WiHPC) has been established to address this situation and drive immediate action to create a more diverse and successful coaching ecosystem by 2032.

WiHPC Pipeline

Why this work matters

Coaching is a priority area within Australia’s High Performance 2032+ Sport Strategy, and the AIS has dedicated significant investment towards the ongoing development and growth of elite coaches to achieve excellence.  Coaches drive athlete, team and program performance and success. Increasing the representation and experience of Women in High Performance Coaching is critical in enabling a world class coaching and performance environment .

“We must be more inclusive and take action to remove the complexity and challenges facing women coaches.”

Matti Clements, Executive General Manager, AIS Performance
Performance delivery

Incorporating women coaches diversifies our training approach. Their unique perspectives including female specific health and performance understanding enhances our ability to support athletes effectively.

Athlete performance pathways

Having WiHPC enhances athlete development programs, embodies inclusion, and ensures a robust pipeline towards podium success and beyond.

World leading knowledge + practice

Diverse coaching teams that include women coaches enrich our expertise and knowledge base and keep Australia at the forefront of global sports advancements.

Outstanding people + organisations

Increasing women coaches showcases our commitment to diversity and inclusion. By nurturing their talents, we maximise human potential, strengthen internal cohesion and enhance our reputation and ability to attract and retain top talent.

Toolkits and resources

Actionable toolkits, across the identified strategic focus areas, have been developed in response to the insights and recommendations generated by stakeholder activities and engagement efforts of the WiHPC Project.

These resources aim to enhance our performance outcomes but also promote a diverse and inclusive environment in line with our vision: “We win well to inspire Australians.”

Behaviours, culture and environmentSystems supporting diversityStrategies for developmentVisibility and storytelling
  • Archetype workshop
  • The Road Map to Action
  • Respectful behaviour programs
  • Gender equality audits and actions
  • Recruitment toolkit
  • Parental leave toolkit
  • Part time talent pool toolkit
  • Inclusive travel arrangements toolkit
  • Hidden talent pool toolkit
  • Career support services
  • Capability framework
  • The Women’s Talent Development
  • Framework
  • National Network of Coach Development Facilitators
  • Igniting local networks
  • Mentorship toolkit
  • Networking and connection events
  • The WiHPC website
  • Improving visibility, sharing success
  • Connections with aligned advocacy groups

Refer to Toolkits and Resources

Get involved: Contact us

The next phase of the WiHPC project will require continued support and engagement with organisations and sports. Please contact us if you are interested in ‘testing’ some of our toolkits and resources, or you have stories to share!

In the next phase of the WiHPC project we wish to engage more directly with researchers in targeted areas of interest. Please email hpcoachdevelopment@ausport.gov.au if you are interested in supporting this project.

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