Since its establishment in 2021, over 300 people been involved in the AIS WiHPC Project, with representatives from across the sport sector continuing to work towards better outcomes for female high-performance (HP) coaches.

“This project is gaining international recognition for its potential to improve athlete performance and organisational culture by providing a better experience for women HP coaches,” AIS HP Coach Development Bill Davoren said.

“There is an opportunity for Australia to lead the world in this space and make significant and sustainable change to our sport system.”

A recent WiHPC Summit in Brisbane saw over 50 coaches, managers and industry experts share insights and recommendations to improve issues faced by women HP coaches including parental leave, part-time talent pools and recruitment.

“Right now, some of Australia’s best coaches are not being given opportunities,” AIS HP Coach Development Senior Leader Michelle De Highden said.

“If we want the best HP performance outcomes, everyone needs to feel like they have a place and that they belong.

Ms De Highden said the insights gained from the summit will inform the next steps of the project.

“We will collate information gathered by the working groups and pull together a report of recommendations. We will then build a dynamic and progressive action plan that can be used practically within the system,” she said.

Learn more about the WiHPC and other AIS high performance coach development programs.