News

POD Alert! Dr. LaVoi talks women coaches & social change

Nicole M. LaVoi
On Episode 13 of The WeCOACH Podcast, Marci Kornegay talks with the trusted voice behind the research of why women coaches matter, Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi, Director of the Tucker Center for Girls & Women in Sport and WeCOACH founding member of the Board of Directors. Nicole shares how her research has fueled meaningful projects in hopes to initiate social change and opportunities for women coaches. She lays the foundation behind the annual Women in College Coaching Report Card which is aimed at retaining and increasing the number of women in the coaching profession and takes us on a journey to understanding why the Athletic Administration Best Practices of Recruitment, Hiring and Retention of Female Collegiate Coaches is a crucial element in increasing the number of women coaches at the institutional level. You are sure to take away informed nuggets of inspiration and encouragement as a coach or as someone in a position to hire coaches.

Meet them Marci & Dr. LaVoi at the 2019 WCS!

Details for Attendees!

program
We are excited to see you all next week for the 6th annual Women Coaches Symposium, Friday April 19, 7-4pm, with the theme "self care for coaches."

We are nearly sold out & registration closes Sunday night.

Just a few key details to help you get ready for the day. Doors open at 7am, come early and socialize, eat breakfast, visit vendors or do yoga! Self-care starts when you arrive!

1. View the program and speakers on our website so you can decide in advance which breakout sessions you want to attend. We have a jam packed day together.

2. If you are going to do morning yoga, bring your own mat but if you don't have one that is OK. We'll have a few for you to use, but the mat isn't necessary to participate. All are welcome.

3. Dress code is "come in what you are comfortable in"!

4. Where to park and enter TCF Bank Stadium is under Logistics on this website.

5. We will have a Nursing & Mother's Room onsite.

6. We invite you to contribute to the 2019 WCS Sports Bra Drive and help increase access to sports by removing a barrier to participation.

The Sports Bra Project is the 2019 Philanthropic Partner of the WCS. For this years symposium, we are thrilled to be working with the St. Olaf Volleyball team to host a collection drive. In addition to attending the symposium, St. Olaf players will have a table set up to collect sports bras. For every new sports bra donated you will receive a door prize ticket for the 2019 WCS Raffle. For those running collections with their teams prior to the symposium, the team or organization that donates the most sports bras will receive one complementary registration for the 2020 WCS.

See you on April 19th!

Attending the Women Coaches Symposium and want to pass on your love of sports?

sbp
We invite you to contribute to the 2019 WCS Sports Bra Drive and help increase access to sports by removing a barrier to participation. 

The Sports Bra Project is the 2019 Philanthropic Partner of the WCS. For this years symposium, we are thrilled to be working with the St. Olaf Volleyball team to host a collection drive. In addition to attending the symposium, St. Olaf players will have a table set up to collect sports bras. For every new sports bra donated you will receive a raffle ticket for the 2019 WCS Raffle.

For those running collections with their teams prior to the symposium, the team or organization that donates the most sports bras will receive a complementary registration for the 2020 WCS.

To learn more about The Sports Bra Project check out our March Newsletter. 

You can follow all of our events and activities on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

We look forward to seeing you in Minnesota!

Sincerely,

Sarah

The Sports Bra Project

Sarah Dwyer-Shick - Founder

[email protected]

www.thesportsbraproject.org

NEW! WCS Coach of the Year Awards, nominate someone today!

jostens
NEW this year are Coach of the Year Awards, sponsored by Jostens. In the six years we have hosted the WCS we have encountered amazing women! We know of many exemplary women coaches at all levels of sport who are committed to "doing it right" and we want to honor them! We have developed an award with criteria that honors these women. We are taking nominations for two categories (College, and Youth/High School/Club) through Monday, April 1.

 

CRITERIA FOR THE WCS COACH OF THE YEAR AWARDS

  • Committed to giving back
  • Cares about and fosters holistic athlete well-being and development
  • Strives for performance excellence
  • Honors the game by demonstrating good sport behavior and showing respect for rules, opponents, officials, athletes and self
  • Maintains high ethical standards
  • Conducts herself with professionalism

To nominate a coach, please fill out this short form.

Winners will be invited to attend the WCS and will be honored with their award during the WCS lunch.

Questions? Contact McKenzie Arbeiter at [email protected].

Congrats to our Sisters to the North!

CAAWS
Last February, the Government of Canada announced they would dedicate $30 million towards achieving gender equity in sport - an unprecedented investment in the futures of women and girls across the country. Since then, we have seen federal, provincial, and territorial sport leaders come together to declare a renewed focus on gender equity and inclusion.

We are now thrilled to share that Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) will receive $3 million from Sport Canada over four years, starting in 2018/2019, to continue the important work of leading the movement for gender equity in Canadian sport.

With this investment, we are proud to build on almost 40 years of work and to accelerate the pace of change across the sport system in Canada. We will use this funding to develop and deliver resources, tools and services that help sport organizations to advance women in leadership positions and engage and retain girls in sport. Together, we will create safer, more welcoming and inclusive environments in which girls and women can thrive.

As we embark on this exciting new chapter, we are motivated by our belief in the power of sport to advance women in society and remain dedicated to working with our partners to create an equitable and inclusive sport system that empowers women and girls, within and through sport. There is much work still to do, but the conditions for change have never been better and we have our sights set on producing real, measurable impact.

Guylaine Demers has chaired two working groups on gender equity in sport - one directly for the federal minister of sport, and another for the other levels of government that is directly related to this Canadian effort. She will be speaking at this year's WCS! Listen to this podcast where Dr. Demers talks about gender equity in sport.

Sports Bra Project Returns to 2019 WCS!

phil partner 2019
For the second year our Philanthropic Partner for the Women Coaches Symposium is The Sports Bra Project!

The Sports Bra Project works to increase access to sports for women and girls around the world by removing barriers to participation. In areas where resources are scarce and opportunities to participate in sports are limited the lack of a sports bra, whether due to logistical, cultural or financial factors can be a significant barrier to participation. Utilizing networks of organizations, coaches and athletes to collect and distribute sports bras, The Sports Bra Project works to eliminate one barrier and increase the access to sports for girls and women around the world.

For the 2019 Women Coaches Symposium (WCS), the St. Olaf Volleyball team will be partnering with The Sports Bra Project where they will collect sports bras donated by participants. Prior to the event we encourage you to join them in running a collection drive of your own aimed to bring as many  sports bras to the WCS as possible! St. Olaf Volleyball will be running a booth at the event where you can drop off the bras. For each bra collected, and donated at the 2019 WCS, you will receive a raffle ticket to use for the WCS raffle which contains great items! The school donating the most sports bras, will get a free WCS registration for 2020.

Please share your love of sports and join us to help remove barriers and increase access for girls and women around the world!

To register for the WCS, a one day networking and professional development event, and find out more about the speakers and program, visit WCS.UMN.ED

To find out more about The Sports Bra Project you can check out the latest newsletter and follow them on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Questions can be emailed to: [email protected]. To contact the St. Olaf Volleyball email coach Foster: [email protected]

WeCOACH, what you need to know!

wecoach logo
WeCOACH is a co-host of the annual WCS. WeCOACH is the premier membership organization dedicated to the recruitment, advancement, and retention of women coaches of all sports and levels.

WeCOACH exists because we believe…

Through on-going educational programs, workshops, forums and learning platforms, we can be an important and trusted voice, resource and community for women coaches regardless of sport, division, or level.

We can provide relevant insights and connections to enhance and enrich the personal and professional lives of women coaches.

Despite record numbers of female sport participants at all levels of competition, the number of women college coaches has declined from 90+% in 1972 to a near all-time low today, and the trends and numbers at the youth and high school levels are similar or worse. Our valuable work can help reverse that decline to support, retain and grow the number of women in the coaching profession.

Sport-specific associations promote only their own sport, where as WeCOACH educates, advocates for, inspires, supports and promotes professional women coaches in every sport and at every level. Both provide value.

That a national network and community of women coaches not only serves the individual, but will make it possible for other women to follow in their footsteps. “If I can see her, I can be her!” We are stronger together as women leaders in sport.

ALL SPORTS. ONE VOICE. WeCOACH!

Self Care for Women!

WCS
Self care for coaches is our theme for WCS 2019. Self care involves many aspects including social support. Check out Girls’ Night In, the popular self-care newsletter. Girls’ Night In was built on the belief that as our lives get busier, the more important it is to take a break and chill out. With mental health issues rising and rates of loneliness increasing in a society that’s “always on,” we believe that taking a break and cultivating friendships is a crucial part of what wellness means for women, whether that means getting in some “me time” with a good book or rounding up friends for a fun girls’ night in.

Professor Alison Doherty added to WCS

Doherty
Dr. Alison Doherty is a Professor with the Sport Management program in the School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. She also volunteers as an Assistant Coach with the Western Mustangs Track & Field Team, a varsity program she has been involved with for most of the past 29 years. Read more about Dr. Doherty here.

Her session at the WCS will focus on the development of social capital for women coaches, through both bonding and bridging connections with other coaches, support staff and stakeholders, and its impact on women’s attitudes and action in the coaching environment. 

Happy National Women & Girls in Sport Day!!!

ngwsd
National Girls & Women in Sports Day is marked annually with events around the country and on Capitol Hill to commemorate the achievements of girls and women in athletics. In addition,
it is an important day to promote the continued expansion of opportunities for girls and women to play sports and live physically active lives. Our 2019 theme is “Lead Her Forward”, to honor the many ways that sports push girls and women to achieve excellence and realize their
boundless potential. The Women’s Sports Foundation applauds the vital role played by the individuals and organizations championing girls and women in sports: advocates seeking to protect Title IX and advance gender equity, athletes using their powerful example to inspire
greatness, and coaches working daily to unlock girls’ limitless capabilities.

Every day is girls and women in sports day at The Tucker Center!

Call to Mind

Check out MPR's Call to Mind.

MENTAL WELLBEING IS FOR EVERYONE (including coaches!!!)

All of us experience various levels of mental wellbeing at different points in our life. Half of us will personally experience at least one mental health condition in our lifetime. And yet misconception and discrimination still exist, causing people to feel shame, suffer in silence and either not seek or be able to access treatment.

The time is now to move forward and address mental health. Call to Mind aims to inform and mobilize new conversations about mental health.

The Tucker Team will present latest research at WCS

tucker team 2
Tucker Center Director LaVoi and The Tucker Team, Anna Baeth, Courtney Boucher, Mikinzee Salo & McKenzie Arbeiter, will deliver an afternoon WCS session "You are Not Alone, POWER UP!: How to use the Latest Data About and for Women Coaches." This session will be informative and applicable for everyone who wants to create change...andloves data! We will share information from the latest Women in Coaching Report Card Series©, supports for women coaches, and how to enlist and hold male allies accountable in the recruitment, hiring and retention of women coaches..and more! 

Watch our new documentary about women coaches!

Game On
While there has been an explosion of women participating in athletics since Title IX, only about 40% of them are coached by women. "Game On: Women Can Coach" explores the supporting research, dispels false narratives about women coaches and celebrates female coaching pioneers. This film marks the third collaboration between tptMN and the Tucker Center.

The film features championship women coaches at every level, including two of the 2019 WCS Speakers, WNBA Championship MN Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve and MSHSL Hall of Fame  and eight time state tournament championship Basketball Coach, Faith Johnson Patterson. It also features Tucker Center Director, Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi and WeCOACH Executive Director, Megan Kahn and many others who have spoken at and attended the WCS! Their stories are the stories of all women coaches who face barriers in the occupational landscape of the coaching profession to do what they are good at, passionate about and who desire to make a difference in and through sport.

Watch the 50mn "Game On: Women Can Coach" film and be inspired.

Speaker Lynn Comer Kachmarik

Lynn Comer Kachmarik
Lynn Comer Kachmarik, Founder and CEO of True Brand Sports LLC, brings her year sof experience as an athletic administrator, former coach and Hall of Fame water polo athlete to the WCS. She will give a workshop of social-emotional wellbeing using Equilibria in Sports which harnesses the understanding of both personality and character to enhance communication, and elevate performance and effectiveness. Read Lynn's bio here.