Improving the coaching pipeline problem

There are 68 teams that will compete in the 2026 College Division 1 Basketball Championship, with about half having a man as head coach. It was over 50 years ago when the USA enacted the Title IX law to boost women’s sports, but more time apparently is needed for women to be coached by women.

Better balance is an initiative of the International Olympic Committee, and though the Paris 2024 Olympics had equal numbers of male and female athletes, only about 1 in 5 coaches were women. While US Sailing holds a National Coaching Symposium to upskill all attendees, the Olympic singlehander ILCA Class wants to do more.

The first Women Sailing Coaches Clinic is designed exclusively for women coaches active in ILCA sailing and will focus on ILCA coaching methodologies and race analysis, racing rules, boat measurement, physical conditioning, and athlete psychology. For details, click here.