The world of sport has been a male dominated domain for many years in many disciplines. Throughout the last few years, progress has been made in providing more opportunities for women in sport. However, with that being said, there is still a long way to go in reaching gender equality in sport, as most areas remain male dominated.

In many national sport organizations and leagues there is one common theme; a male only coaching staff. Most recently however, the tides are changing. This past month, the San Francisco Giants took the first step in integrating women into the MLB and making history. The Giants named Alyssa Nakken as part of their coaching staff, becoming the first ever female coach in the league. Recently in the sporting world, there has been some similar cases to that of Nakken. Katie Sowers, for example, in the NFL, is an offensive assistant with the San Francisco 49ers.

Although this is a great step towards change, there is still a question to be asked. Why is there a lack of female coaches? Research has suggested that often times, women feel they have to prove themselves in the coaching world. These individuals often report having to work much harder to gain the respect of their athletes as a women. Undoubtedly, this affects the willingness of women to become coaches and continue coaching. So, what other steps need to be taken to create even more opportunity and work towards a future for women in coaching?

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Featured image: Alyssa Nakken, who has made history with the San Francisco Giants becoming the first female coach in the league. (Source: cbc.ca)