In the October issue of the Canadian Journal for Women in Coaching, authors Alixandra Krahn, Parissa Safai, and Michele Donnelly tackle a perennial dilemma that puzzles and disturbs women at the higher levels of sport, not only in Canada but throughout much of the world: Where are the women coaches?

Undeniably the growth of girls and women in sport is unprecedented and unstoppable in virtually every sphere. They compete in virtually equal numbers at every major athletic competition, they excel in every sport imaginable, they are leaders in technical innovation, their research is outstanding, and they are trailblazing leaders of powerful sport organizations. For the latter, I think of the Coaching Association of Canada’s CEO Lorraine Lafrenière who is also president of the International Council of Coaching Excellence; Anne Merklinger, the long-time leader of Own the Podium; Karen O’Neill, who heads the Canadian Paralympic Committee, and of course, Kirsty Coventry, the first woman president of the International Olympic Committee.

Despite plentiful examples of inspirational role models, women continue to be chronically absent from sport coaching leadership with those persistently few exceptions mentioned above.

That’s just the way it is”: Exploring the Emotional Labour and Emotion Work of Women High-Performance Sport Coaches makes clear that the demands of the profession are many and complex, particularly for women as they painstakingly explain. In examining “working realities”, the authors explore how, in many situations, women coaches are required to manage the emotions of others – not only their athletes, but also their peers, employers, and boards - while simultaneously regulating their own emotional responses. This is an area that has received scant attention until now, but its importance cannot be underestimated. The authors argue persuasively: … distinguishing between emotional labour and emotion work is necessary to more fully understand the scope of this often-invisible work and how it is experienced, valued, and recognized—or overlooked—within and beyond the formal sport coaching workplace.

They build a compelling case and buttress their argument with pragmatic recommendations rightly taking aim at the very organizations which employ women coaches. As noted above, the situation has long puzzled and disturbed. If sport is to attract and retain women coaches and guarantee them a healthy and positive working environment, surely meaningful change should be an immediate priority. If only …  — Sheila Robertson, Journal Editor.

The views expressed in the articles of the Canadian Journal for Women in Coaching are those of the authors and do not reflect the policies of the Coaching Association of Canada.