The Sports Agents Is having a female coach in the Premier League the holy grail?
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Jan 22, 2026 In this insightful discussion, Jess Thirlby, Head Coach of England Netball, and Paula Dunn, Former International Sprinter and Performance Director at UK Athletics, tackle the ongoing challenges for female coaches. They highlight alarming rates of bullying and the need for a supportive culture. Jess shares how netball remains female-focused despite systemic bias, while Paula discusses the importance of representation and visibility. They also explore whether coaching in the Premier League should be considered the ultimate goal and how a diverse coaching staff enhances team performance.
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Retention, Not Just Recruitment
- The Women in Sport study found female coaches feel far less heard, valued and respected than male coaches.
- Retention of women, not just recruitment, is the critical systemic issue to fix first.
Childcare Load Limits Coaching Time
- Paula Dunn described juggling childcare, household duties and unpaid grassroots coaching after retiring as an athlete.
- She highlighted bringing her son to sessions and leaning on family support to make coaching sustainable.
Make Grassroots Coaching Viable
- Normalise paying and supporting coaches at grassroots to make coaching a viable career choice.
- Tackle vocational assumptions that women should accept unpaid roles and provide pathways to paid positions.