Recruiting and retaining female college swim coaches

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the factors that affect the recruitment and retainment of females as NCAA Division I head swim coaches. By determining factors that influence women to become coaches, and examining the reasons they stay or leave the career, the researcher hopes to provide information which could help make a decision to become a coach. Actual female college swim coaches were surveyed using the researcher's own survey. The survey technique was non-probability, purposeful sampling with N=30 coaches voluntarily participating in the study. The coaches in this study have an average of 10.5 years experience as Division I women's swim coach. They participated in age group swimming for an average 7.8 years, 61 % swam four years in high school and college. They all have a bachelor's degree but the specific degree does not seem to be imperative. It appears that pursuing a master's degree might be necessary as 61 % had obtained this level of higher education.Stressors to women were listed as recruiting, time required, stress on family, team performance, dealing with athletes, paperwork, and administrative duties, respectively. Job satisfaction was determined to be very high, with over 74% of coaches ranking their overall satisfaction as high. Factors that affected reasons to coach were ranked as: (1) to help women achieve athletic goals, (2) to remain in competitive athletics, (3) to work with talented athletes, (4) travel, (5) structure of the job/duties, and (6) flexibility of schedule.Coaching experience was varied. Only one participant did not have experience as a club coach, over half had been graduate assistant coaches, and all but two participants were assistant college coaches before becoming head coaches. This trend in previous coaching experience seems to be necessary to securing a Division I position.Findings indicate that participation in the sport is a motivation to become a coach; obtaining a head coaching job depends upon a post secondary educational level of at least a masters degree, a ladder of job experience coaching from the age group level to high school to assistant coaching in college, and several years participation in the sport of the individual; and that job satisfaction and longevity is primarily determined by stressors such as time required and lack of free time.