USA Swimming today announced the inaugural Women Coaches in Governance program, developed by women coach leaders in our sport, geared towards identifying, educating, supporting and mentoring women coaches who wish to be more involved in organizational governance. Its mission is to unite and empower women swim coaches who can help drive the program towards inclusivity and activation of women in swimming leadership.
Although women coaches make up the largest non-athlete registered demographic group in USA Swimming, females have the least representation on Local Swimming Committee (LSC) boards. Pulling current data from SWIMS, out of the 121 LSC General Chairs and Admin Vice Chairs positions filled, only 36 are held by females regardless of coaching status. When looking at the 62 total positions held by coaches of any gender, only 19 are women. The Women in Governance fellowship will directly address these discrepancies of women voices in government.
“In looking at the landscape of women coaches in governance, a group of us noticed we have much more representation on the national level than in some LSCs,” said Allison Beebe, one of the women coaches who worked with USA Swimming to launch this program. “We spent two years researching and talking with other coaches to help create a program which helps unite and empower women coaches at the LSC governance level.”
The program will include a 10-week course and a year-long fellowship, both of which will begin at the start of the new season in September. In addition, all coaches who are accepted into this program are encouraged to attend the 2023 USA Swimming Workshop presented by LiveBarn in April 2023*.
Each LSC will have the opportunity to nominate one coach for this program.
To qualify for nomination, coaches must:
- Identify as a woman;
- Have a minimum of five years of coaching experience;
- Have one year or less of governance work within the organization;
- Be available to attend the 2023 USA Swimming Workshop presented by LiveBarn;
- Be a current USA Swimming coach member in good standing.
The 10-week course will meet on Tuesday’s from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET. Topics will include:
- September 13, 2022 – Why We Need You in Governance
- September 20, 2022 – How to Take Ownership of Being the Only Female in the Room
- September 27, 2022 – Career Growth and Development
- October 4, 2022 – Learning from Female Officials
- October 11, 2022 – Business 101
- October 18, 2022 – Female Head Coaches
- October 25, 2022 – LSC Governance and Structure
- November 1, 2022 – USA Swimming Committees and Working Groups
- November 8, 2022 – Career Reflections
- November 15, 2022 – Course Wrap-Up and What is Next
Nominations are now open and will close August 15, 2022.
Learn more by visiting the USA Swimming website here.
*Costs for the USA Swimming Workshop presented by LiveBarn are encouraged to be covered by the LSC.