TicketsJune 3, 2011
CINCINNATI - University of Cincinnati Director of Golf and head women's golf coach Janet Carl has taken her skill and expertise outside the scope of the UC Department of Athletics after being named to the Board of Coaches within the new Alliance of Women's Coaches. The Alliance, which is not sport-specific, will serve as a resource for women who are either currently coaching or aspire to break into the coaching ranks.
The Alliance is an outgrowth of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy, which has produced more than 700 graduates in more than 22 academies since its inception in 2003. The academies educate coaches beyond sport-specific techniques, teaching them about management skills, communication strategies and career development.
The organization was formed because of the increased demand for more educational and networking opportunities, in addition to the results of a recent survey, which indicated that 98 percent of NCAA Women Coaches Academy graduates desired a forum to keep them connected with their peers.
The Alliance's four areas of focus are advocacy, growth, mentoring and support for women coaches and those pursuing careers in coaching. It aims to complement the technical skill development provided by sport specific organizations, with a focus on everything from a to z - except for the x's and o's.
Additionally, it hopes to reverse the declining number of women serving as head coaches. The recently released 2009-10 Race and Gender Demographics Report for NCAA members indicated a drop in the percentage of female head coaches coaching women's teams. Only 39.5 percent of women's teams currently had a female coach, the lowest percentage in history. Today, less than 20 percent of all head coaches for both men's and women's teams are female. In 1972, 90 percent of women's college teams were coached by women.
Carl is joined by representatives from all three divisions of the NCAA, high school and community programs, in addition to a board of advisors comprised of an array of female sports professionals.
An individual charter membership for the Alliance of Women's Coaches is $99, and institutional memberships are available starting today at www.GoCoaches.org. The Alliance website also features a database of career opportunities, even calendar, membership director, resource center with information on legal and Title IX issues and social media access.