Taking the Lead: Strategies and Solutions for Female Coaches

Published July 10, 2010

Hilary Findlay recently wrote a chapter on contracts for coaches in an edited book about women in sport called “Taking the Lead: Strategies and Solutions from Female coaches”. The book has been described as “ground-breaking” by the Coaches Association of Canada. Here is a description of the book from Amazon.ca:

"In an extensive and frank exploration, leaders in women's coaching discuss the values women bring to the coaching profession, their quest for equal access, ways career aspirations and motherhood are juggled, how to negotiate contracts, and encounters with homophobia, harassment, and bullying. They also identify the challenges to progress and highlight the essential changes that need to be made. This volume will be of interest to sports organizations, leaders, and educators; athletes and parents; researchers in sports and gender studies; and politicians and policy makers. Women in leadership roles in business, public service, education, and their communities will find the wisdom contained in Taking the Lead readily transferable to their respective arenas."

Hilary's chapter focuses on the contractual needs of coaches. She first explains the necessity for any coach, whether volunteer or paid, to have some form of contract. Hilary draws upon two Canadian surveys which explored the working relationships of coaches and the nature of their current contracts, to explain how to build an effective and appropriate contract. The types of working relationships in which coaches might engage are identified, and the elements of a contract that are most appropriate in each type of relationship are listed. Hilary also explains necessary clauses in different types of contracts and the underlying rationale for each clause.

Hilary’s chapter provides an essential resource for coaches who want to ensure they are well protected in their working (or volunteer) relationship, and who want to understand the type of contract they need to reflect the nature of their coaching relationship.

Originally published: Centre for Sport and Law Newsletter (2010) Vol. 6(3)