Sociology professor Michael Messner, of the University of Southern California, is asking this question in an academic journal and a new book called It's All for the Kids: Gender, Families, and Youth Sports (University of California Press). Messner and co-author Suzel Bozada-Deas researched baseball and soccer teams over an 8-year period and found that very few had female coaches (13% for soccer, 6% for baseball). Those few female coaches were concentrated almost entirely on teams for little kids (under 8 years old).
Messner theorizes that women face a sort of "glass ceiling" when it comes to coaching. They are not invited to participate and when they do, they are segregated into the traditional female role of "team mom" (ever hear of a "team dad"?). Take the poll and see if your experience matches up with Messner's research. Beg to differ? Please leave a comment!
I have neither the skills nor the inclination.
Furthermore, I do so much vis a vis child care, that were there to be a need for a parent to participate in a sports activity, I’d volunteer the husband as a way of forcing his involvement in her life. I suspect I’m not alone in that. Plus, if you’re looking at a weekend event and a traditional daddy works/mommy doesn’t family, lots of daddies will want to step up and volunteer…
I know that women should be eager to break down any and all barriers, but all I can think of is how happy most moms would be to send the kids off with dad for a few hours!
I have to agree with both of the previous comments. That’s Daddy/Daughter time in my household. I can’t tell you how much they both look forward to it too.