The Female Coaching Network (FCN), the world’s leading organisation dedicated to empowering female coaches, has announced a partnership with UK Athletics (UKA) to drive positive change in how athletics coaches are recruited, developed, and retained for Great Britain & Northern Ireland international teams.
This collaboration is part of the global project Advancing Female Coaches in International Athletics: Systemic Change Starts With Selection, led by FCN and supported by the International Athletics Foundation, Professor Leanne Norman, and the Women’s International Athletics Coaching Forum.
The project aims to establish fair and transparent staff selection processes that prioritise athlete needs, while increasing opportunities and representation for female coaches worldwide.
Together, FCN and UKA will develop a new standard for coach recruitment by professionalising selection policies, building on UKA’s existing best practices, and collaborating with key stakeholders to create a strategic, sustainable framework within high-performance athletics.
Member Federations from across the globe will also be invited to participate, further extending the project’s impact worldwide.
“This partnership is an opportunity to build on UKA’s strong foundations in staff selection and demonstrate how transparent, athlete-centered processes can transform our sport. Female coaches remain vastly underrepresented on the world stage, yet their impact is clear and vital. By working with the Female Coaching Network, UKA is showing real leadership — proving that change is not only possible, but essential for the future of athletics.”
Vicky Huyton, Founder of the FCN – Cover photo courtesy of FCN
