Women in Sport launches new image library to celebrate women in coaching
Published
We’ve created a first-of-its-kind Women in Coaching Image Library to champion and celebrate female sports coaches.
The library contains hundreds of epic images, captured by photographer Suze Eyles, showing female coaches from across sport and the value women bring to coaching every day.
The work, which is part of the Women’s Coaching Taskforce, aims to give female coaches more visibility so helping to normalise the skill, leadership and impact that women can have in coaching roles.
The images (which are free for Sport England system partners) are available on our website and will help to redefine what it looks like to be a great coach.
The issue isn’t women. It’s the system
We all know female coaches play a vital role in sport. They bring technical expertise, strong leadership and the lived experience that helps women and girls feel that they belong.
Yet in 2026, women are still undervalued and underrepresented in coaching. Our research has found that 30% of female coaches report being bullied (twice as many as male coaches), and are 18% less likely to say their opinions are heard and respected.
Despite good intentions, many approaches still focus on ‘fixing the women’, encouraging resilience, confidence or aspiration, rather than improving the conditions that make it harder for women to enter and stay in coaching. The issue is not women’s capability; it is the system they work within.
Women already have the knowledge, skills and experience needed to be great coaches, and these photographs celebrate exactly that.
See the exhibition in Manchester – open until 9th October
Last week, we celebrated the launch of our photo exhibition, ‘What Makes a great Coach’ at Manchester’s Central Library alongside friends from across the sports sector.
The exhibition is free to the public and open until 9th October. If you’re in Manchester, we’d love you to see the images at full scale.
Speaking at the event, Yasmin Clarke, an elite tennis coach who helped curate the exhibition, described the qualities at the heart of coaching: “A great coach knows the sport, knows the person, and stands beside them.” These themes are present throughout the image library and act as a reminder of the importance of diversity within coaching roles.
Reflecting on the importance of representation and visibility in coaching, Stephanie Hilborne OBE, Chief Executive of Women in Sport, said: “Having female coaches in sport is a vital part of letting girls dream. It shows girls that women belong in positions of influence and leadership, and ensures girls have someone in their corner who understand their experiences in sport.”
The need to create more opportunities for women in coaching was echoed by Jon Norfolk MBE, Head Coach for GB Cycling, who spoke about the role organisations can play in supporting progress. He said: “As a man supporting women in coaching, organisations like Women in Sport provide best practices, help me articulate my thoughts and give me permission to make mistakes. Let’s not be afraid to dream. Let’s not stop dreaming about what might look impossible today, but might be possible in ten years time.”
This project is part of the Women in Coaching Taskforce supported by Sport England.
