Program Will Create Robust Pipeline of Women Sailing Instructors at the Highest Levels
BRISTOL, R.I. (July 30, 2024) — US Sailing has launched the Women’s Coaching Pathway, a pioneering program designed to elevate female coaches to the pinnacle of coaching and competition in the United States. Preliminary funding for the Women’s Coaching Pathway was generously provided by Mary Lattimore, whose mother, Glenn Lattimore, was a pioneering female sailor and trustee for the Charles Frances Adams Cup.“With the first round of funding secured, this initiative aims to develop a robust ecosystem of female coaches in the high-performance space,” said Blaine Pedlow, Director of Development at US Sailing.
Key areas of focus include Recruiting and Retention, Training and Education, and Program Leadership.
The Women’s Coaching Pathway is aligned with a new initiative from World Sailing to encourage more women to participate in every part of the sport. As Paris 2024 is the first Olympics with equal male and female participation, this plan continues the momentum by outlining a vision for how the sport will look by 2032. Additionally, the program encourages experienced female athletes to remain active in the sport, contributing their expertise as high-level coaches and leaders after their competitive careers.
Expanding the development of female coaches, US Sailing recently appointed Rosie Chapman as the Olympic Development Program Manager. In addition to her performance goals within the ODP, Chapman will mentor and recruit female coaches for the ODP and Olympic spaces.
“This gift has allowed us in the short term to hire high-level female coaches at both the youth and Olympic development level,” said Chapman. “In the future we will run more coach development opportunities. My goal is to have more female coaches through the US Sailing pathway, as we have a massive pool of talent and just need to connect those sailors with the right opportunities.”
With the help of Chapman and Youth Performance Manager, Phil Muller, the United States team recently featured a female-forward coaching staff at the 2024 Youth Sailing World Championships in Lake Garda, Italy – bringing home three bronze medals.
“Our predominantly female team of top-tier coaches was an integral part of our success at Youth Worlds,” says Muller. “The young female sailors competing in the event were given the opportunity to receive both coaching and mentorship from women leaders in the sport, leading to three young women across two classes earning medals in Italy. Our triumphs at Youth Worlds shows the Women’s Coaching Pathway at work, demonstrating great promise for the future of women coaches in sailing.”
Muller highlighted the importance of high-quality coaches in saying, “As coaches, we support our young athletes through benchmark moments that have lasting impact on who they will become as adults and future leaders,” he shared. “I don’t want to simplify things into male or female because it’s much deeper than that, but I want to acknowledge that our coaching team this year gave so much love to our kids and created space to allow them to learn from mistakes and try at taking their best next step.”
To provide training and on-the-job education, the pathway provides substantial funding opportunities for female coaches at US Sailing. This summer, numerous events and clinics have enjoyed support from pathways coaches, including the Youth Worlds, US Youth Championships, and the Junior Women’s Championships.
Furthering its commitment to training and education in the Women’s Coaching Pathway, US Sailing has partnered with People Academy to deliver leadership development to coaches across the Olympic and Youth Performance programs.
Ten coaches, half of whom are female, will engage in a two-month program based in part on the USOPC’s National Team Coach Leadership Development Program (NTCLEP). This program focuses on self-awareness and the development of interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. Participants will complete pre-work, attend four group webinar sessions, and provide post-course feedback to shape the future of US Sailing’s High-Performance Coach Program.
To learn more about the expansion of coaching and sailing leadership opportunities for women in the US, please contact Blaine Pedlow.
“By supporting US Sailing’s Women’s Coaching Pathway, you will join a movement dedicated to developing an outstanding cohort of female coaches at the highest levels of competition,” says Pedlow.
Media Contact
Eliza Garry | Marketing Communications Manager at US Sailing
