Women in Coaching

Letter from “Mitch” (aka Lizzie Mitchell)

It’s rare that you are given a platform to fully express your passion; and yet that is exactly what this space has become for me (thank you Peter). I was fortunate enough to grow up around some very strong female coaches. They had and still have pure passion for women supporting women through the platform of sport. It took me a while to realize just how lucky I was to grow up with those women. There are too many young athletes that don’t ever get the opportunity to be coached by a woman, resulting in many young girls to stop sport completely.

My goal with this space and this community is to prevent that from happening. I aim to use this platform to gain more support from others and to give as much support as I can. My hope is that we, as women and non-binary individuals in coaching, will continue to show up and show face so that we have a seat at the table and a voice in the conversation.

Over the past year, we have hosted bi-monthly zoom calls to do just that. Each call we have an “expert” join us and talk about different areas of interest within the sport of rowing and beyond. Topics we have covered include women coaching men, job and salary negotiations, rigging, and the female athlete body. I am excited to expand and continue to delve into areas that you all feel are important to discuss.

Please have a seat at the table, the conversation has only just begun.

Sincerely,
Mitch