Gender and Coaching: Analysis of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Coaches' Discourse

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to gain insight into the language being used by Division III coaches. This study looked at patterns of discourse among Division III coaches, how those discourses were gendered, conscious choices that were being made by Division III coaches, and if Division III coaches perceived whether their coaching style aligned with their actual coaching discourse. Due to an increase in cross-gender coaching in collegiate athletics and a lack of research regarding the influence that gender has on coaching discourses, this research is pertinent to the future of college athletics. Six Division III coaches were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Each coach then participated in two coaching session analyses in which their language was recorded during an authentic coaching session. Practice sessions, games, and scrimmages were considered authentic coaching sessions. Transcripts were produced from the audio recordings and discourse analysis was conducted. Using Gee’s (2005) seven building tasks supplemented by Connell’s (1985) Hegemonic Masculinity Theory, I identified several themes throughout Division III coaching discourse. I found that the Division III coaches in this study used their language to emphasize health, communication, and education. It was found that coaches embodied several identities, including motivator, disciplinarian, educator, and caregiver. Coaches also used language to initiate activities, to build relationships with their athletes, and to express their opinions. Although Division III coaches’ perceived communication approaches typically align with their actual coaching discourse, my findings show that problematic gendered language and hegemonic masculinity are prevalent in some Division III athletics programs