A systematic review investigating mentorship programmes for women in coaching and leadership roles in sport

Mentoring plays a critical role in the advancement of gender equity within sport, by addressing the underrepresentation of women in coaching and leadership roles. Women coaches face myriad of barriers within every organisational and administrative facet of sport. A systematic review was conducted to examine how mentorship supports and advances women in sport coaching and leadership. Following the PICo framework and the PRISMA guidelines for a systematic review, twelve articles were identified after undergoing a rigorous process for quality appraisal and inclusion. The review was framed utilising LaVoi and Dutove's (2012) Ecological Model which provided a powerful lens into understanding how individual, interpersonal, organisational and societal factors intersect, influencing the opportunities and challenges women encounter in coaching roles. A key finding was that mentorship is increasingly recognised as a valuable strategy for the professional advancement of women coaches as well as addressing gender disparities within the coaching profession. Mentorship facilitates career development, expands professional pathways, enhances networking opportunities and ultimately serves as a strategic tool for increasing the representation of women in coaching roles. The implementation of mentorship programmes is influenced by various factors including institutional support, financial disparities and resource accessibility. Future studies should focus on these underlying factors within sport federations that are currently implementing or seeking to implement mentorship programmes. Additionally, research examining mentorship and gender equity in coaching remains disproportionality focused on the Global North, with limited scholarly output from the Global South.