Taking the Lead: Strategies and Solutions from Female Coaches, a joint initiative of the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) and the University of Alberta Press, is an extensive and frank exploration by leaders in women's coaching of the values women bring to the coaching profession.
The issues covered in Taking the Lead include the quest for equal access; ways career aspirations and motherhood are juggled; how to negotiate contracts; communicating with clarity; mentorship; and encounters with homophobia, harassment, and bullying. Also identified are the challenges to progress and essential changes that need to be made.
As Taking the Lead editor Sheila Robertson noted in the Preface: “We hope that the readers of this book will be inspired by the personal stories, disturbed by the realities, encouraged by the recommendations, and challenged to join in addressing and correcting the issues.”
“Taking the Lead provides strategies and solutions for women in any leadership position,” says Sheilagh Croxon, publisher of the Canadian Journal for Women in Coaching and consultant to CAC's Women in Coaching (WiC) program. “I encourage anyone who aspires to create organizational excellence to read the wisdom contained in this book.”
The authors of Taking the Lead are among Canada's top thinkers and advocates in women in coaching and include Dr. Guylaine Demers, a professor at the Department of Physical Education of Laval University; Dr. Hilary Findlay, an associate professor in the Department of Sport Management at Brock University and a co-founder and director of the Centre for Sport and Law; Dr. Gretchen Kerr, a professor in the Faculty of Physical Education and Health at the University of Toronto; Dr. Dru Marshall, deputy provost at the University of Alberta; Rose Mercier, a consultant in leadership development and organizational transition; Dr. Penny Werthner, a professor at the University of Ottawa's School of Human Kinetics; Sheila Robertson, editor of the Canadian Journal for Women in Coaching; Dr. Diane Culver, an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa's School of Human Kinetics; Bettina Callary and Shaunna Taylor, PHD candidates at the University of Ottawa; and Dawn-Marie Sharp, who holds a Master of Arts in Coaching from the University of Alberta.
“CAC believes that Taking the Lead presents powerful arguments regarding the essential role female coaches can and should be playing to improve coaching in Canada,” says CAC CEO John Bales. “Through WiC, we are committed to developing and maintaining the partnerships, networks, resources, and strategies that are essential to increasing the numbers of female coaches and retaining women in the coaching field.”
Linda Cameron, director of the University of Alberta Press, says “Taking the Lead is a must-read book for sports organizations, leaders and educators, athletes and parents, researchers in sport and gender studies, and politicians and policy makers.”
About CAC
The Coaching Association of Canada is a not-for-profit amateur sport organization with the mission of enhancing the experiences of all Canadian athletes through quality coaching. CAC and its partners deliver a leading-edge coaching system whose goal is to have an impact on 1,000,000 athletes through the training of 100,000 coaches each year in the National Coaching Certification Program. Visit coach.ca for more information about coach education and training.
About CAC's Women in Coaching program
The Women in Coaching program is a national campaign to increase the number of coaching opportunities for women at all levels of sport. Since 1987, women coaches across Canada have benefited from professional development grants, NTAP grants, and National Coaching Institute scholarships. The program also develops resources for women coaches including the Canadian Journal for Women in Coaching. Visit Women in Coaching for program details.
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For more information, contact:
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Sheilagh Croxon
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Britany Gordon |