If you’ve been watching the FIBA world cup women’s basketball tournament this week, you might have noticed something on the sidelines.
Just four of the sixteen teams have women head coaches — Australia, Czechia, Nigeria and the United States.
In the world of women’s sports — where there is so much emphasis on protecting female players from having to compete against male players on the court — few people seem bothered that men continue to usurp women in sideline roles on virtually every national team around the world.
And, not parentheically, the greatest threat to women athletes historically has been gtom male coaches.
The gender imbalance among coaches reaches down the bench. Five of the teams in the tournament in Berlin have entirely male coaching staffs. No team has an all female staff.
Of the sixteen first assistant coaches, just three are women.
The only place where women outnumber men is as an “accompanying coach,” the lowest level of personnel on the bench who, by FIBA definitions, are allowed on the bench to serve “functional” roles as assistants, team managers, physios and statisticians.
Of the 51 coaches listed on FIBA rosters, 60% are men
That’s an utter disgrace.
Lest you think the coach’s nationality matters in an international tournament, it doesn’t. American Corey Gaines is coaching Japan and American Mike Thibault is coaching Belgium.
And if you think there aren’t enough women to fill these posts, you’re just not paying attention.
Women are more than qualified to coach these teams. There are any number who would have been delighted to step up and establish their bona fides by leading a national team through this prestigious tournament.
The United States is the most female forward coaching staff in Berlin.
The US is Led by Kara Lawson, the head coach at Duke, and first assistant coach Stephanie White, the head coach of the Indiana Fever. The accompanying coaches are Natalie Nakase, head coach of the Golden State Valkyries; Nate Tibbets, head coach of the Phoenix Mercury; and Jose Fernandez, head coach of the Dallas Wings.