Morningside‘s Tammie Lauritsen has been selected to take part in the National ‘She Can Coach’ Program, an initiative designed to develop women’s coaching skills and create a network of female coaches at all levels of the game.
Rise in Number of Female Coaches
Lauritsen’s selection comes on the heels of major growth in women’s coaching in recent years. The rise in popularity of women’s and girls’ football following the introduction of the AFLW in 2017 has led to a significant increase in the number of female coaches — with more than 2,000 registered across the country. More and more state leagues also appoint female coaches in their program.
Most notably, there are now nine women coaching boys and girls in the Coates Talent League, up from zero last year.
National She Can Coach Program and Other Initiatives
In July, the AFL and BHP launched the third annual Women’s Coaching Month. Both an opportunity and a celebration, it heralds the contribution of female coaches and encourages growth in the field.
In addition to the National She Can Coach Program, other key programs to grow women’s coaching include the Women’s Coach Acceleration Program, which has co-funded nine full-time AFLW positions, and the BHP Community Coach of the Year Award.
“There is a lot of work to be done to continue to build women and girls coaching in Australian football,” said Nicole Livingstone, AFL GM of Women’s Football. “The significant progress made and sharp focus we have in this space has given us a really strong foundation.”
The AFL deems that increasing the number of female coaches is a key part of growing the women’s game. Lauritsen’s selection is another step forward in bringing more female voices to the game.
Published 08 August 2023