Abstract
ABSTRACT
Purpose. As women continually face mistreatment and bias within male-saturated industries such as collegiate athletics, they also continue to succeed and break through
barriers to challenge the norms within their roles. The purpose of this phenomenological
study was to explore the career journeys of highly successful female head coaches in
NCAA Division III volleyball programs and to identify characteristics of elite female
leadership.
Theoretical Framework. The theoretical framework of this study was framed by Feminist Theory as a blueprint for understanding each participant’s career journey, and to
determine key characteristics of head coaching through pathways and stories. The use of
the Feminist Theory allowed the participants to share their concrete experiences and
assume ownership of the voice or narrative within them. Utilizing the theoretical
framework, the phenomenological approach to this study pieced together a personal
narrative and in-depth examination of the career journeys of each participant; shedding
light on the essential qualities they attributed to their successes as head coaches in NCAA
Division III collegiate volleyball.
Methodology. The phenomenological research study design was used to describe individual experiences as the participants revisited them, allowing for rich storytelling
and detailed accounting of the shared phenomenon of being a highly successful NCAA
Division III Women’s volleyball coach.
Findings and Conclusion. Girls who play sports become women who lead. The importance of female representation, mentorship, advocacy, and leadership is paramount
to the success of young women everywhere, but especially in male-saturated
environments such as collegiate athletics. The characteristics of successful female NCAA
Division III head women’s volleyball coaches are multifaced, and women specifically
shine in the areas of resilience, commitment to growth, leadership, passion, and
advocacy.
Recommendations. Additional studies could examine other levels of the NCAA, the NAIA, or Junior/Community Colleges. Future research could explore other collegiate
sports to discover shared characteristics. Finally, additional research may also include an
in depth look at the hiring practices of NCAA institutions to examine if gender plays any
role in position attainment.