Despite progressing levels of female participation in sport, women remain underrepresented in coaching roles. This study analyses the experiences of 21 female coaches from Snowsport England to explore the barriers and supports they experience and to shed light on possible reasons for their under-representation in snow sport coaching. A multi-level approach is applied, along with a critical feminist perspective. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were utilised for data collection and a thematic analysis (NVivo) was applied. Barriers encountered include: low perceived self-efficacy; family commitments; lack of female role models, limited mentoring and networking opportunities; lack of respect; zero-hour contracts and low pay. Supports include: athletic and coaching experience; strong intrinsic motivation; supportive family and work environments such as colleagues and informal networks. The data indicates barriers outweigh supports, which are underpinned by structures of gender, as stereotypical beliefs about women`s abilities seem to permeate many of the coaches` lived experiences.
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