Women in Coaching Assembly 2026

Coaches, senior leaders and system partners from across Olympic, Paralympic and professional sport came together at Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum for the second annual Women in Coaching Assembly.

UK Sport hosted the event in partnership with the UK Sports Institute and UK Coaching, building on the momentum of the inaugural Assembly in 2025.

A central focus of the day was moving beyond individual stories towards a collective understanding of the challenges women face in coaching – and a coordinated commitment to action across the system. Attendees shared case studies from their own environments, highlighting how employment conditions, organisational culture, development pathways, and environments of safety, trust and belonging shape progression.

Research exploring these themes was brought to life through a powerful scripted scene performed by actors from Real Scenes, sparking honest and thoughtful discussion.

Esme Matthew, Head of Physiology at the UKSI, was part of the organising team and reflected on the Assembly: “It was inspiring to see so many women coaches come together for our second Women in Coaching Assembly, surrounded by colleagues who are genuinely invested in their success.”

“I loved having the opportunity to bring the research to life, and it was energising to hear about the positive, practical steps sports are taking to create sustainable change.

“As part of our partnership with UK Sport and UK Coaching, the UKSI is proud to be working collaboratively to strengthen learning and development across the system.

“The collective commitment shown at the assembly is helping build real momentum for improving opportunities for women in high‑performance coaching.”