Upcoming Volleyball Tournament: Penn State vs. Louisville Decides First Female Team Leader's Victorious Coronation
Upcoming Volleyball Tournament: Penn State vs. Louisville Decides First Female Team Leader's Victorious Coronation
On Sunday, women's sports history will be made as the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship between Louisville and Penn State will, for the first time in its 43-year history, be won by a female head coach.
NCAA Division 1 Women’s Volleyball Championship details:
- Date: Sunday, Dec. 22
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- TV: ABC
Both finalists are embodying the transformation of collegiate volleyball leadership. Dani Busboom Kelly has turned Louisville into a dominating program with NCAA Tournament appearances in all eight seasons, while Katie Schumacher-Cawley has swiftly established herself at Penn State, reaching the Final Four in her third season. Dr. Janelle Wells, a former collegiate volleyball player and coach, highlighted the significance of this moment: "This isn't just a historical moment, we're witnessing historical transformative shifts in the realm of sport and leadership. As a former collegiate volleyball player and coach now shaping the next generation of sports leaders as a professor, 25 years ago I could only fantasize about the opportunities."
Since the championship's commencement in 1981, the trophy has been hoisted by male head coaches exclusively. The statistics unearth an intriguing tale; of the 43 previous championships, renowned coaches such as Russ Rose (7 titles), John Dunning (5 titles), and Don Shaw (4 titles) have monopolized the sport's pinnacle achievement. As Louisville's Dani Busboom Kelly and Penn State's Katie Schumacher-Cawley prepare to confront each other, this landmark victory incites both celebration and serious contemplation on the systematic obstacles that have obstructed women from seizing this triumph for over four decades.
The Pipeline Conundrum: A Numbers Game
The journey to leadership in collegiate volleyball exposes a worrying pattern of gender disparity. Across all three NCAA divisions, the proportion of female assistant coaches has depreciated since 2014, falling from 56.7% to a startling 49.4% during the 2017-2018 athletic season. The decrease in the proportion of female assistant coaches is of particular concern when compared to men's sports, where men command the majority of assistant coaching positions.
This disparity triggers a problematic pipeline issue. With fewer women in assistant coaching roles, the pool of competent candidates for head coaching positions naturally dwindles. Moreover, the data reveals a concerning trend when it comes to career advancement. Specifically, women assistant coaches have reported higher intentions to leave the profession than their male counterparts, often abandoning the field before ascending to the highest leadership positions. This turnover is often a result of what researchers have labeled destructive leadership environments and damaging workplace cultures that disproportionately influence women coaches.
The Institutional Barriers: Beyond the Numbers
The research paints a comparable disquieting picture when examining the institutional barriers women confront. Studies have identified that women in male gender-stereotyped professions, like coaching, often face penalties for their achievements, pointing out how women in leadership positions encounter unique challenges that their male peers do not endure. Within NCAA athletics, women coaches report undergoing significantly different treatment in critical career advancement areas. Research from the Women’s Sport Foundation has revealed that 65% of coaches believed men had an easier time securing top-level coaching positions, while 75% reported men had advantages in negotiating salary increases.
Furthermore, former research has shown that women assistant coaches frequently experience destructive leadership cultures, where traditional masculine leadership styles are favored and rewarded, despite there being no proof that these masculine styles lead to higher success rates. This creates a self-sustaining cycle where women either adapt to these masculine leadership norms or encounter career stagnation. Research has also indicated that even when women obtain assistant coaching positions, they rate lower than men regarding their intentions and attitudes toward securing head coaching roles in the future. This suggests that the barriers women face are impacting not only how they gain entry into the door but also in their ability to survive and flourish in environments that often prove hostile to their leadership styles and work-life priorities.
Looking Ahead
Sunday's championship could usher in an important transformation in collegiate athletics leadership. Research suggests that increasing the exposure of women in leadership roles can trigger a positive response loop, encouraging more women to pursue coaching careers and helping to dismantle traditional barriers. To build on this progress, specialists recommend several key areas of focus:
- Increased investment in women's sports at all levels
- Development of mentorship programs for female coaches
- Reform of hiring practices to eliminate gender bias
- Enhanced support systems for work-life balance
According to Dr. Wells, “To continue writing the tale, we need to pave the path of opportunities with women coaches at every level of play, with media producers advocating more, brands and partnership deals with volleyball athletes, coaches, teams, and leagues, former players picking up those balls again to coach or teach, and all of us bringing our kids, nieces/nephews, neighbors to attend the new professional women’s volleyball leagues.” Regardless of which team wins the women's volleyball championship this Sunday, women's sports will have achieved a long-due milestone - and the attention should now shift to ensuring this breakthrough represents just the beginning of a new era rather than an isolated achievement.
- Despite being in their third seasons with their respective teams, Katie Schumacher-Cawley from Penn State and Dani Busboom Kelly from Louisville have both reached the NCAA Division 1 Women's Volleyball Championship, challenging the tradition of male head coaches winning the national championship since its inception in 1981.
- In the world of women's sports, particularly volleyball, the pipeline to leadership roles is concerning with a decrease in the proportion of female assistant coaches since 2014, leading to fewer competent candidates for head coaching positions and higher turnover rates among women.
- As the NCAA Division 1 Women's Volleyball Championship between Louisville and Penn State on Sunday marks a historical moment, the spotlight shines on the institutional barriers women coaches face, including penalties for achievements, underrepresentation in top-level positions, and destructive leadership cultures that disproportionately impact women in male-stereotyped professions like coaching.
- With both finalists embodying the transformation of collegiate volleyball leadership, the glass ceiling in women's sports is being shattered, creating an opportunity to build on this progress with increased investment in women's sports, development of mentorship programs, reform of hiring practices, and enhanced support systems for work-life balance.
- As the women's volleyball championship serves as a celebratory moment for women's sports, the attention should shift to ensuring that this breakthrough represents just the beginning of a new era, paving the way for opportunities for women coaches at every level, encouraging more women to pursue coaching careers, and fostering an inclusive and supportive environment in college athletics.