Keeping girls in sport starts with better coaching: free Coaching HER courses now available through etrainu

Girls between the ages of 11 and 17 leave sport at record rates, and coaching is one of the strongest influences on whether they stay in sport. 

In response, etrainu has announced that Coaching HER® courses are now available free of charge via the etrainu platform, expanding access to the research-backed coaching education and helping it reach more clubs, organizations, and communities worldwide.

Developed by the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, powered by Nike, Coaching HER® offers research-backed training that helps coaches better support girls in sport. 

The courses address gender bias, body confidence, menstrual health, and inclusive coaching practices, giving coaches practical tools to create environments where girls feel confident, supported, and motivated to stay in sport.

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The challenge:

Many sports fail to support girls during their physical and social development stages from ages 11 to 17.

• Coaches with gender-responsive training are more likely to reject stereotypes and coach based on personality and skill, not gender.(Goorevich & LaVoi, 2024).
• 45% of teenage girls drop out of sport, at twice the rate of boys (Dove & Nike, 2023)
• Low body confidence is the reason 45% of girls quit sport (Dove & Nike, 2023)‍
• 80% of girls say a positive relationship with their coach is a top reason they continue playing (Project Play, Aspen Institute, 2020)‍
• Girls who feel heard by coaches are 2.5× more likely to stay in sport (Project Play, Aspen Institute, 2020).‍
• 64% of girls give up sport by the end of puberty (Women in Sport, 2021)‍
• Organizations with trained coaches see 40% higher retention among girls (Women’s Sports Foundation, 2022).‍
• Over 90% of athletes want their coaches to be knowledgeable about menstrual health (Clarke et al., 2021). In 2024, 98% of girls want their coach to be knowledgeable about menstrual health. (Goorevich & Zipp, 2024)‍
• Coaches with gender-responsive training are more likely to reject stereotypes and coach based on personality and skill, not gender. (Goorevich & LaVoi, 2024).

[Read more: Activating Change – Data & Digital Pathways for Girls’ and Women’s Sport]

This partnership reflects a shared commitment to strengthening coaching capability as a direct way to improve participation, confidence, and long-term outcomes for girls.

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What coaches will find in Coaching HER courses

• Evidence-based content that supports effective coaching strategies for girls
• Guided reflection activities that encourage learning and self-awareness
• Downloadable key takeaways from each module
• Actionable strategies coaches can apply right away
• Real-world scenarios that build practical coaching skills
• Research-backed materials shown to reduce gender bias and stereotypes in coaching, helping keep girls engaged in sport

Menstrual Health Modules

Menstrual health remains one of the most overlooked yet influential factors in girls’ sport participation. Despite nearly all athletes wanting their coaches to be knowledgeable about menstrual health, many coaches report limited education in this area. 

Coaching HER’s menstrual health modules equip coaches with practical, stigma-free strategies to better support athletes and create more inclusive, period-friendly sport environments.

Modules include:

• MH1: Understanding the Complete Menstrual Cycle (approximately 25 minutes)
• MH2: Tackling Menstrual Taboos and Creating Period-Friendly Environments (approximately 30 minutes)

Coaching HER Foundational Modules

The Foundational Modules focus on issues that strongly influence girls’ experiences in sport, particularly how unconscious bias and gender stereotypes affect participation, performance, confidence, and long-term engagement.

Modules include:

• FM1: Developing Girls in Sport (approximately 10 minutes)
• FM2: Challenging Gender Stereotypes (approximately 20 minutes)
• FM3: Coaching Girls (approximately 25 minutes)
• FM4: Empowering Girls’ Engagement (approximately 20 minutes)
• FM5: Recognizing Girls’ Identities (approximately 20 minutes)
• FM6: Supporting Girls’ Needs (approximately 15 minutes)
  
  
  

Alicia Pelton, Coaching HER Program Director, said:

“Coaches shape whether girls feel seen, supported, and motivated to stay in sport. When they’re equipped with the relational skills to truly understand girls’ experiences, participation and confidence grow. Through our partnership with etrainu, we’re giving organizations the tools to lead in a rapidly expanding girls’ and women’s sports market. Ernst & Young calls this a once-in-a-generation inflection point and organizations that act now will be the ones that thrive. Girls don’t walk away because they stop loving sport; they walk away when the environment stops loving them back.”

Paul Hoon, etrainu CEO, said:

“Education is how we build stronger coaching communities, and by hosting Coaching HER courses on the etrainu platform, we can help extend their reach into more clubs, organizations, and communities around the world. This partnership is about improving access to high-quality education, so more coaches can better support girls to stay in sport.”

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About Coaching HER

The Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota, in partnership with Nike, launched Coaching HER in March 2023. To help keep girls playing, this free digital coaching training platform tackles a central issue in youth sports that negatively impacts girls’ experiences: when coaches show unconscious biases and stereotypes toward gender. Coaching HER is comprised of online modules that address the importance of sport for girls and the actions coaches can take to set girls up for success in sport. Learn more at www.coachingher.com.

About etrainu

etrainu are leaders in community education solutions. Through a sophisticated learning management system and engaging online courses, etrainu is changing the way we learn. Founded in 2007, etrainu has grown to over two million learners benefitting from hundreds of industry-tailored courses. 

etrainu has partnered with some of the largest sports organizations in the world including US Youth Soccer, USA Track and Field, First Tee, Football Australia, Gymnastics Australia, and Surf Life Saving Australia. Learn more at www.etrainu.com.

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