Cracking the ‘gender equality code’ by focusing on sustainable work life? Insights from French and Norwegian female high-performance coaches

The aim of this study is to explore the experiences and perspectives of women high-performance coaches (HPCs) in Norway and France regarding what sustainability means in their profession, with a focus on what could be done by high-performance (HP) sports organizations as employers to make it more sustainable. This cross-national qualitative study includes 10 purposefully selected HPCs from Norway (n = 5) and France (n = 5) who work(ed) in national teams or elite professional leagues. Six coaches were currently employed as HPCs, while four had recently left their positions. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed across both countries using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings illustrate both general and gender-specific challenges that affect the unsustainability of the profession. Sustainability was experienced when there was a fit between the coach and the job/organization (e.g., values, workload). The coaches emphasized the importance of organizational responsibilities in enhancing sustainability, exemplified by ethical leadership, clear work boundaries, team collaboration, and family-oriented policies. Younger coaches discussed gendered differences and challenges more frequently, and those who had left the profession experienced more barriers to sustainability within the profession. Coaches from two different nations and cultural backgrounds provided largely similar perspectives on the study topics. The findings can contribute to the knowledge of facilitative aspects regarding how to initiate conversations about making the HPC profession more sustainable, thereby making it more equally accessible to all coaches, regardless of gender. Measures to facilitate HPC sustainability need to be taken by HP sports organizations and leaders.