Women and Their Investments as Football Coaches in Europe

Female coaches must invest in coaching licenses to be considered for employment opportunities in European football. Consequently, coaching education represents an investment as part of their human capital. The present research aims to analyze the association between women's existing human capital (schooling, on-the-job training) and the financial investments they have made in their football coaching licenses (other knowledge), as well as the scholarships they have received. Data from female coaches across Europe were collected using an online survey ( n = 1,010). Regression analyses demonstrate that women who hold a master’s degree are more likely to obtain a scholarship, while female coaches without tertiary education are more likely to invest in coaching licenses. Accumulating coaching experiences in men's or women's football, and playing experiences at higher levels (professional, competitive) positively correlate with financial investments. These findings highlight how coaching licenses associate with female coaches’ schooling and on-the-job training sources.