New USTA Coaching Women in Coaching Cohort Aims to Strengthen Pathways and Leadership
In January, USTA Coaching launched its inaugural Women in Coaching Cohort, bringing together 25 coaches from across the country for a three-day in-person kickoff in Lake Nona, Florida. The group represented coaches at many stages and in many settings – parks, clubs, schools, colleges and community programs – united by a shared commitment to grow as leaders and to strengthen the coaching profession.
The Cohort is a direct response to the findings in the USTA Women in Coaching Report, which surfaced persistent barriers that women face in entering, advancing and sustaining careers in coaching. This new national program is a long-term investment in removing those barriers through community, leadership development, increased visibility and practical resources that can be applied immediately, no matter where a coach works or how long they’ve been on court.
View the USTA Coaching Women in Coaching Report, our strategic roadmap to recruit, support and retain women in coaching careers.
A Kickoff Designed to Spark Connection and Community
From the first moments of the weekend, one theme was clear: these coaches didn’t need prompting to connect – they were ready. Conversations began in the lobby and continued through every session, meal and shared ride. That chemistry matters. Coaching can be isolating, especially for women in environments where they’re underrepresented. The cohort is designed to replace isolation with a durable network, including peer groups that will stay connected throughout the 10-month experience.
The opening morning featured a live taping of Good Game with Sarah Spain, American sports reporter, with Sam Rapoport, a sports executive specializing in American football, as a special guest. The conversation centered on leadership, navigating male-dominated spaces and what it takes to champion women in sport, topics that coaches routinely experience but don’t always have structured opportunities to discuss.
USTA Coaching then outlined the cohort journey and set the expectation that this would be about more than professional development in the traditional sense. These coaches are already committed technicians and teachers. The work ahead is about influence, confidence, sustainability and pathways, the ingredients that help coaches not only stay in the profession, but advance in it.
Strengthening Voice, Visibility and Influence
A standout session on Day One, “Owning Your Influence,” was led by Lindsay Rogers of Raw Strategies, a brand positioning firm that helps athletes and leaders tell their stories in impactful ways. Coaches explored how to articulate their value, communicate with clarity and build a personal brand that matches the impact they have on court. For coaches at every level, this is practical skill-building: how you introduce yourself, how you describe your work, how you advocate for resources and how you position your experience for the next opportunity.
For many participants, that focus on voice and visibility was a shift. Coaches are trained to spotlight athletes, programs and outcomes. This cohort makes it acceptable, and necessary, for women coaches to name their expertise and be seen.
Supporting Long-Term Success in the Coaching Profession
Day Two centered on leadership, self-awareness and long-term career health. Dr. Nicole LaVoi of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport led “Thriving in a Tennis Workplace,” addressing challenges that are common for women coaches and providing strategies to navigate them. The conversation reinforced an important message: the goal isn’t simply to push through barriers – it’s to change conditions so coaches can thrive.
Additional sessions expanded the toolkit:
Financial Fitness, led by Sara Asatiani (Morgan Stanley), offered practical guidance that supports stability and choice, key factors in whether coaches can stay in the profession long term.
CoachDisc behavioral assessments helped participants better understand how they lead, communicate and respond under pressure, insight that applies to player development, staff management and organizational leadership.
Mindfulness and well-being sessions emphasized that sustainability is a performance issue, not a luxury.
Coaches also captured content designed to increase their visibility and professional presence online, an intentional step toward elevating women coaches in the broader tennis ecosystem.
Communicating With Clarity in Pivotal Moments
On the final day, coaches participated in “Presenting Your Best Self,” facilitated by Leslie Satchell of Stretch, a professional training and coaching organization that helps people learn how to weave their goals, skills and experience into key career conversations. Through real-world scenarios, participants practiced presence, confidence and clarity, skills that matter in hiring conversations, salary negotiations, parent and player dynamics, staff leadership and public-facing roles. Coaches left with language they can use immediately, not just concepts they can admire.
The program closed with reflection and next steps, as coaches departed with new tools, stronger connections and a renewed sense of purpose.
Why This Matters for the Entire Coaching Community
The Women in Coaching Cohort was not a standalone event. It’s a system-building initiative grounded in research and designed to create lasting change: supporting women coaches where they are, amplifying their visibility, strengthening retention and expanding leadership pathways across tennis.
For coaches reading this – women and men, new and veteran – the message is simple: the future of coaching depends on who feels welcomed, supported and able to grow. This Cohort is one concrete way USTA Coaching is working to ensure more women can enter, advance and thrive in the profession, which can only strengthen tennis for everyone.
