According to R.V. Acosta and L.J. Carpenter (2002), since the passage of Title IX in 1972, the number of females who participate in sports has increased, but the number of female coaches has declined from over 90% to less than 45%. This decline is ironic because many of the new coaching opportunities are in women's sports. D. DeHass (2004) reported that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) found there were more female student athletes than male student athletes but fewer female coaches than male coaches.

The purposes of the study were to determine, through the perceptions of 15 female soccer coaches, what barriers exist for females in the profession of soccer coaching and to identify the reasons for the declining number of females who enter and remain in the profession of soccer coaching. Additionally, the researcher sought to understand the working environment of female soccer coaches and investigate why there are proportionally fewer female coaches than male coaches. This research study was designed to answer six major research questions.

A mixed-methods research design (i.e., qualitative interviews and quantitative data analysis) was utilized to answer the research questions. Data were collected from the NCAA, coaches' interview responses, demographic questionnaires, and field notes of observations.

This research revealed that to attract and retain more female coaches, sport administrators need to (a) provide equal treatment and more opportunities for females, (b) create more flexible schedules, among other recommendations.