The Powerhouse Project, Nike & Football Beyond Borders Increase Representation of Women Coaches of Color

September 1, 2023 

Former pro-footballers turned sports broadcasters, Rosie and Mollie Kmita (the Kmita twins) have launched their third Powerhouse Project (PHP) coaching program. The year-long women’s leadership initiative in partnership with Nike, the FA and football charity, Football Beyond Borders (FBB), is tackling the underrepresentation of women coaches of color in the UK.

The Kmita twins created PHP in 2021 to empower, uplift, upskill and create confident women leaders in the world of sports. The project seeks to address the historic lack of women's representation within football. Currently, PHP is dedicated to supporting and empowering women football coaches by giving them the tools to positively impact the lives of others. The Kmita twins hope this project can help bring together women from across the world of sports and provide a space of support so that they never feel alone in a male-dominated industry. 

According to the FA, across all levels, the number of registered women football players in England increased by 17% between October 2021 and 2022. However, FIFPRO shows that only 6% of coaches in women’s football are women. Research led by Jyoti Gosai from Nottingham Trent University (NTU) suggests there is a range of factors affecting women coach recruitment, progression and retention in the UK. These include a lack of confidence and knowledge, difficulty connecting with other coaches in what can seem to be an ‘old boys’ club, male-led education programs and gender role assumptions in wider society. 

The initiative was born from the Kmita twins' experience as two women of color working in football as professional players, coaches, academy directors and broadcasters. The program, ‘Next Ones Up: A Step into Football Coaching’ has a mission to collaboratively break down the barriers and address the underrepresentation of women, specifically women of color within coaching roles in the football industry.

Next Ones Up kicked off last month with a special three-day camp at St Georges Park in London. The initiative is empowering 50 young women from ethnically diverse backgrounds and minority communities through tailored workshops and one-to-one mentoring sessions, with coursework covering topics such as leadership, communication skills, resilience, teamwork and strategic thinking. It will culminate in each participant earning an ‘Introduction to Football Coaching’ badge. 

The Kmita twins will deliver some of the program’s coaching workshops whilst, FBB – which uses football to foster development and growth in young people – will provide coaching on how to engage in youth development and community outreach. These skills will allow the new coaches to better understand their player's backgrounds and establish a stronger connection with them. 

Football Beyond Borders is a past Beyond Sport Global Award Entrant 

Source: Forbes