‘One day…it won’t be a big story’: analysing the media response to female NFL coaches

Taylor, K ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9611-3020, 2024. ‘One day…it won’t be a big story’: analysing the media response to female NFL coaches. Kinesiology Review. ISSN 2163-0453

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Abstract

In 2015, Dr. Jen Welter became the first woman to coach in the National Football League (NFL). Other female coaches followed. Yet, sports studies scholars know little about the media's response to these football pioneers. This paper presents critical themes on how popular media discussed female coaches by analysing the hiring announcements of four women who coach/have coached in the NFL. Utilizing a critical feminist lens, this paper demonstrates that media outlets reproduced conventional media tropes by reassuring readers that women have the requisite knowledge, trivializing women's achievements, underscoring the need for male player support, emphasizing appearance, and permitting sexist comments. However, it is evident that online publishers are simultaneously making progress. In most cases, the articles represented the coaches in ways that differ from how female athletes have been historically depicted. This research reveals non-linear and incremental progress toward gender equality in football.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Kinesiology Review
Creators:	Taylor, K.
Publisher:	Human Kinetics
Date:	14 October 2024
ISSN:	2163-0453
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1123/kr.2024-0048 DOI 2191897 Other
Rights:	Accepted author manuscript version reprinted, by permission, from Kinesiology Review, https://doi.org/10.1123/kr.2024-0048. © 2024 Human Kinetics.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Science and Technology
Record created by:	Jonathan Gallacher
Date Added:	13 Aug 2024 08:36
Last Modified:	16 Oct 2024 09:05
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/51978

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