Taking the Lead

"While the participation levels of girls and women in Canadian sport are steadily rising, there is a dearth of women coaches at all levels.... The issues covered, skills provided, and advice given in this book should be read by swim-club, provincial, and national-level board members, as well as swimmers, parents, and, most importantly, swim coaches across Canada. It is time for our sport to face the challenges preventing women's entry into swim coaching, and find solutions to get them and keep them on pool decks across Canada." SwimNews, May-June 2010

"Practical as well as provocative, the book urges sports leaders and administrators to re-examine the unique challenges that female coaches face and to reimagine the sports landscape with improved opportunities for women coaches." David Davis, SportsLetter, August 23, 2010

"For sports organizations, leaders and educators, athletes, parents, researchers, politicians, and policy makers, Robertson, a writer and editor in Canada's sports community, brings together 11 revised and updated articles drawn from the Canadian Journal for Women in Coaching, in which physical education and sport scholars from Canada discuss challenges female coaches face, suggestions and solutions to these challenges and other issues, ways to create a more positive environment in Canada and around the world, and how to encourage more women to become coaches. Topics include coaching and motherhood, harassment and bullying, homophobia, communication skills, mentoring, political advocacy, coaching as a career path, and contracts and negotiations." Reference and Research Book News, August 2010

"...interesting sections include anecdotes from active high-level coaches in fields from wrestling to swimming..." Carrie Villeneuve, Geist, Summer 2010