Where Are All the Women At?
After the PWHL filled its three head coaching vacancies with men, should the league be trying for an even gender split, or even aim for women to hold most of the head coaching jobs?
When Bart, played by Cleavon Little, said a similar line to the title of this article in the movie Blazing Saddles, he wanted to know how to knit, and women were the best tailors around. It was expensive to replace a torn shirt in the Wild West and cheaper if you know how to repair it yourself. When fans of the PWHL ask "where are all the women at?" they’re asking where are all the women coaches after seeing the three head coaching vacancies all be taken by men. It’s a fair question to ask, as now only Kori Cheverie and Carla MacLeod remain as the two women holding coaching jobs. The ratio went from an even split of women and men holding head coaching positions to now men holding 75% of head coaching jobs.
Should it always be an even split? Should women hold most of the head coaching jobs? I’m not smart enough to answer those questions. What I will say though is that if the PWHL wants to follow up on its promise of empowering women and giving women a chance to show they know hockey, 75% of head coaches being men probably isn’t helping that goal too much.
