Sport Coaching as a Calling? Prof. Marlene Dixon (Pt2) - Meaningful Sport Series

In this second part of our conversation with Professor Marlene Dixon, we explore two of the central threads of her research: girls and women in sport, and work-life balance of sport-workers. Starting with women's sport, we ask: what is empowerment for women in sport, what does it look like and for whom? While "safe spaces" can be empowering, do they also unintentionally create barriers?

Secondly, we explore the work-life interface of sport coaches. What place does work have in the bigger picture of coaches' lives, and are patterns gendered? When coaching is a calling, how does it impact work-life balance, and is it also a partly dangerous idea? Finally, we discuss whether structural and cultural changes are happening in the world of sport coaching, and what are the future directions in Prof. Dixon's work. 

Marlene Dixon is professor of Sport Management at Texas A&M University. Her research has explored various topics in sport management including girls’ and women’s participation in sport, the work-life interface in sport-work, and sport for development projects.

Works discussed in this episode include:

A conceptual framework of sport participation and women's empowerment

Coach as CEO: Developing a work-family balance taxonomy for sport executives

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Liked this episode? You might also be interested in the episodes with Anna Kavoura on how gender informs meaning(s) in sport, with Michael McDougall on the dark sides of meaningful (sport)work and with Martin Roderick on working lives of professional athletes.