26 Jun 2026
We are delighted to be announce that applications are live for Year 2 of our Women & Girls Coaching Academy (WGCA).
WGCA was formed to provide a dedicated space and support programme for women & girls interested in coaching, to encourage more women and girls to take up coaching roles. In turn, by increasing opportunities to get into coaching we hope to create more role models for the future who may inspire the next generation of women & girl archers.
Currently, from our 75 AGB Licenced Coaches in Scotland, 27 are female (36%), which can be compared to the national average of females being 51%. This suggests that females are underrepresented in coaching roles.
Also, this is the case on a national level. In 2020, the number of female coaches in Scottish sport fell by nearly 4% from 2015-2020, to just over 27% of coaches being female compared with 72% male. (Reference, page 4: Women-in-Leadership-Full-Report.pdf).Â
More recently, Women in Sport published the Tackling the Opportunity Gap in Sport for Girls report, which indicated that approximately 1.3 million of girls that loved sport drop out in their teenage years. We are hoping that the programme will aim to address this and provide lifelong opportunities.
The objectives of the programme include:
Space for women & girls to share their journey, inspire each other and reflect together on progress and challenges
Create a women & girls coaching community within Scotland, bringing people together to support each other
Gain insight into challenges women & girls face when getting into coaching and identify collective solutions to reduce potential barriers
Provide support through a Coach Education subsidy which covers minimum of 50% of course costs
Partnerships with organisations that can support and provide expertise to the programme
Who is the programme for?
Women & Girls – Dedicated opportunity for women & girls, trans and non-binary members in Scotland
Age 15+ - Anyone aged 15+ as this is minimum age you can attend Archery GB Session Coach Level 1 Course. If you are under 18 you need to be supervised by an adult whilst coaching, both while completing the training and once you’ve achieved the award.
Becoming a Coach - If you are interested in becoming a coach and completing the qualification. Also, have you started your Level 1 course already? Not to worry, you can still join the programme
Why get involved?
Dedicated space for women and girls, with programme participants coming together within a positive and empowering environment
Be part of and lead the way in further enhancing the profile of women’s sport, specifically coaching archery
Share learning, challenges and ideas as part of a women only network
Be equipped with the necessary knowledge and tools to be an effective coach
Gain an Archery GB Level 1 Session Coach course qualification and become a licensed coach
WGCA Programme Leader, Euan Murray shared his delight with Year 2 of the programme now open to applications:
"We are proud to announce the return of the Women & Girls Coaching Academy (WGCA) for its second year. Recognising that women & girl representation in archery coaching remains low, the WGCA continues its mission to remove barriers and address this disparity.
The success of our inaugural year—which concluded with 11 new coaches completing the programme—demonstrates the vital impact of this initiative. We look forward to gathering participants from across Scotland to collaborate, exchange insights, and motivate one another.
Coaching is a deeply rewarding path that offers a lasting, positive impression on others, and we are confident that future coaches in Scottish communities will continue to transform our sport.’’
Here is some feedback from the Year 1 cohort from article in March 2026, click here.
To view our WGCA Information Pack click here or to apply, click here.
Do you think you have the necessary skills to be a WGCA Mentor? To view the role descriptor see Event description and to apply, click here.