"More men than women in charge of area girls teams" - http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/06/22/sports/top_sports/doc27b1b3438e5b2da8862573010074437e.txt [quote]While Drook is believed to be only the second female head coach of a varsity boys basketball team in state history, McGonigle and Davidson join a male coaching majority among area girls teams. In every girls high school sport but volleyball, swimming and gymnastics, there are more male coaches than females, including softball and basketball, which are more than 70 percent male-dominated.[/quote] That's true; in gymnastics there are more women coaches than men. In the higher levels there are more men coaches than in the lower levels, to help in tumbling, bars, and vault, beam tumbling spotting - for the heavy spotting. But there are also women coaches teaching the boys classes too - though not as common especially in the higher levels. The reason maybe why it's opposite in other sports, and more men coaches: [quote]It's a trend, area female coaches and athletic directors say, that can be chalked up to several factors: a lack of qualified female candidates coupled with still-lingering gender bias and the demands of raising a family. "I still think it's a male-dominated society, and when it comes to head coaches they look for males," said Dori Downing, Calumet's girls basketball coach of the past 11 seasons.[/quote] [quote]"Listen to all the people who retired, and the reason is to spend more time with their family," Downing said.[/quote] That's what coach Steve Nunno said was the reason for leaving coaching University of Oklahoma women's gymnastics team. [quote]What could get more women in the game, Downing believes, is to give younger coaches a chance and eliminate negative preconceptions of female coaches.[/quote] The gymnastics clubs do this...there are teenages teaching classes in probably most gymnastics club, especially during summer camps. Interesting: [quote]"How many women go for men's jobs? Not very many," Downing said. "I have yet to see a woman wrestling coach or a woman football coach. If they have that idea on that side of the fence, why isn't it working on our side?" [/quote] In the top positions of the FIG though, there are more men in charge than women, but it is getting more even: [quote]According to statistics, female gymnasts participating in official competitions and registered in the FIG Gala data base are the majority. Out of a total of 4,681 gymnasts, 2,769 are women, a whopping 59.2%. This majority can be attributed to Rhythmic Gymnastics, an exclusively female discipline, while Artistic, Trampoline, Aerobic and Acrobatic are nearly 50/50. The demographic picture of the athletes does not in reflect the one of the FIG authorities, the majority of which is made up of men. For the current Olympic cycle spanning from 2004-2008, the Federation's authorities include 85 elected members, who make up the Council, the Executive Committee and the seven Technical Committees. The demographic breakdown shows 48 men and 37 women, respectively 56% and 44%. Nonetheless, if the statistics are to be believed, the FIG is moving toward equality...[/quote] "A MOVE TOWARD EQUALITY IN GYMNASTICS?" - http://www.fig-gymnastics.com/cache/html/14914-15-10001.html

At my gym the male coaches do the tumbling, bars, vault spotting for the higher levels too.