We've received $45,000 from the NSW Government's Play Her Way Innovation Program to launch CoachHer, a flexible pathway into coaching and officiating built around real life. And this weekend, we're starting in Shoalhaven. 

Half the people playing volleyball in NSW are women and girls. Around a third of our accredited coaches are. 

The higher you go, the wider the gap. At the top levels of officiating, there are almost no women at all. 

It isn't a lack of interest. You told us so in our community survey. Pathways are unclear, they take too much time, and they don't fit around study, work or family. Young women leaving school sport, mums and carers wanting to come back, feel it most. 

CoachHer is our answer. 

What CoachHer is 

Girls stay where they see women leading. Every woman we bring into coaching or officiating makes a club or competition feel more welcoming for the next girl walking in. 

Coaching is also a way back into the game. For women who've been away, a small role on the sideline can be the first step back on court. 

Over the next 12 months, CoachHer will back at least 50 women across four locations: three in Sydney and one in regional NSW. 

2. Keeping teenage girls in the game 

The teenage years are when girls are most likely to walk away from sport. They tell us why: too few role models, fear of being judged, and environments that feel too competitive. 

CoachHer trains young women aged 16 to 24 as near-peer leaders, close enough in age to be relatable. It also gives girls finishing school a clear next step, so leaving school sport doesn't mean leaving volleyball. 

Our target: 25% better retention of teenage girls through Level 1 coaching and officiating in our pilot locations. 

3. More women working in sport 

Coaching and officiating can be a genuine extra income. CoachHer makes them easier to start: 

Our target: one in four participants moving into an accredited or formal coaching or officiating role. 

4. A culture where women lead 

We want women seen as leaders in our sport, not only as players. That means making room for real life. 

CoachHer is open to every woman, with a focus on those who face the most barriers: young women, carers, regional communities, women from culturally diverse backgrounds, First Nations women, women with disability and LGBTQI+ women. It builds on our Silver Status and Most Improved Organisation recognition at the 2026 Pride in Sport Awards. 

5. Lessons the whole sector can use 

CoachHer is a pilot.We'll track who joins, who stays, who progresses and how confident they feel, across ages, locations and backgrounds. 

What we learn becomes part of how we develop every coach and official in NSW. We'll also share a model other sports can use, because volleyball isn't the only sport losing women on the way to leadership. 

Next stop: Shoalhaven 

CoachHer heads south first. Our Level 2 Associate Coach course is coming to Bomaderry, and it's free for women coaches. 

Already coaching? This is your next step. Haven't got your Level 1 yet? You can still come. Level 1 is online, so you can complete it in your own time before you register for Level 2. And if you know a woman who should be coaching, send this to her. 

Register for the Level 2 Associate Coach course 

What our CEO says 

"Our players told us exactly what they need: pathways that fit around study, work and family. CoachHer is how we deliver that. Thank you to the NSW Government for backing the women who'll lead the next generation of volleyball in NSW." 

— Rebecca Walter, CEO, Volleyball NSW 

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