A new NCAA study reveals that only 10 percent of the female student-athletes surveyed are interested in pursuing a career in intercollegiate athletics.

The report, “2007-08 NCAA Study of Perceived Barriers to Women in Intercollegiate Athletics Careers (Barriers 2007-08),” follows up on a 1989 survey conducted on women’s career aspirations and perceptions of careers in intercollegiate athletics.

The initial study in 1989 provided the NCAA with its first assessment of the perceptions of female administrators, coaches, game officials and student-athletes regarding their careers and aspirations in athletics. Barriers 2007-08 builds upon the previous study and the growing interest in understanding the factors that motivate women to pursue careers in intercollegiate athletics, and the factors that impede those careers.

A total of 1,107 female administrators, 1,349 female coaches, 1,127 female officials and 8,896 student-athletes participated in the Barriers 2007-08 study. Each survey was tailored to the corresponding group. Female administrators, coaches and officials received surveys that included five sections: background information, athletics career choices, athletics career aspirations, athletics career perceptions and athletics hiring perceptions. The female student-athlete survey had four sections, including background information, college athletics experience and environment, athletics career aspirations and athletics career perceptions.

All four groups were asked to identify their perceptions regarding the reasons women do not enter athletics careers and their perceptions on why women leave careers in athletics. Among all groups, family, time requirements, salary and job availability were among the top factors recognized for women leaving or not entering careers in intercollegiate athletics.

Student-athletes: The female student-athlete version did not ask about specific positions in athletics but rather about intercollegiate athletics positions as a whole. Of the 8,896 respondents, only 10 percent indicated an interest in entering a career in intercollegiate athletics. The top three reasons female student-athletes believed women do not enter careers in intercollegiate athletics were no interest beyond playing (25 percent), burnout (16 percent) and salary (14 percent). Time requirements (37 percent), salary (28 percent) and gender discrimination (11 percent) were identified as the primary reasons female student-athletes believe motivate women to leave careers in intercollegiate athletics.

Administrators: Current female administrators were asked about factors for why women do not enter careers in intercollegiate athletics administration. They identified time requirements (27 percent), family (22 percent) and job availability (15 percent) as the most common reasons. When respondents were asked to identify the most common reason why women leave careers in intercollegiate athletics administration, family (35 percent), time requirements (33 percent) and salary (16 percent) were indicated most often.

Coaches: When asked for the most common reason why qualified women do not enter coaching careers, 33 percent identified family, 22 percent identified time and 16 percent identified salary as the main factors. As for why women leave coaching careers, 56 percent identified family. Time requirements (23 percent) and salary (8 percent) were second and third in that category.

Game officials:  Female game officials were asked the same questions about their field. Current female officials identified time requirements (24 percent), family (22 percent) and other reasons (12 percent) among the most common reasons why qualified women do not enter careers in intercollegiate athletics officiating. Items identified in the “other” category included a combination of the factors listed (time requirements, travel requirements, family and job availability), the stress involved with officiating (fan behavior, coaches’ behavior, etc.), and a lack of available information regarding officiating careers. Items identified as the most common reason why women leave careers in intercollegiate officiating included family (32 percent), time requirements (24 percent) and “other” (14 percent).

The full “2007-08 NCAA Study of Perceived Barriers to Women in Intercollegiate Athletics Careers” is available in the research section of NCAAPublications.com.