Introducing our NEW Emerging Women in
Coaching Scholarship
Empowering Tasmania's Next Generation of Women Coaches
Womensport & Recreation Tasmania (WSRT) is proud to announce our new Emerging Women in Coaching Scholarships, launching in early December 2025. These scholarships are designed to support, retain and elevate women and girls coaching at the community and sub-elite level across Tasmania, an important but often overlooked part of our sporting landscape.
Subject to raising sufficient funding, scholarship applications will open in the first half of 2026. That means the work begins now – your support can directly change the pathway of a Tasmanian woman or girl in sport coaching.
Why this matters
Since 2017-2018, WSRT has partnered with the Tasmanian Institute of Sport to deliver the successful Women-in-Coaching Scholarships, helping women move into elite coaching roles. Since we began we’ve supported 14 women through this program.
At the same time, another clear need has emerged: more support is required at the emerging and community coaching level, where so many coaches begin their journey, and where many are lost.
Women across Tasmania tell us that financial pressures, work and family demands, limited networks, and geographical isolation often force them to step away from coaching, despite their passion and impact. We want to change that.
The Emerging Women in Coaching Scholarships Project will provide targeted financial support, mentoring, resources and social connection to help more women stay in coaching, grow their skills, and influence the next generation of athletes.
What the scholarships will offer
Each scholarship recipient will receive:
-
A $1000 grant to support coaching accreditation, development or travel
-
Informal mentoring from experienced coaches
-
Access to evidence-based training resources, including AIS and La Trobe courses
-
Free access to WSRT events, including:
-
WSRT end-of-year function (recipient showcase)
-
“Women in Coaching” Lunch (alumni networking)
-
Complimentary WSRT membership
Eligibility will be open to women aged 18+ who are currently coaching, or have coached within the past 24 months, at a community or sub-elite level in Tasmania. Full application details and templates will be released when the program opens in 2026.
Help us make this possible
To bring this program to life, WSRT is launching a fundraising campaign through the Australian Sports Foundation from 1 December 2025. Our goal is to raise $15,000, which will fund at least ten scholarships and support essential program administration and evaluation.
We hope to offer scholarships in rounds, beginning as soon as early 2026 - but this depends on the generosity of donors and partners. Every contribution, big or small, helps us move closer to opening applications for the first cohort.
Your donation could make a meaningful, immediate difference for a female coach in Tasmania. Funds raised will also strengthen the broader Tasmanian sports sector by building a more diverse, supported and sustainable coaching pipeline.
So what can you do?
-
Make a tax-deductible donation via our Australian Sports Foundation page
-
Share the message, and link to the webpage, through your networks
-
Encourage clubs, workplaces and community groups to contribute
-
Get in touch if you would like to explore partnership opportunities as a sponsor or supporter
Together, we can grow a stronger, more inclusive coaching community that benefits women, athletes and the wider Tasmanian sporting landscape.
