{"id":20889,"date":"2023-10-18T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/?post_type=article&p=20889"},"modified":"2025-12-15T05:11:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T05:11:07","slug":"what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/","title":{"rendered":"What Next? Six Ways\u00a0to Continue to Make Women\u2019s Sport Scalable and Sustainable"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n\t
\n\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t
\n \n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n 18 Oct 2023 <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>Articles<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

What Next? Six Ways\u00a0to Continue to Make Women\u2019s Sport Scalable and Sustainable<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n \n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
Category<\/div>\n Coaching & Development<\/a>, Human Performance<\/a>, Leadership & Culture<\/a> <\/div>\n
\n
Share<\/div>\n Facebook<\/a>\n Twitter<\/a>\n Email<\/a>\n Copy Link<\/a>\n
https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Progress is being made at Manchester United and World Rugby \u2013 in traditionally male dominated sports \u2013 but there are not always opportunities for all in women\u2019s sport.<\/p>\n \n \n \n

\n

A Human Performance article brought you by our Main Partners<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

By John Portch<\/h6>\n
\u201cI think some of the key learnings in my career weren\u2019t necessarily in the \u2018what\u2019 but more so in the \u2018how\u2019.\u201d<\/h6>\n

Polly Bancroft serves as the Head of Women\u2019s Football at WSL [Women\u2019s Super League] club Manchester United. She is discussing her 18 years working in the women\u2019s game, which have taken in roles at the Football Association, Brighton & Hove Albion and Uefa.<\/p>\n

Of her experience working for Uefa, the European football confederation, which is headquartered in Nyon, Switzerland, Bancroft adds: \u201cI think having experienced living in Switzerland and working across Europe with many different cultures, I think understanding different approaches to time, decision making, and hierarchy were just integral to my career.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I think learning to work with people from different backgrounds around sometimes very challenging topics but maintaining those relationships has been really important to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bancroft was speaking at a recent Keiser Webinar entitled Leading Women: Building Perception and Driving Opportunity. She was joined online by Nicky Ponsford, the Head of Women\u2019s High Performance at World Rugby and, in front of a virtual audience drawn from coaches and practitioners from across the globe, the duo discussed the challenges of creating, scaling and sustaining a high performance infrastructure in women\u2019s sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was lucky in my very first role that I had a line manager who always gave me the chance to learn and the chance to make mistakes. That\u2019s something that I\u2019ve tried to take with me throughout my journey,\u201d Ponsford says of her time at the RFU [Rugby Football Union] where she served as Head of Performance for women \u2013 a role she filled for two decades as the game continued to grow exponentially.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I can\u2019t do it all by myself. I need other people, need collaboration, need to work with others. [I learned] that politics are real in sport and that you have to learn how to work the politics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bancroft and Ponsford, as leaders with female-focused leadership roles, are proof that steps are being taken in traditionally male-dominated sports, but neither is happy to rest on their laurels.<\/p>\n

Here are six steps towards ensuring that progress is both scalable and sustainable.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Ensure women\u2019s sport is discussed at the right level<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    During her time at the RFU, Ponsford oversaw the establishment of a women\u2019s performance management group that was designed to have a \u201cdirect voice to the RFU management board.\u201d It does not mean that the issues facing women\u2019s rugby, from the transition to professionalism (ongoing since 2019) to the question of maternity leave, are instantly solved, but the right people are being asked the right questions. If you have men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams, it is important to grant both access to the necessary expertise or resource. \u201cWe\u2019ve expanded our governance model in that we now have two different bodies overseeing women\u2019s football at Manchester United,\u201d says Bancroft. \u201cWe have a technical football board and a commercial working group as well. That falls under a women\u2019s executive leadership team.\u201d The intention is clear: \u201cThis new governance structure brings in members of the leadership team in legal, finance, communications, operations, football and marketing. We\u2019ve got the key heads of football across the business that work on men\u2019s, women\u2019s, boys\u2019 academy, girls\u2019 academy and we\u2019re using the very best expertise at the club and channelling it into the women\u2019s game.\u201d<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Remember: women\u2019s sport is not merely \u2018mini men\u2019s sport\u2019<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      What is the right pathway for the female version of your sport? Equity does not mean that women\u2019s and men\u2019s sport should be treated the same way. The challenges are often different and female sport must take its own path if the girls and women involved are to thrive with the right support. For example, English rugby removed promotion and relegation from Women\u2019s Premiership Rugby during Ponsford\u2019s tenure at the RFU. \u201c[Previously] everyone had the chance to get to the top, but in terms of driving standards and driving a league that we wanted to get to, it wasn\u2019t going to work,\u201d she says. \u201cPushing that through, getting what we needed for the women\u2019s game, was really important.\u201d<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Do you have a performance framework for female athletes?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        \u201cNicky and I come from male-dominated sports,\u201d says Bancroft. \u201cHere at Manchester United, the club have operated men\u2019s football for over 145 years and the women\u2019s team has been reborn and we\u2019re now into our sixth season. So my approach has been to blend that knowledge and experience of that 145-year history with collaboration and the bespoke nature of the demands and requirements of the women\u2019s game. One part of that is through developing our own performance framework. With myself and the Head Coach, Marc Skinner, we\u2019ve worked on this framework that is around learning and embracing the journey that learning gives you.\u201d The framework is then split into \u201cfeelings and operations\u201d. Bancroft continues: \u201cFrom a feeling perspective, we want people to feel energised, we want them to feel included, and we want them to feel playful.\u201d The idea is to promote creativity on and off the field. In terms of operations, the club wants to equip players to manage themselves and communicate effectively. There is also an emphasis on \u201cfinding solutions\u201d and \u201cseeking ownership\u201d. \u201cWe want players to identify challenges and find solutions. Similarly, in the staffing environment, there might be a certain challenge or blocker that we\u2019re coming up against. Let\u2019s not sit back and complain about it. Let\u2019s try and work out some solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Provide safe methods for people to share ideas<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          What structures are in place in your environment to enable players, coaches and staff to take interpersonal risks? Ponsford argues that the creation of psychological safety goes hand in hand with developing a culture that encourages people to come forward with ideas. \u201cWhile some may talk lots during meetings, there needs to be another mechanism for people to come forward, another time for people to share so that everybody has that opportunity,\u201d she says. Ponsford has an open door policy so that \u201cpeople can come forward with thoughts, people can come forward with ideas, and [know] that they get discussed, they get picked up, and they don\u2019t get ignored.\u201d<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Increase opportunities for athletes and staff to build self-awareness<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Manchester United use individual development plans for players and appraisals for staff to assist development, commit to goals and track progress. \u201cWe\u2019re also really encouraging of staff and players to talk to their peers, talk to their friends about strengths and weaknesses. We also do different personality tests that can highlight certain blind spots, which I\u2019ve found to be helpful personally,\u201d says Bancroft. Some people at the club keep diaries, some meditate, and all players are encouraged to better understand their triggers and habits while also being accepting and kinder to themselves.<\/p>\n

              \n
            1. Normalise conversations around female athlete health<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Bancroft explains that she and Manchester United have benefited from pioneering research into female athletes. She cites one report in particular, which was born from a collaboration between Dr Emma Ross of health and fitness consultancy the Well HQ and the WSL. It helped the club to shape their best practice. \u201cWe invited in some guest speakers, particularly around the menstrual cycle and the pelvic floor, we discussed kit options with our kit manufacturer, we\u2019ve done some education with staff, we\u2019ve done some education with players \u2013 I\u2019ve learned some stuff about the menstrual cycle as well \u2013 it was a fascinating exercise to go through; that even as a woman I didn\u2019t know everything there was yet about the cycle.\u201d Such conversations need to be normalised.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n

              \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":20890,"menu_order":0,"template":"","categories":[22,21,20],"pathway":[375],"topic":[361,314,316],"sport":[],"class_list":["post-20889","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-coaching-development-performance","category-human-performance","category-leadership-culture-performance","pathway-planning-and-delivery","topic-collaborative-workflows","topic-operational-planning","topic-strategic-planning"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Next? Six Ways\u00a0to Continue to Make Women\u2019s Sport Scalable and Sustainable - Performance Institute<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Next? Six Ways\u00a0to Continue to Make Women\u2019s Sport Scalable and Sustainable - Performance Institute\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Performance Institute\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-15T05:11:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1720953438-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1652\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1720953438-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/\",\"name\":\"What Next? Six Ways\u00a0to Continue to Make Women\u2019s Sport Scalable and Sustainable - Performance Institute\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1720953438-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-10-18T09:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-15T05:11:07+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1720953438-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1720953438-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1652,\"caption\":\"LEIGH, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 06: Leah Galton of Manchester United bumps fists with Victoria Pelova of Arsenal prior to the Barclays Women\u00b4s Super League match between Manchester United and Arsenal FC at Leigh Sports Village on October 06, 2023 in Leigh, England. (Photo by Matt McNulty\/Getty Images)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What Next? Six Ways\u00a0to Continue to Make Women\u2019s Sport Scalable and Sustainable\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/\",\"name\":\"Performance Institute\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What Next? Six Ways\u00a0to Continue to Make Women\u2019s Sport Scalable and Sustainable - Performance Institute","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What Next? Six Ways\u00a0to Continue to Make Women\u2019s Sport Scalable and Sustainable - Performance Institute","og_url":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/","og_site_name":"Performance Institute","article_modified_time":"2025-12-15T05:11:07+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1652,"url":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1720953438-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_image":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1720953438-scaled.jpg","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/","url":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/","name":"What Next? Six Ways\u00a0to Continue to Make Women\u2019s Sport Scalable and Sustainable - Performance Institute","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1720953438-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2023-10-18T09:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-15T05:11:07+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1720953438-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1720953438-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1652,"caption":"LEIGH, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 06: Leah Galton of Manchester United bumps fists with Victoria Pelova of Arsenal prior to the Barclays Women\u00b4s Super League match between Manchester United and Arsenal FC at Leigh Sports Village on October 06, 2023 in Leigh, England. (Photo by Matt McNulty\/Getty Images)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/what-next-six-ways-to-continue-to-make-womens-sport-scalable-and-sustainable\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What Next? Six Ways\u00a0to Continue to Make Women\u2019s Sport Scalable and Sustainable"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/#website","url":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/","name":"Performance Institute","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/20889","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/20889\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21632,"href":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/20889\/revisions\/21632"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20889"},{"taxonomy":"pathway","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pathway?post=20889"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=20889"},{"taxonomy":"sport","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sport?post=20889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}