About Us
Our Story
The Female Coaching Network (FCN) was founded in 2014 by Vicky Huyton, a track and field coach and coaching consultant with over 20 years of experience. In the last 10 years, Vicky’s work has transformed the sporting landscape for female coaches and those they coach.
Since its inception, the FCN has empowered, enabled, and inspired female coaches worldwide and is now the leading global community for female coaches who support, drive, and influence real change in sport.
With Vicky at its helm, the FCN has spearheaded initiatives like the first-ever fully paid coaching internship with Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur, and consulted with major organisations such as Nike, UK Athletics, Athletics Canada, and World Athletics. These collaborations have led to cultural and systemic changes, creating a safer and fairer environment in elite sports worldwide.
The professionalisation of women’s sports has led to increased interest and investment in recent years. However, the lack of female coaches and leaders remains a significant challenge. The low percentage of top coaching and management positions held by women has contributed to harmful coaching practices, insufficient research on female athletes’ needs, and a lack of diverse perspectives in sports governance.
The FCN is working to break down these barriers, which hinder women’s success in all aspects of sport. By collaborating with and connecting coaches, athletes, sports organisations, clubs, and federations worldwide, the FCN’s evidence-based approach is improving equity within high-performance sport.
“We don’t just tick boxes”
Our purpose is to ensure that all sportspeople have the opportunity to lead, coach, and compete in a safe, efficient, and equitable high-performance environment.
4,000+ signed up to our newsletter
Thousands of sportspeople worldwide have signed up for our weekly FCN Insights Substack, which empowers female coaches and global organisations with the knowledge and inspiration they need to break barriers.
500+ coaches involved in our projects
Over 500 female coaches have directly been involved with our projects, whether that be in-person conferences, online webinars or members of our programmes.
15 Organisations & Federations Impacted
Over 15 organisations and federations have been involved with our work and created their own change for women in their sports as a result.
Our Team
Vicky Huyton
Founder of the FCN & Coaching Consultant
Joanna Coates
FCN Ambassador and CEO
Abi Irozuru
FCN Ambassador and Athlete, Coach, Speaker
Laura Turner – Alleyne
FCN Ambassador and GB & NI Coach
James Walkington
FCN Co-Founder & Videographer / Editor
Tracey Archer
FCN Ambassador and Sponsorship Coordinator of Spar International
Becki Hall
FCN Ambassador and Copywriter at Coco Squared
Lilly – Ann O’Hora
FCN Ambassador and Women in Sport Consultant
Aimee Knight
FCN Ambassador & Elite Sports Therapist
Professor Leanne Norman
FCN Ambassador and Director of the Centre for Social Justice in Sport & Society
Phoebe Schecter
FCN Ambassador and NFL Analyst Sky Sports
Anna Patsios
FCN Ambassador and Master of sport management