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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.

Coach Jane Figueirdo with Divers Matt Lee and Tom Daley, Diving, UK

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.


Meet our amazing team.

The core team behind the Female Coaching Network

Vicky Huyton

FCN Founder & Performance Coach Consultant and Mentor

Vicky Huyton is a global leader in coach development, and the founder of FCN, established in 2014. Prior to founding FCN, Vicky worked as a performance coach with development and elite athletes, including international track sprinters, Women’s Super League (WSL) players, and members of the England football team.. Currently, Vicky specialises in coaching elite coaches, with a focus on wellbeing and performance. As FCN’s founder and ambassador for Gazing RedBlue, she also leads several initiatives aimed at transforming the performance sports system to create a safer, more efficient, and effective environment for coaches and athletes alike.

James Walkington

co-founder of FCN and Videographer

James Walkington is a dedicated coach and MMA practitioner, as well as the founder of JRW Media, a videography and editing company specialising in brand promos and social media content. As the co-founder of the FCN, James is a passionate advocate for equality in sports. A steadfast supporter of FCN since its inception in 2014, he brings a unique blend of athletic and creative expertise to his work, championing positive change in the sports community.

Nicolai Morris

FCN Team Member and S&C Coach

Nicolai Morris is one of Australia’s top strength and conditioning coaches, with over 18 years of experience, holding a Master’s in Strength and Conditioning and an elite Level 3 ASCA qualification. She has been instrumental in the success of World Champion and 2x Olympic medallist Nicola Olyslagers, guiding her through two Olympic cycles. Nicolai’s experience spans roles with Collingwood Football Club, the Australian Women’s Hockey Team, and top-tier teams like NZ Rowing and Hockey. She has a passion for developing people through performance and for elevating females in sport.

Becki Hall

FCN Team Member, Coach & Copywriter

Becki is a freelance copywriter, content writer, and communications consultant. She has been involved in sports since her early years as a fan, athlete, and, latterly, a coach. Having competed in both team and individual sports for many years, including athletics, hockey, and netball, she now focuses her attention on track and field as a masters athlete. Becki is a qualified personal trainer and UK athletics coach, and when she’s not taking part in her own training or leading a coaching session, she’s most often found watching sports on TV or following her local grassroots football club


Meet our Project Partners

Our partners who we couldn’t do our projects without

Professor Leanne Norman

Director of the Centre for Social Justice in Sport & Society, Leeds Beckett University 

Anna Patsios

Former Semi-Pro Footballer & Freelancer

Meet our FCN Ambassadors

Tracey Archer

Sponsorship Coordinator of Spar International

Joanna Coates

Former CEO of England Netball & UK Athletics

Aimée Knight

Performance Sports Therapist

Lilly-Ann O’Hora

Athletics Director, University of Sydney l

Phoebe Schecter

American Football Coach, NFL Sky Sports Analyst, Flag Football Coach

Abi Irozuru

Olympian, Motivational Speaker


Chelsea Romero

S&C coach, NFL

Laura Turner – Alleyne

High Performance Track & Field Coach