A Nike-supported coaching program, established to encourage girls' participation in sports, is facing criticism for its definition of "girls," which includes individuals who identify as such, according to a former coach who has reviewed its materials.
Sarah Barker, founder of The Female Category, stated that the CoachingHER program, a collaboration between Nike and the University of Minnesota's Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, does not align with its purported mission. The program, launched in 2023, aims to help coaches identify and address unconscious gender biases and stereotypes that may negatively impact girls' experiences in sports.
Barker's review of CoachingHER's training modules and supporting research led her to believe the program's messaging is misleading. "Everything about it tells me that it is not, in fact, what it is being sold as," Barker said in an interview.
CoachingHER's frequently asked questions section currently defines "girls" as individuals under 18 who were assigned female at birth or who identify as a girl, and states the program is inclusive of gender-expansive identities. Barker noted that this language was more prominently displayed when she first examined the program in 2024.
Barker argues that this broad definition fundamentally changes the context of the program's advice, particularly in modules discussing bodies and identities. She cited a module that encourages coaches to accept "accept all, and all is in capital letters, all bodies and identities." According to Barker, this emphasis, combined with the program's definition of girls, includes transgender-identifying athletes.
Barker's central criticism is that CoachingHER's focus on coaches' gender bias does not address the primary reasons she believes girls leave sports. While a CoachingHER article, referencing research, identifies low body confidence as the leading reason girls quit, the program's stated mission is to tackle coaches' unconscious gender biases. Barker noted that in her review of research, including the Tucker Center's own findings, coaches' gender bias was not listed among the top reasons for girls' dropout.
"Why would they build an entire program around blaming coaches when they know that that is not true?" Barker questioned.
Nike has publicly promoted CoachingHER as a resource developed in partnership with the Tucker Center, and Nike's logo is still featured on the program's website. Barker stated that during her investigation, the director of the CoachingHER program acknowledged Nike's funding of the initiative, though the specific amount was not disclosed.
While Nike's current financial involvement and curriculum review role remain unclear, the company's association with the program persists. The University of Minnesota described CoachingHER as "powered by Nike" in January 2026. OutKick, the publication reporting this story, reached out to Nike, the Tucker Center, and CoachingHER for comment but received no response prior to publication.
CoachingHER has expanded its reach beyond youth sports coaches. The Tucker Center's Educational Champions initiative encourages the integration of CoachingHER modules into university courses, including coaching education, sports psychology, and gender studies. In May, USA Weightlifting announced a partnership with the Tucker Center, granting eligible members access to CoachingHER courses aimed at helping coaches reduce gender bias and foster supportive environments for girls.
Barker described the program's approach as "girl washing," a term she uses to define marketing something as beneficial to girls when it is, in her view, harmful. She contends that the program's emphasis on gender identity over biological sex differences misrepresents its purpose, stating, "It is not about girls, it is not about keeping girls in sports at all."