The present study investigates the under representation of females as coaches in Field Hockey. Three separate research groups were used. Group One consisted of New Zealand Hockey Regional Development Managers, Group Two consisted of male and female senior level hockey players in Canterbury and Group Three consisted of male and female non hockey playing students from the University of Canterbury.

Data was collected from the three groups by way of questionnaire. All three groups' questionnaires were different. The Group One questionnaire required participants to list the characteristics they believed were associated with successful and unsuccessful coaching. They were also asked questions regarding same sex coaching for junior and senior teams. The Group Two questionnaire also asked participants to list the characteristics they believed were associated with successful and unsuccessful coaching. Additionally, group two participants were given the Rosenberg (1965) Self Esteem Scale and asked questions regarding likely involvement in coaching, factors thought to influence coaching participation, role models and perceived perception of coaches. The Group Three questionnaire required participants to rate 27 characteristics associated with coaching to the extent they perceived them as typically masculine or typically feminine. The results indicated that numerically females are not under represented as coaches. Instead female under representation may be related to status. All results were discussed in the context of role models, sex based stereotypes, self esteem, and the likelihood of coaching. Implications of the results were also discussed as were the limitations of the present research and possibilities for future research.