Of Course Women Can Lead Men In Sports

These words are attributed to Queen Boudicca. In 60-61 AD, Queen Boudicca led a revolt of Celtic tribes against forces from the Roman Empire. According to reports, the Celtics under Queen Boudicca won three battles against the Romans, reduced three Roman cities to ruins, and her forces killed 80,000 Roman citizens in the process. Eventually, though, the Romans — who would have been heavy favorites in the 1st century — were able to crush the Celtic revolt in the Battle of Watling Street. Nevertheless, Queen Boudicca has to be considered an impressive leader of the Celtics.

This past week a number of media outlets have reported that LeBron James said he thinks a woman could coach in the National Basketball Association. Although James did not call for the Celtics to replace Brad Stevens (the team’s current head coach) with a woman, it’s clear from his words that he thinks a woman could coach an NBA team like the Celtics. And that means, in the 21st century it’s news when a man suggests a woman could lead a group of men playing a game for a team called the Celtics; nearly 2,000 years after a woman led actual Celtics in a war against the Roman Empire.

We certainly have come a long way, right?

Currently there are no women leading a team in the NBA. The same is true for Major League Baseball, the National Football League, or the National Hockey League. However, outside of sports we see women as leaders everywhere.

For example, women currently comprise 19.6% of Congress. There are also six women currently serving as governors of states and women are leading (and have led) nations around the world. As of 2013 there were 69 women serving as a general or an admiral in the United States Armed Forces. And also in 2013, a study from the University of Denver was released indicating that women occupy nearly 25% of leadership positions in academia, journalism, law, regulatory agencies, and hospitals.

Certainly women — who are generally half the population — don’t occupy half the available leadership positions. But women are leaders in government, the military, and in many places in the economy. Still, it is news when a man suggests that a women could lead a men’s sports team. And that’s because men’s teams in professional sports don’t even seem to consider hiring a woman to coach their teams.