Brazilian Olympic Women and the Coach`s Position: Chasms, Distances and Possibilities

Female Olympic participation in the Modern Era has been official since 1900 in Paris. However, Stamata Revithi participated in the 1896 Olympics, running the marathon even though she was not legally subscripted or allowed by the Games’ organization. This consent was always in charge of men, mostly white and European, who decided when and what spaces women should occupy. Not so long ago, women were included in the Olympic boxing only in 2012. If inside the lines and streaks of competition, women’s participation is controlled and curbed, to take over leadership positions has a long way to go, especially as coaches. In Brazilian Volleyball, the national team never had a woman as a coach, either in the female or male team. Perhaps standing in the top four 6 times since the 1992 Olympic Games, with two gold medals and two bronze medals, Brazilian women athletes are not or do not see themselves as coaches, a huge difference when compared to male athletes, already in different technical committees positions in Brazilian tournaments and National teams. In this sense, we aim to investigate the reasons for this gap between women athletes who have already made their career transitions and the coaches` positions, always choosing something else or not having this labor as a possibility. We will start from these protagonists, through biographical narratives, to understand what made them seek other paths or perhaps, not reach this place. Analyzing the athletes` narratives from the amateur period to the current one, through the four medals gained, we will attempt to help to comprehend the barriers. Therefore, we intend to bring other meanings to this place in sport, understanding the context but looking for ways to build new possibilities.