Head coach speaks after a baby break
“It shouldn’t be a surprise when a trainer gets pregnant”
Updated on 08.03.2025 – 3:14 p.m.Reading time: 1 min.
Theresa Merk is on the sidelines for the women of SC Freiburg. Now she has spoken about her baby break – and wishes more regulations for trainers.
Since July 2022, Theresa Merk has been head of the women’s team of SC Freiburg. Since January she has been back on the sidelines after her baby break and now spoke in an interview with the “Spiegel” about parental leave. The 35-year-old would like more family-friendly regulations for coaches in professional football.
She explained: “Parental leave simply has to be discussed in principle, it has to be part of everyday life in football.” Then she stated: “If coaches are released or sick, there are clear rules for that.” However, this is not the case when it comes to pregnancy or parental leave. But that needs it “too”.
Merk continued: “In 2025 there may be no surprise when a trainer gets pregnant.” Merk, who was back on the sidelines six months after the birth of her daughter, sees the Freiburg women in the Bundesliga as a kind of pioneer. Further reasons for the small proportion of trainers in the top area, she named the limited job offers and uncertainty by temporary contracts. This means that many women would have to think carefully about whether they would take their way to the coaching business.
Financial burden also plays a role. The pro license cost it around 20,000 euros in 2019, explained Merk. Without a previous professional career and the associated financial security, it is a risk to take the profession as a trainer.