As both Sporting Director and Club Manager at Kristianstads DFF, Lovisa Ström carries a dual responsibility. She leads the club’s first-team environment, supporting coaches and players, while also ensuring that the entire structure works smoothly, from five-year-olds in the grassroots program to the senior level. Her focus is clear: to create a safe, sustainable, and nurturing environment where female coaches not only remain but also thrive.
– We are constantly working to create a good working environment for our coaches, regardless of whether they are men or women. But it is also about seeing each individual, their needs, circumstances, and life outside of football. Only then can you build something long-term, says Lovisa Ström.
A culture of female leaders
For the past 17 years, Kristianstads DFF has had female head coaches, often surrounded by other women in the staff. This is no coincidence. The club has consciously worked to highlight female leaders and create the right conditions for their development.
– For us, balance is important. We want competent coaches, and sometimes that means more women, sometimes more men. But regardless of gender, people must be able to combine their life off the pitch with football. If someone has a family, that is something we take into account, Ström explains.
Giving chances and building potential
Recruiting female coaches with long experience or the highest qualifications is not always possible. But according to Ström, there are other ways forward.
– We are good at giving people the chance to develop here. It is not always the most experienced coach who gets the job, but we believe in building on potential. If you have the resources, you should dare to bring in an extra coach and give them the opportunity to grow, she says.
Audience and the future
As Club Manager, Ström is also passionate about attracting more people to the stadiums, especially young girls.
– The players are their role models. It is so important that girls see they can become players, coaches, or referees, and that they can remain in football even after their playing careers. We as clubs have a responsibility to bring more girls to the matches while also creating environments that make them want to keep playing longer, she says.
Driven by the heart of grassroots sport
Lovisa Ström’s own journey did not start as a player, but in grassroots sports. After spending some time in Luxembourg, she was recruited into KDFF by then head coach Elisabet Gunnarsdottir. She started out in marketing, was later given the chance to become Sporting Director, and has since combined several roles.
– I have always been driven by grassroots sports and I am passionate about working with people who have a heart for the game. Some have a heart for our club, others for football in general. That combination makes me thrive here, and it means I enjoy coming to work every single day, says Ström.
