Coaching girls effectively involves the willingness to create a positive, supportive environment while simultaneously understanding the needs of the individual and the different dynamics they are experiencing. In this blog I will review 3 tips for being the coach that is the catalyst for greatness in our female athletes.
Tip 1: Give Them a Say
Observing 100’s of coaches (maybe 1000’s) over the last 20+ years, as well as being a female who has been coached most of my life (if not by sport coaches, business coaches and other lanes of coaching) it’s been apparent that those who create the most exceptional experiences are those who are encourage females to find their own voices.
What do I mean by this?
Give girls the opportunity to lead in practices and games. Give them the autonomy to choose ‘this or that’. Helping them develop decision-making skills on and off the surface of play. There are many examples, but when we do this, it has a ripple effect into their daily lives.
It is important at every level.
Tip 2: Create Positive Team Culture
Although this is a no-brainer for most coaches, especially here at the International Youth Conditioning Association unfortunately, many coaches do not intentionally focus on this. Even if you aren’t building culture intentionally, your culture is still forming.
Encouraging collaboration, support and relationships is a formula for cultivating successes in our female athletes.
Girls often thrive in environments where comradery and teamwork are emphasized. They thrive in cultures that are inclusive and can see who they are as a whole person, not just a girl that’s good at sport or can run fast.
Tip 3: Focus on Progress over Perfection
We live in a society where perfectionism and as a result, procrastination, is ever-present . I won’t go down this rabbit-hole, but it can be toxic to a team of athletes.
As a long-time business coach & consultant, perfectionism and fear of ‘not being good enough’, are high on the list of reasons why capable and qualified women don’t take action. All that to say, many girls experience a very similar journey in athletics.
As coaches, when we can emphasize growth, learning and development we can release the pressure-valve that girls experience in the game and beyond.
Will we ever completely eliminate that perception of perfection that many girls have? Probably not. But, when we can help reframe their thoughts around “perfectionism” we will set them up for greater success later in life.
Part of this, is aligning our words with our actions in this space. This is one of the biggest ‘hiccups’ I see with coaches, especially in the heat of the moment of games and game-play.
As coaches, we must be aware of our words and our actions. When we say things like “good job”, then simultaneously roll our eyes and throw our arms in the air, we are sending a mixed message to our female athletes.
They pick up on this FAST.
If you say it’s ‘okay to make mistakes’ then ‘lose your cool’ when they do, it will quickly confirm what they already believe- they have to be perfect to get your praise.
Summary
To summarize, in general, girls need to feel good to play good. When they have coaches that care about them, are approachable and inclusive, the possibilities are endless!
Stay tuned to my next blog where I explore more tips on coaching girls. You can also check my last blog out: Coaching Female Athletes-The Art & Science
If you are looking to expand your knowledge in this space we (at the IYCA) have
partnered with the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sports to provide you with FREE Access to CoachingHER.
Coaching HER is a coaching resource that helps sport coaches of girls challenge the status quo and the taken-for-granted assumptions of what it means to coach girls.
Coaching HER tackles central and unaddressed issues which negatively impact girls’ and women’s performance, self-perceptions, sport choices, and experiences: coaches’ unconscious gender biases and stereotypes.
Julie Hatfield-Still
Julie is an Entrepreneur, CEO, Coach and Author. She is the President & Founder of the Non-Profit Beyond The Game Alliance. In addition to her work as a business consultant and coach of coaches, leaders and entrepreneurs. Julie is a Speed Development Specialist and Inner-Game Coach in the college, high school and youth levels.