Coaching Women & Girls – 2.0 LEARNING & COMMUNICATION

INTRODUCTION  Sport enriches girls’ lives far beyond mere athletics. Coaches can help develop important life skills like teamwork, leadership, and self-confidence. While many coaching strategies are effective for both genders, important biological and psychological differences between boys and girls warrant tailored coaching approaches. This course...

One of the most important aspects of the coach-to-athlete relationship is communication. Coaches must consider every athlete individually to decide the best form of coaching style for them. They must take into consideration their age, personality, ability, and goals (previously covered in series 1)....

Verbal communication between the coach and female players is crucial for their development on and off the court. Too often, communication in sports revolves mostly around the content of the sport.  Often, little attention is paid to how thoughts and ideas are conveyed. When...

Individuals may see a person before they hear their voice. Assumptions about the speaker are made long before the first words are spoken. If body language and gestures are negative and critical, the perception is also negative and critical. This will likely set the...

What makes a coach good at what they do is not always how they convey their knowledge to their pupils but how they listen to them! Many times, communication is more effective when the focus is on listening instead of talking. True listening is...

WHY DO COACHES NEED BOUNDARIES? In any relationship between two people, it is important to establish and respect boundaries.  Getting to know an athlete slowly allows both parties to maintain personal and professional limits.  As a coach, you play a crucial role in helping...

Reflection is often overlooked by the technical and tactical side of the game.  However, taking precedence and effective reflection will enable coaches to look at what they have done in the past, so that they can do it better in the future.  Reflection plays...

Many women know their talents and strengths but when it comes to standing out from the crowd and being praised by peers many would much rather shy away and downplay their full potential in the hopes of blending in with the rest. We see...

When it comes to educating, mentoring, and supporting female players, it is important that coaches are asking the right questions at the right time to promote skill development, combined commitment, and closeness within coach-athlete relationships.  Questioning bridges the gap between a player’s technical development and...

Some girls live for the competition, and some girls are in it for the fun. Whatever the reason, it is important that coaches approach squash tournaments and post-match talks in a way that is positive and promotes goals of fun, effort, dedication, and skill...