TAKING ACTION: Females need human-centered coaching. They need you to set the example, be a leader, and have your actions speak louder than words. Be an inspiration and provide them with time and space to flourish in their best possible self. Social media has taught us how to easily humans are influenced by one another, so let us coaches be the influence women and girls so desperately need.
A female player or their parent hire coaches for various reasons. A person who is new to a sport and possibly trying something outside of their comfort zone is not always looking for a leader. They may be looking for a person who is going to understand them, listen to them, and provide them with the support and courage to try something different.
Be understanding and a good listener: As a coach, it shouldn’t be your only interest to make your client a better squash player. It is important to know when to push them and when to just listen. As a coach, you want to create an environment that allows your players to talk freely and openly. Allow female athletes’ input around training and be there to listen to what they have to say. Body language is so important when it comes to listening- just like how you would like them to stop and face you when you are talking, you need to do the same for them.
Emotional Intelligence: Do not try to stop, judge, or change how someone is feeling. Instead, acknowledge the emotion, understand that it is very real, and talk about what is making the athlete upset or angry. Do not belittle emotions or try to explain them away. Be open to listening to athletes’ concerns, foster a relationship in which girls feel safe to show emotions and discuss performance concerns. As a coach it is your responsibility to harness emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking and problem solving.
Motivator: Coaches should serve as a motivator. It becomes very difficult for a person to push themselves physically and mentally. Especially when someone is new to something, knowing how to push yourself might be a challenge. This is when it is important to know the background of their players. Ask questions like do you play any other sports? This will help coaches gain a better understanding of how motivation and competitions come naturally to a player. With encouragement and support, a coach can positively influence a player’s motivation.
Tough but fair: A lot of women and girls are commonly self-driven and disciplined individuals in what they know and feel confident in. But there are times in squash and sports in general when players require that “push” from a coach. This can be done in many forms but is often when a coach is encouraging and challenging a person to move beyond their comfort zone. A coach must discern between exhaustion and motivation and pay attention to both physical and mental fatigue. The signs may not be clear, but checking in with your players and paying close attention to their well-being will help them know when to push and when to pull back.
This page was written in courtesy of the Women’s Tennis Coaching Association WTCA
Stone, S (2019, November 17). Baseline level certification course – WTCA – women’s tennis coaching association. WTCA.
