Girls start sports later and leave earlier. Girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys by the age 14. And even when girls do play, expectations are different. She's been taught she has to be perfect, which gets in the way of taking chances. But you're her coach. And you're about to change all of it. Give a girl a chance to play and she'll play hard. Teach her how to love the game now and she's much more likely to love it forever. Make the place she plays her safe place and she'll show you just how strong she is.
If you are coaching a girls' team, make sure to review the Keeping Girls in Sports training below.
Click each age group to learn about how to about the different development stages in girls and sports.
Their bodies: Early in their school years, girls are comfortable and love to move. Focus on motor skills and coordination, modify rules, space and equipment, and be sure to take lots of breaks.
Their brains: Attention spans are short and girls will take things literally. Keep instructions short and rotate activities often.
Their feelings: They'll say whatever's on their mind and can't always control their emotions. Be patient! They also respond amazingly well to encouragement and positive feedback.
Their team: Young girls are just starting to figure out what a team is. Give them lots of concrete examples about what it means to be a good teammate and celebrate teamwork.
Their bodies: Expect lots of energy ("wiggly and giggly") and widely varying skill levels. Start to introduce specific skills development, but know some will be more coordinated than others! Also, some girls will start puberty early and could be less comfortable with their bodies at this age.
Their brains: They're anxious to learn, but they have varying abilities to understand directions. They also might be easily distracted, so redirect when necessary.
Their feelings: Girls this age are sensitive to sarcasm and criticism. Be aware of that when offering feedback. Also, they thrive on encouragement and positive feedback.
Their team: In preadolescence, girls might want to spend time with girls they know best. Encourage other relationships - when assigning partners, for example. This is when they'll start to love teamwork, so encourage and celebrate it as much as possible.
Their bodies: There's a lot of change taking place at this age - some girls will be more comfortable with it than others. Expect changing energy levels. Even so, girls will be ready for skills development and competition.
Their brains: The part of the brain responsible for complex reasoning is developing at a fast rate (but still under-developed), so it's a great time to practice decision making. They'll also want to contribute ideas and test boundaries.
Their feelings: Girls are still developing the ability to control strong emotions and they may look for opportunities to share their feelings. Find ways to connect and give girls a chance to express themselves in a safe and trusted space.
Their team: The need for approval from peers and connections with role models is strong now. Find ways for teammates to cheer each other on. Make a special effort to encourage this when girls are trying new things. That's when they'll need the reinforcement most of all. Finally, create opportunities for girls to explore being leaders - and not just the girls most naturally inclined, but any girl who wants to give it a shot.
Take the below training, created by Adidas and Up2Us Sports. This fantastic training is about how to keep girls involved, positive, and playing!
Make sure to read each slide, and watch every video. Please pay attention, take notes, and add one hour to your timecard as "Keeping Girls in Training" note for one additional hour.