- Dec 15, 2009
- 188
- 0
All great advice. if your team knows you are there for them and will fight for them, then they will play the game with their hearts. and demonstrating helps tons.
Coaching Girls vs Coaching Boys
- Thread starter tward1993
- Start date
Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch
Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.
I disagree...girls don't have to love or even like the coach for them to perform. (I suspect there are "A" students on the team that gets "As" from teachers they don't like. As they get older, they may work for bosses they don't like.)
Players have to understand exactly what you want from them and how to do it. Then, if the coach doesn't play favorites and lets them compete for playing time, the performance on the field/court takes care of itself.
Players have to understand exactly what you want from them and how to do it. Then, if the coach doesn't play favorites and lets them compete for playing time, the performance on the field/court takes care of itself.
- Oct 21, 2009
- 14
- 0
Sluggers:
You’re right…….they don’t have to like their coach to perform well, but it certainly helps. I’m not suggesting that the coach should try to be their friend or be a pushover. Expectations should be made clear to the team and there needs to be consistent consequences when those expectations are not met. Every coach has their own style. Some choose to play the role of the dictator and others will approach each interaction with the players as they would with someone they really care about. You can run a tight ship without playing the role of the tough guy/girl.
“Boys have to play well to feel good about themselves – Girls have to feel good about themselves to play well.”
You’re right…….they don’t have to like their coach to perform well, but it certainly helps. I’m not suggesting that the coach should try to be their friend or be a pushover. Expectations should be made clear to the team and there needs to be consistent consequences when those expectations are not met. Every coach has their own style. Some choose to play the role of the dictator and others will approach each interaction with the players as they would with someone they really care about. You can run a tight ship without playing the role of the tough guy/girl.
“Boys have to play well to feel good about themselves – Girls have to feel good about themselves to play well.”
Read the post on Softball Throwing. Same on hitting. Teaching females to hit and throw is not like baseball. I have been coaching and teaching females for many years. It is a different game. Just an observation . Some of the worst male coaches that I have encountered have been married a few times. This to me is a red flag to me. .
A player doesn't care how much you know, until they know how much you care.
I think if the boys were coached like the girls you would see the boys really excel too. Girls are much more emotional and consequently you need to communicate with them opposed to yelling at them. With that being said I really think that a good coach already knows this and does it naturally. If you were a yeller as boys coach, you probably weren't a successful coach eventhough you may have won most of your games. It is an easy transition if you are respectful and earnest in your teaching of young people.
- Nov 29, 2009
- 2,975
- 83
I've been coaching 10 & 12U girls for a long time and what I found is kids respond best to honesty. If they are serious about playing they want to be told what they've done wrong and how to correct it. It can be done firmly without yelling at them. That is how you handle young girls. If they make a mistake you tell them what they did wrong and how to correct it. Then let them try it again. If they have a legitimate question listen to it. Once they trust you they will give you everything they have. They don't need "Honeys and Sweeties." They need to be coached like any athlete. I treat them as I would an inexperienced adult, because that's what they are. They just haven't grown into their adult bodies yet.
I'm in their ear from the time practice starts till it ends. I'm constantly telling them to push themselves and never give up on a play. This goes for all of them from the stud to the first year girl out of rec ball. The other thing I found that helps is to single out a girl when she does something right. I will ask them "Did you see Mary? That is the way we attack the ball to the left side." or things like that. It motivates them to want to be praised for doing something right.
At the initial team meeting I tell my girls there will be days you wished I didn't know your name and others when you're glad I do. I always get a couple of "Huh" stares. After a couple of weeks the "Huh" is gone and they fully understand.
I'm in their ear from the time practice starts till it ends. I'm constantly telling them to push themselves and never give up on a play. This goes for all of them from the stud to the first year girl out of rec ball. The other thing I found that helps is to single out a girl when she does something right. I will ask them "Did you see Mary? That is the way we attack the ball to the left side." or things like that. It motivates them to want to be praised for doing something right.
At the initial team meeting I tell my girls there will be days you wished I didn't know your name and others when you're glad I do. I always get a couple of "Huh" stares. After a couple of weeks the "Huh" is gone and they fully understand.
