Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Coaching
Women•The Body
•The Mind
•The Myths
• A Coach’s ViewCassie SmithHead of Insight and InnovationWomen’s Sport and Fitness Foundation
The Body
Female physiology and considerations for coaching
PUBERTYUntil puberty, little difference between girls and boys. Begins, on average, 2 years earlier for girls. Early developers often frustrated and leave sport as late developers catch up. Hard to predict impact of puberty – careful in terms of talent ID.
PERIODS
Don’t assume will affect everyone’s performance. Some will experience symptoms that
affect performance, some won’t. Coaches often shy away from talking about it, because of
embarrassment, lack of confidence or fear of causing
offenceFemale athlete triad – absence of periods, eating disorders,
osteoporosis•May have one, two or all three. Can be very significant and dangerous for future health. •Look for weight loss, no periods, fatigue, inability to concentrate, stress fractures•Most at risk – those who care most, weight managed sports, want to lose weight•Seek medical help
Physiology - Ideas for coach practice
•Deal with issues as part of club’s care strategy on social and physical health•Group sessions for younger athletes?•Consider buddy systems when uncomfortable with coach•May be useful for athlete to log cycles and physical/ emotional changes•Seek medical advice when necessary
Managing sensitive conversations
•Pick your moment (make sure others can’t overhear)•Is the training environment the right one?•Use correct language (eg. Periods, PMS)•Be honest – if you feel awkward admit it•Draw on examples of other women/ athletes experiences
The Mind
“More than 99% of male and female genetic coding is exactly the same. But that percentage difference influences every single cell in our bodies – from the nerves that register pleasure and pain to the neurons that transmit perception, thoughts, feelings and emotions.” The Academics
“I just couldn’t hack it with the Girls’ team. It was too complex and so mentally demanding. They needed to know why they were doing everything they did so I went back to coaching the boys.” The Coaches
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus
Area of Difference Men Women
Intellectual function Analytical, focused,linear, logicalperspective
‘Whole-brained’perspective
Base reaction Action Feeling
Stress response Fight or flight Tend and befriend
Innate interest Things People
Survival strategy Through self-interest, competition, hierarchy
Through relationships, empathy, connections
Implications for coaching
Area of Difference Men Women
Intellectual function Analytical, focused,linear, logicalperspective
‘Whole-brained’perspective
Base reaction Action Feeling
Stress response Fight or flight Tend and befriend
Innate interest Things People
Survival strategy Through self-interest, competition, hierarchy
Through relationships, empathy, connections
More overt emotions. ‘Whole picture’ – women need to understand why the task is chosen
and what they will achieve by it.
Implications for coaching
Area of Difference Men Women
Intellectual function Analytical, focused,linear, logicalperspective
‘Whole-brained’perspective
Base reaction Action Feeling
Stress response Fight or flight Tend and befriend
Innate interest Things People
Survival strategy Through self-interest, competition, hierarchy
Through relationships, empathy, connections
More overt emotions. ‘Whole picture’ – women need to understand why the task is chosen
and what they will achieve by it.
Consider how shouting or raising voice may affect your female athletes
Implications for coaching
Area of Difference Men Women
Intellectual function Analytical, focused,linear, logicalperspective
‘Whole-brained’perspective
Base reaction Action Feeling
Stress response Fight or flight Tend and befriend
Innate interest Things People
Survival strategy Through self-interest, competition, hierarchy
Through relationships, empathy, connections
More overt emotions. ‘Whole picture’ – women need to understand why the task is chosen
and what they will achieve by it.
Consider how shouting or raising voice may affect your female athletes
Don’t add to stress levels – try to alleviate them
Implications for coaching
Area of Difference Men Women
Intellectual function Analytical, focused,linear, logicalperspective
‘Whole-brained’perspective
Base reaction Action Feeling
Stress response Fight or flight Tend and befriend
Innate interest Things People
Survival strategy Through self-interest, competition, hierarchy
Through relationships, empathy, connections
More overt emotions. ‘Whole picture’ – women need to understand why the task is chosen
and what they will achieve by it.
Consider how shouting or raising voice may affect your female athletes
Don’t add to stress levels – try to alleviate them
Natural interest in people – team bonding isn’t a hindrance!
Implications for coaching
Area of Difference Men Women
Intellectual function Analytical, focused,linear, logicalperspective
‘Whole-brained’perspective
Base reaction Action Feeling
Stress response Fight or flight Tend and befriend
Innate interest Things People
Survival strategy Through self-interest, competition, hierarchy
Through relationships, empathy, connections
More overt emotions. ‘Whole picture’ – women need to understand why the task is chosen
and what they will achieve by it.
Consider how shouting or raising voice may affect your female athletes
Don’t add to stress levels – try to alleviate them
Natural interest in people – team bonding isn’t a hindrance!
Climate of personal improvement rather than internal competition
The Myths
A quiz! True or false
1.Women are more difficult to coach2.Women communicate differently3.Female athletes lack confidence and can’t
take criticism4.Female athletes are more worried about
fitting in than male counterparts5.Female athletes can’t train as hard when they
have their period6.Female athletes can’t/don’t want to work as
hard as men7.Female athletes don’t want to train alongside
men8.Women just want to chat to their mates9.Women are not competitive enough
•Women are often more open to being coached and new ways of doing things
•Female athletes can give coaches more initial respect and are more open in expressing their appreciation for good coaching.
•Women and girls can have a strong desire to please the coach
•There is some truth in this, but it shouldn’t make women more difficult to coach
•Women are more likely to open up and share their concerns or problems
•Listening and being listened to are also qualities that are valued by women.
•Female athletes will often be more likely to ask questions of the training programme or methods. They want to know WHY more.
• Women tend not to give themselves enough credit and are likely to put good performances and success down to luck rather than talent and hard work.
• Women’s confidence levels are also influenced far more by the opinions of those around them.
• A greater sense of not wanting to let the team down, and taking ownership of mistakes made.
• More sensitive to comments made, coaches need to consider when and how feedback is given
““And he’ll tear you to pieces, but he’ll also praise you when you do
something right. And I respect him so much.”
• Women want to maintain relationships with each other and not see themselves as ‘better’ than one another.
• The coach should value this trait as it can lead to a cohesive team.
• Encourage team building, away from training and matches
• Ensure female players have an opportunity to bond with each other beyond having a common competitive goal.
•It is generally accepted that menstruation does not interfere with a woman’s strength, speed, coordination or endurance.
•Various research with world-class female athletes show that the vast majority believe menstruation has absolutely no effect on their athletic performance.
•Female athletes have their own training requirements: physiologically; biomechanically; nutritionally; and even psychologically.
•An athlete’s capacity for hard work is down to the individual and is not dependant on gender.
“It would be tough. I think they’d be a certain element of maybe self-competition, so trying to better yourself in some kind of way, maybe
through fitness training and stuff and also I think it would have to be a tiring session. I always found that I play better when I’m tired.”
•Social interaction is important between female athletes
•Given that we know a harmonious team is often a successful team, coaches shouldn’t be overly concerned by the desire to chat.
•Consider building time into the training sessions to allow for this in a way that will be least disruptive to the actual practice.
• For some women this may be true, they may be embarrassed and self-conscious or feel that the male athletes dominate the session; however, this is very much down to individual choice.
• Some female athletes relish the challenge of being pushed by others to reach their potential and perhaps find this easier to do in a male-dominated environment where less value is placed on social interaction.
•It is true to say that women and girls are less likely to take part in organised competitive sport HOWEVER…
•For those women that do choose competitive sport, there is little evidence to suggest that ‘on the field’ they are any less aggressive or strong-willed than their male counterparts.
•Level of competition available is important
Organised and in control
Can be a role model and
mentor
Supports the individual as an athlete and as a
person
Highly qualified and continually
learning
Respects and listens to the
athlete
Understands what makes the
athlete tickMakes training sessions hard,
but fun and varied
Is committed to the athletes (and teams)
goals
Has high expectations of the athlete and challenges them
Provides regular feedback, both
constructive and positive
Organised and in control
Can be a role model and
mentor
Supports the individual as an athlete and as a
person
Highly qualified and continually
learning
Respects and listens to the
athlete
Understands what makes the
athlete tickMakes training sessions hard,
but fun and varied
Is committed to the athletes (and teams)
goals
Has high expectations of the athlete and challenges them
Provides regular feedback, both
constructive and positive
“But she doesn’t just coach as basketball, she helps us with problems outside of the court, you know; she’ll help us with job applications, getting into university,
helps us with... you know, pushing us in the right direction if we needed help when we were at university and we were doing assignments and things like that.”
“If I’ve got any problems with my work and I feel like I can’t commit completely to basketball, I know I’d be able to go to him. If I’ve got any problems, I could talk to him so I’ve got a good athlete/coach relationship with him.”
Organised and in control
Can be a role model and
mentor
Supports the individual as an athlete and as a
person
Highly qualified and continually
learning
Respects and listens to the
athlete
Understands what makes the
athlete tickMakes training sessions hard,
but fun and varied
Is committed to the athletes (and teams)
goals
Has high expectations of the athlete and challenges them
Provides regular feedback, both
constructive and positive
“It was a bit frustrating to say the least because it wasn’t as organised as it could have been. He wasn’t
as disciplined, he wasn’t a disciplinarian…”
“I think the authoritarian approach does work because when you’ve got too many... it’s like the saying like too
many cooks spoil the broth; if you’ve got too many players having their input and trying to say what they feel, by the time you’ve done all that you’ve got... you
just don’t know where you’re going to start…”
Organised and in control
Can be a role model and
mentor
Supports the individual as an athlete and as a
person
Highly qualified and continually
learning
Respects and listens to the
athlete
Understands what makes the
athlete tickMakes training sessions hard,
but fun and varied
Is committed to the athletes (and teams)
goals
Has high expectations of the athlete and challenges them
Provides regular feedback, both
constructive and positive
What do female athletes
want from a coach?
“I think coaches should go through and at the level we are at now, I think coaches have to listen to people
who have played for a long time and not just dismiss it but actually kind of think ok I understand that, and
kind of justify what they are doing.”
“I hope they would guide me and tell me how to do it, but then let me have some
input in if I think that’s the correct way to do it or not.”
Organised and in control
Can be a role model and
mentor
Supports the individual as an athlete and as a
person
Highly qualified and continually
learning
Respects and listens to the
athlete
Understands what makes the
athlete tickMakes training sessions hard,
but fun and varied
Is committed to the athletes (and teams)
goals
Has high expectations of the athlete and challenges them
Provides regular feedback, both
constructive and positive
“I have learnt some things with him and he has changed my way of thinking over
certain things, which is great. New ideas are coming in all of the time, as he has picked these up seeing other
coaches around the world and bought them in to us, and they are great. I use both, the old and the new techniques.”
A view from the
frontline
C J Lee
WSFF/Sportscoach UK factsheetsWSFF website:
www.wsff.org.uk/publications/fact-sheets/coaching-myth-buster
Sports coach UK website:http://www.sportscoachuk.org/index.php?PageID=3&sc=270
Coaches Association of British Columbia
http://www.coaches.bc.ca/coaching/publications/coaching-female-athletes
Cassie SmithHead of Insight and Innovation
[email protected] 7273 1742
