Coaching Female Athletes

LESSON WORKBOOK

MICHELE AMIDON

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Coaching Female Athletes

Physiological Considerations• Untilpubertytherearenomajordifferencesinbodycomposition,strength,enduranceorspeedbetweenboys

andgirls.Ingeneral,girlswillexperiencegrowthspurtsuptotwoyearsearlierthanboys.• Whenboysreachpuberty(aroundage13)greaterdifferencesbetweenthetwogendersbegintoemerge.Atthis

point,musclemassandstrengthgainsbegintodevelopatafasterratewithboys.Asgrowthratesdecelerate,the2-3yearadvantagegirlspossessedoverboysintermsofstrength,statureandbodymassbegintoleveloff.

• Attheyoungerageshockeysuccessisbasedonskill,agilityandcoordination.Asfemalesprogresstotheageofcontacttheyneedtorelyonsize/quickness,technicalskillanddecisionmaking/awarenesstoplayagainstandwithboyswhohavehitpuberty.Iftheypossessthesequalitiestheycanplayandexcelwithboysatthehighschool/Bantamandpossiblymidgetlevels.

• Example:Alotofparentsandcoachesthinkgirlscan’tshootpucksashardasboys.Thistheoryisuntrueattheyoungerages.Girlswhoaregiventhesamecoachingandopportunityforskilldevelopment(throughrepetition)willbeabletoshootthepuckashardasboys.

• Bodycontactisaskillthatmustbetaughtinpractice.Introducingbodycontactatthe8Uagelevelallowsfortheskilltobefullymasteredbythe14Uagelevel.Controlledbodycontactallowsplayerstolearnhowtotakeawaytimeandspacewhilegapcontrolmaybeachallengingskilltolearnascheckingisnotpermittedingirl’shockey.Femaleplayersneedtobestrong,agileskatersinordertoangleandclosethegapbetweenthemandtheiropponent.Itisimportanttoteachgirlsthatitisokaytobephysical.

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Coaching Female Athletes

• Example:Somecoachesfeelthatbecausethegameisanon-checkinggamethatitisnotphysical.Ifyouhaveeverseenawomen’scollegiate,nationalorOlympicgameyouknowthegameisextremelyphysical.Women’ssoccerandbasketballaregreatexampleofotherphysicalsports.

• PeakHeightVelocity(PHV)isevidenceofhormonalchangeandisdirectlyrelatedtothedevelopmentalageofathletes.PHVisameasureofthemaximumrateofgrowthinstatureduringagrowthspurt.TheageofmaximumvelocityofgrowthiscalledtheageatPHV.PHVisakeycomponentoftheLongTermAthleteDevelopment(LTAD)principles.Eachathletegrowsatadifferentrate;thereforeacoachcanhave,onthesameteamortraininggroup,early,averageand/orlatematurers.

o Onaverage,girlsstartgrowingtwoyearsbeforetheirmaleteammates.OnaveragegirlshittheirPeakHeightVelocityaroundage12whileboysreachPHVaround14yearsold.

o Femalesage11-15oftenweighmorethanmalesthesameage.Theyproducemoreestrogenthatkeepstheamountofbodyfatontheirbodieshigherthanboyswhoareproducingmoretestosterone.Thiscanbeanadvantageforfemalesintermsofstrength,statureandbodymass.

o Malesage15-18usuallyweighmorethanfemalesthesameage.

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Coaching Female Athletes

5 Basic Stages of Training and Performance: Critical Windows of Accelerated Adaptation

• The“critical/sensitive”periodsofacceleratedadaptationtotrainingneedstobeutilizedtohelptheathletemaximizetheirpotentialdevelopment.

1. Stamina (Endurance):TheoptimalwindowoftrainabilityoccursattheonsetofPeakHeightVelocity(PHV).Aerobiccapacity(themaximalamountofoxygenthebodyiscapableoftakingupandusingtoproduceenergyforlowerandmoderateintensitywork)trainingisrecommendedbeforeathletesreachPHV.Aerobiccapacityshouldbeintroducedprogressivelyaftergrowthratedecelerates.

2. Strength:TheoptimalwindowoftrainabilityforgirlsisimmediatelyafterPHVorattheonsetofmenarche,whileforboysitis12to18monthsafterPHV.

• Manyparentsandcoachesdonotunderstandtheimportanceofstrengthtraining(weightsorbodyweight)forgirlsforperformanceandinjuryprevention.WeseeandfindmanystrengthandfunctionalmovementdeficienciesinplayerswhoattendSelect14,15,16&17NationalPlayerDevelopmentCampsaswellasourcollegiateU18andseniorNationalTeamandOlympicplayers.50%ofsportinjuriesarecausedbyoveruse.Weseeplayersatalllevelswhohavesufferedmultipleinjuriesduetolackofemphasisonstrengthtraining,prehab,rehab,andbasicfunctionalmovementtrainingduringthefemalestrengthwindow1&2(windowsofacceleratedtrainability).Weighttrainingisimportantandextremelyuseful-ithelpspreventinjuries,buildpower,strengthandflexibility.

• StrengthandConditioningRecommendations(beginningatage12forfemales):1. Includedynamicwarm-ups,cooldowns,andbasicbodyweightcircuits-possiblyincludinga

stabilityball,medicineball,quicknessladder,etc.2. Coreworkisessential.Learningtoactivatecorestabilizerstoprotectthespineandimprove

movementqualityshouldbetheprimaryfocus.3. Developathletesfirst.Iftheyaren’tathleticofftheiceitwillbedifficultforthemto

playthegamewell.4. Workwithstrengthandconditioningexpertswhenpossibletoimplementprehabandrehab

exercisesintoyourteam’sworkoutstoavoidcommonfemaleinjuries:ACLtears,labrumtears(hip&shoulders),PatellaFemoralSyndromeandFemaleAthleteTriadsyndrome.

3. Speed 1-Segmentedspeedintervalslessthan5seconds:agility,quickness,changeofdirection-linear,lateralandmulti-directionalwithin2-3strides.Girls’optimaltimefortrainingspeed(period#1)isbetweentheagesof6-8.Speed 2-Anaerobiccapacityandpower-chaoticspeed5-20seconds.OptimalSpeedperiod#2occursbetweentheagesof11-13.

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Coaching Female Athletes

4. Skill:Thewindowforoptimalskilltrainingforgirlsoccursbetweentheagesof8-11whileboystakesplacebetween9-12.

a. ABCs-Agility,Balance&Coordinationoptimalskillacquisitionforgirlsisbetweentheagesof8-11.Thiswindowoftrainabilitycanbe2-3yearsshorterforfemalesthenmalesplacingextremeimportanceonskillacquisition.

b. Latedevelopers(thosethathitpubertylaterthantheirteammates)haveanadvantagewhenitcomestolearningskillsastheLearntoTrainStagelastslongerforthem.Onaverage,girls(11-15)hitpuberty2-3yearsbeforeboys(13-16)sotheyareatadisadvantage.ThisputsmoreofacriticalemphasisontheskilldevelopmentduringtheFundamental(6-8)andLearntoTrainStages(8-11).

c. Skills,Speed,Strength,SupplenessandStaminaarealwaystrainablebutitisvitaltotakeadvantageofthewindowsoftrainabilityinorderfortheathletetoreachherfullathleticgenericpotential.

5. Flexibility (suppleness):Theoptimalperiodforgirlsoccursbetweentheagesof6-8.Specialattentiontoflexibilityshouldbepaidduringandafterthegrowthspurt(PHV).Ifplayersareactiveinhockeyandotherphysicalactivities/sportsinvolvingwater,land,airand/oriceandsnowsupplenesswilloccuronitsown.

Communication, Motivation and Self-Esteem

“With women, your effectiveness is through your ability to relate. They have to feel that you care about them personally or have some kind of connection with them beyond the game…..to be an

effective leader of a men’s team, you don’t need personal rapport as long as there is respect. That’s the extent of the relationship. That’s all that’s really required. But in a women’s team, respect is

only part of it, and it is derived from a personal relationship. Women have to have a sense that you care for them above and beyond their (athletic) abilities.”

— Anson Dorrance comments on motivating females.

Communication• Thebestcoachesareeffectiveandstrategiccommunicators.Communicationisthekeyin

deliveringyourmessage.• Themethodsusedfordeliveringinformationandfeedbackwillaffectperformance.Keepconfrontationsprivate

withtheplayerandanotherstaffmember.• Younggirlsaregenerallynotusedtoaharshstyleofcoachingandusuallywillnotrespondwell.Don’tbein

theirfacesandconfrontational.Bepositiveandfindtherightcoachingmomenttoconveyyourmessage.• Takeahumanisticapproach;respectthem,communicatewiththemandaskthemwhattheyneed.

“Coach us like men, treat us like women.” — Mia Hamm

• Letyourplayersparticipateinthedecision-makingprocess,createleadersandallowthemtoaskquestions.Playersaremorelikelytobuyintoyourcoachingplaniftheyhaveavoiceandopportunitiestoembraceleadershiproles.Ultimatelyitistheplayer’steam…….givethemandletthemfeelasenseofownership.

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Coaching Female Athletes

• Usethe‘SandwichTheoryofCriticism.’o Startwithpositivefeedbacko Followthiswith3piecesofinformation.Thisincludes(1)whathappened,(2)whatshouldhave

happenedand(3)whyisshouldhavehappened.o Finishwithonemorepieceofpositiveencouragement.o Thisfeedbackshouldbedeliveredinaconstructivemanner.Positivefeedbackandinteraction

breedssuccess.• Malesandfemaleshavedifferentconversationalstyles.Females,ingeneral,prefersmallworkinggroups.

Thecoachneedstocreateaconnection/relationshipwithplayersinordertobesuccessful.Girlsaregenerallymoreempathetic.Theyusetheirverbalskills-wanttoknow‘why?’and‘how?’Theywillreacttohowsomethingissaid-theymaynotevenhearthemessageifyourbodylanguageandtonedon’tmatchyourmessage.Femaleswillexpressemotionsmoreopenly.Thisisnotasignofweaknessbutasignofcommunication-expressingtheirfeelings.

• Whencommunicatingwithyourplayers,thinkaboutyourbodylanguage,facialexpressionsandtone.Maintaineyecontactwhileyouaretalkingorlistening.Beforeapproachingtheathlete,contemplatewhatyouwantfromthem.Don’tmakeassumptionsthattheyunderstandorautomaticallyknowwhatyouwantorarethinking.Trynottoyell.Askyourselfwhyyouareyelling.Isitbecauseoftheirbehaviororyouremotions?Asacoach,itisimportanttocheckyouegoatthedoor.Remember,itisabouttheplayers.Ifyouareemotional,calmdownbeforeanyinteraction.

• Think“Sell,notyell.”

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Coaching Female Athletes

Motivation• Girlsandboyshaveaneedforautonomy,theneedtofeelcaredaboutandasenseofbelonging.

Girlscarrytheseneedsintothelockerroom,andontotheice.• Team/coachrelationshipisimportanttothesuccessandgrowthoftheplayer.• Femalesaremotivatedbypleasingothers.Gettoknowyourplayersoutsideofjusttheirhockeyskills.• Involvetheminteamdecisionsandbeempathetic.• Femaleathletestendtowanttodeveloprelationshipswithcoachesandpreferthosewhocommunicateopenly

andareempathetic.Theyneedacoachwhocaresforthemasapersonandathlete.However,asanadultandauthoritativefigure,youmustfollowtheappropriateboundariesthatandnotgotoofaroutsideofjusthockey.

“The young female athlete is driven, committed and disciplined. They want to be coached and can appreciate and process constructive feedback. Most are not receptive to strong language or screaming.

They want a clear understanding of their value and know they are continuing to develop. Often time’s young female athletes don’t grasp the balance of work versus rest ratio. Their tendency is to push to

exhaustion. Coaches and parents need to be mindful of this pitfall.” — Katey Stone, Head Coach 2011 USA Women’s National Team

• Acoach’sstyleformotivatinggirlsmayneedtobedifferentwhencomparedtomotivatingboys.o Positivecommunicationdeliveredconsistently,alongwithconstructivefeedbackwillearnthe

respectandtrustofyourplayers.o Buildtheconfidenceofyourplayersinsteadofattackingit.o Askquestionsofeachathlete.Findouthowsheisthinkingandfeeling.Activelylistenwithout

makingassumptions.o Validatetheirfeelings.Showcompassionandunderstandingabouttheirfeelingsbeforeyougive

adviceonhowtofixorrectifyasituation.

Self-Esteem• Femaleintrapersonalcharacteristics:

Competence-AmIgoodenoughConfidence-WillIstandout,fitin?Autonomy-DoIhaveavoice?

• Manygirlshavelowself-esteem.Ifyoufindaplayerstrugglingemotionallyorbeyondnormallevelsofinsecurityoryoufeeltheymaybedealingwithdepressionnotifyherparents.Therearenationalconcernsovertherisingnumberofyoungfemaleteensuicidesandthepressurestheyputonthemselves.

• Girlslovephysicalactivityanditcanhelpbuildconfidence.• Createanenvironmentinwhichtheywillsucceedineverypracticeandgame.Successbreedsconfidenceand

confidencebreedssuccessandpassionforthegame.• Avoidcomparingoneteammatetoanother:comparisonscanhurtagirl’sconfidence.Thecomparisontends

tomaketheplayerfocusontheirweaknesses.Theywillfeellessthantheirteammate.Everyplayerbringssomethinguniqueandvaluabletotheteamandthegame.Focusonselfimprovementthroughgoalsetting.

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Coaching Female Athletes

Team Dynamics: Team Work and Team Building“Girls crave and thrive off of communication and feedback…whether it comes from coaches, teammates,

sport psych individuals, etc. In my personal experience, team building/unity activities in which females can share their thoughts, feelings, emotions, habits, weaknesses, and strengths with each other creates a very

strong team dynamic. This team dynamic, is an essential part to the success of the team on the ice.” — Meaghan Duggan- 2010 USA Women’s Olympic Team member and 2011 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner

• FemaleInterpersonal(social)characteristics:Attachment/relationshipswithfriendsandadultsChallengeofCompetitionTeamWork

• Girlsthriveinacooperativeenvironment.• Femalesvalueattachment,intimacyandinterdependence.Femalesfearrejection,isolationandabandonment.

Girlsbondandformalliancesthroughconversationwhileboysbondandformalliancesthroughsharedactivity.• Teambuildingcanprovetobeverycriticalforfemales—allowsthemtimetobondthroughinteractionand

communicationandsocialization.• Femalesuseconversationsasatimetoshareanddeveloprelationshipswiththeirteammates.Ithelpsunite

andbuildtrustbetweenoneanother.• Themaleplayeroftengainsacceptancethroughhisperformanceandafemaleplayerneedsacceptanceto

performwell.Inorderforthemtoputthemselvesonthelineandmakesacrificesfortheirteamtheymustfeelacceptedfirst.

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Coaching Female Athletes

“For women, sport is a social activity as much as a competitive one.” — Kathy Deboer• Femalesdownplaysuccessastheydon’twanttosoundarrogant.Theymayevenblamesuccessonluckor

contributesuccesstoteamwork.Boystendtoblameothersfortheirfailuresandmistakesortake100%creditfortheirsuccessandachievements.

• Competitionandpersonalrelationshipsareintertwined.Theirteammatesaretheirfriends.• Teamchemistry–conceptofselflessness…encourageteambuildingandcohesiveness• Femalesvaluefriendshipsandcanfocusonteamunity• Mostgirlsliketomakedecisionsthroughcollaborationandteamconsensus.

“Each gender approaches competitive situations from a vastly different context. Girls come to the gym seeking to bond as a means to success; boys battle to achieve the same thing. Women enter the workplace predisposed to connect to achieve goals; men compete to achieve goals. Both want to win and both want

results, but they hold markedly different ideas on how to access their aspirations.” — Kathy Deboer

Process Driven versus Results Driven• Femalesaremoreprocessorientedandeveniftheydon’twin,theyfeelasenseofaccomplishmentwhenthey

reachatraininggoal.Coachesneedtohelpfemalessetmilestones/goalsandtofocusontheprocess.Boysaremoreresultoriented-wewonbecauseIscoredagoal.Girls-wewonbecauseofgreatteamworkandeveryonewasworkinghardindividually.Processdrivenvs.resultcoacheswillbemoresuccessfulwithfemales.

• RoleofaCoach-Theathletesexperienceshouldbeabouttheprocessinsteadoftheoutcome.Don’tworryabouttheresultsonthescoreboard.Makesuretheyaredevelopingandhavingfun.Studiesshowgirlsaremoreprocessorientedingoalsettingandboysaremorefocusedongoalsettingfortheendresult.

“Females generally have a higher tolerance than males for the mundanity of repetitive drills. Their process focus means they pay more attention to the details of particular skills and are more attuned to technical specifics. A drill-based training regimen also allows them to bond with each other and the coach

through non-confrontational, method-focused activities. The valuation of process over outcome allows groups of females a synergy of spirit in practice settings rarely available for male groups.”

— Kathy Deboer

• Girlsaretaskoriented.• Sportshelpteachgirlstobeassertiveandtaskorientedwhilefunctioningaspartofateam.• Boysseemtobemuchmoreliteralwhilegirlsareprocess-oriented.Theywillquestion,notbecausetheywant

totestyou,butbecausetheyarelookingatthefinaloutcome.• Giveeachfemaleplayeraroleontheteamsoshefeelslikeavaluedcontributor.• Createrealisticteamandindividualgoals.Teamgoalswillcreateasenseofunity.Holdthemaccountable

withinreason.

Cultural / Societal Implications“Society often positions women to just fit in. We coach them, however, to stand out,

to make a difference, and for woman that can be an incredibly empowering experience.” -— Tony DiCicco

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Coaching Female Athletes

• Boysaretraditionallyencouragedtojoinsportsatayoungage.Girlsaren’tofferedthisopportunityasoften.Girlswhostartfundamentalskilltraininglaterareatahugedisadvantage.Thishurtstheirathletesuccessandconfidence.Workontheirskillsets,selfesteemandconfidence.

• Createanenvironmentwheretheycanbesuccessful.Manyfemalesplayonmaledominatedteamsorteamswithmultipleskilllevels.Ensureyourplayersarereceivingenoughrepetitionsinordertodevelopthegame’sfundamentalskills.

• Girlsarejustascapableasboysofdealingwithintensesportscompetition.• Teachyourfemaleathletesthatitisokaytobeaggressive,competitiveandassertivewithinpracticesand

againsttheopponent.• Don’tbelittleboyswhileencouraginggirls.Thistacticactuallyembarrassesbothgendersandcreates

anegativeenvironment.Someplayersarebetterthanotherplayersregardlessofgender.Createagenderneutralenvironment.

• Avoidusinglanguagelike“sissy”or“youplaylikeagirl.”Thesestatementsonlyminimizefemaleathleticsanddemoralizemaleathletes.

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Coaching Female Athletes

• Encouragegirls(andtheirparents)toenrollinmultiplesports.Encouragegirlstoplay3sportsuntilhighschool.Ifsheendsuptakingtheadvanced/highperformanceplayerdevelopmenttrackinhighschool,shemayneedtofocuson1or2sportsonceshereachestheageof16.

• 54%ofourfemaleplayersdon’tmakeittothesquirtlevel:makeitfunforthegirls.Duringstationwork/practicesplacegirlstogetherforatleast2/3oftheallottedtimesotheycaninteractwiththeirfemalepeers/teammates.Ifskilllevelisappropriate,trytohavegirlsoneachteamforcrossicegames(8U).It’simportanttostressfunandskilldevelopment.Workwithallplayers;don’tassignthemlabels(defense,goalies,weakskater,etc.)atyoungages.An8-year-oldisonlyan8-year-oldonce.Wedon’tknowat8whattheywillbeat14,16or18yearsold.

• Girlslovesportsandcompetition.Givenachanceanddirectiontheywillplayandthrive!Seekoutopportunitiestoexposeyourplayerstohighlevelwomen’shockeysuchascollegegamesortheUSWomen’sNationalTeam.

• Makethefemalegamevisibletoyourplayerswheneverpossibleandtrytocreatementorsandrolemodels.

Additional Resources• CreatingOpportunitiesattheCollegiateLevelStartsattheGrass-Roots

www.usahockeymagazine.com

• OpportunitiesforGirlsinHockeywww.usahockeymagazine.com

• QuickSilver:AdventureGames,InitiativeProblems,TrustActivitiesandaGuidetoEffectiveLeadershipbyKarlRohnkeandSteveButler

• CatchThemBeingGood:EverythingYouNeedtoKnowtoSuccessfullyCoachGirlsbyDiCicco,HackerandSalzberg

• GenderandCompetition:HowMenandWomenApproachWorkandPlayDifferentlybyKathleenDeboer

• GamesGirlsPlay:UnderstandingandGuidingYoungFemaleAthletesbyCarolineSibly

• BuilttoWin:TheFemaleAthleteasCulturalIconbyLeslieHeywoodandShariL.Dworkin

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Coaching Female Athletes

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