Comments on: Looking Further At Coaching Coed http://onthepitch.org/2006/09/10/looking-further-at-coaching-coed/ Thoughts on Youth Soccer from a Soccer Dad, Fan, Coach and Administrator Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:47:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Sean http://onthepitch.org/2006/09/10/looking-further-at-coaching-coed/comment-page-1/#comment-4850 Sean Mon, 18 Sep 2006 19:52:51 +0000 http://onthepitch.org/2006/09/10/gender-followup/#comment-4850 I have a team of 2nd graders and one of 5th graders. I am working with both on communication, but naturally much more with the 5th graders. I harp on it with every activity we do. I tell them constantly I can know who is winning just by listening, the more talkative team wins. I stop them if its too quiet, and very importantly I stop to point out and praise when I hear someone doing something other than calling for the ball. Its part of my "make your teammates better" theme I have a team of 2nd graders and one of 5th graders.

I am working with both on communication, but naturally much more with the 5th graders. I harp on it with every activity we do.
I tell them constantly I can know who is winning just by listening, the more talkative team wins. I stop them if its too quiet, and very importantly I stop to point out and praise when I hear someone doing something other than calling for the ball.

Its part of my “make your teammates better” theme

]]> By: Soccer Dad http://onthepitch.org/2006/09/10/looking-further-at-coaching-coed/comment-page-1/#comment-4456 Soccer Dad Sun, 10 Sep 2006 15:47:46 +0000 http://onthepitch.org/2006/09/10/gender-followup/#comment-4456 Excellent points all around! Will definitely give it a try. Excellent points all around! Will definitely give it a try.

]]> By: Joanna http://onthepitch.org/2006/09/10/looking-further-at-coaching-coed/comment-page-1/#comment-4454 Joanna Sun, 10 Sep 2006 15:22:50 +0000 http://onthepitch.org/2006/09/10/gender-followup/#comment-4454 This is a great post, very thoughtful and full of information about what things are like from the coaching side. Like many of your other posts, it's great to read because it makes it that much easier to understand what's going on on that side of things. <i>If I had to come up with one thing I had to work with the girls more than the boys, it would be calling for the ball. None of the kids are eager to yell out, but overall the girls loathe the idea. "Coach - it’s embarrassing!" I’m still trying to figure out how best to approach that. Any ideas out there?</i> You're right about this. I can't speak for other girls or women, but for me, it IS embarrassing. But, the thing that's embarrassing is not calling for the ball. The thing that's embarrassing is calling for the ball and not getting it! It's like any situation where you talk and are ignored, eventually you shut up. Girls get much more pressure from our culture than boys do to shut up when our contributions aren't being valued. So that's what we're up against. One thing that could help with that is that, even if the girl doesn't get the ball, that somehow she is acknowledged. Especially if the play is shut down without a goal. If I called for the ball and didn't get it, and the person who didn't pass were to say something afterward, anything to acknowledge I was there and they knew it, that would help. "I couldn't get it to you because the big guy was in the way," or "Sorry, next time I'll push it out to you," or whatever. It seems like it would be rather difficult to train your team to do that, but it may be worth trying. Maybe a communication game in practice. You set up an attack situation, and anyone who's open calls for the ball, loudly, and the person who has the ball HAS to respond either by saying "Pass" (and doing it) or "Hold" and doing that. It has the added bonus of if they always say "Hold" they end up looking like the piggy they are and maybe being shamed into passing. I think with a bit of tweaking this game could serve a number of purposes - if you're seeing options they aren't seeing or using, you could blow the whistle to freeze them in place and show them - but also, some positive reinforcement for calling for the ball, in the form of "yeah I heard you," is one thing that would benefit your shy girls. This is a great post, very thoughtful and full of information about what things are like from the coaching side. Like many of your other posts, it’s great to read because it makes it that much easier to understand what’s going on on that side of things.

If I had to come up with one thing I had to work with the girls more than the boys, it would be calling for the ball. None of the kids are eager to yell out, but overall the girls loathe the idea. “Coach – it’s embarrassing!” I’m still trying to figure out how best to approach that. Any ideas out there?

You’re right about this. I can’t speak for other girls or women, but for me, it IS embarrassing. But, the thing that’s embarrassing is not calling for the ball. The thing that’s embarrassing is calling for the ball and not getting it! It’s like any situation where you talk and are ignored, eventually you shut up. Girls get much more pressure from our culture than boys do to shut up when our contributions aren’t being valued. So that’s what we’re up against.

One thing that could help with that is that, even if the girl doesn’t get the ball, that somehow she is acknowledged. Especially if the play is shut down without a goal. If I called for the ball and didn’t get it, and the person who didn’t pass were to say something afterward, anything to acknowledge I was there and they knew it, that would help. “I couldn’t get it to you because the big guy was in the way,” or “Sorry, next time I’ll push it out to you,” or whatever. It seems like it would be rather difficult to train your team to do that, but it may be worth trying.

Maybe a communication game in practice. You set up an attack situation, and anyone who’s open calls for the ball, loudly, and the person who has the ball HAS to respond either by saying “Pass” (and doing it) or “Hold” and doing that. It has the added bonus of if they always say “Hold” they end up looking like the piggy they are and maybe being shamed into passing. I think with a bit of tweaking this game could serve a number of purposes – if you’re seeing options they aren’t seeing or using, you could blow the whistle to freeze them in place and show them – but also, some positive reinforcement for calling for the ball, in the form of “yeah I heard you,” is one thing that would benefit your shy girls.

]]>