Some top tips…

1. Make sure the playing space and team culture works for girls – There are some basic things that coaches can do ahead of time to make sure that they are creating girl-centered environments. Some of these things have to do with the physical space, the language we use, the examples we elevate and the way be model behaviors. In some cases, such as facilities, coaches may not have direct control over these things. Regardless, it’s important for them to understand and advocate for the needs of the girls. Keeping children safe is everyone’s responsibility, and coaches should always prioritize the safety, security and well-being of young adults.

   Think about how you include girls, make time to reflect on how you include girls as part of your everyday approach. Talk to other coaches, parents, and the girls on the team about successes and challenges. Think about what kind of biases you might have when it comes to girls’ participation in sports and find ways to include players and parents in conversations about perceptions and misconceptions of female athletes. 

2. Create Connections with Girls – a healthy relationship with a caring adult, like a coach, can make a girl feel like they belong in sports and help to fuel her positive development. Coaches can model good decision-making and provide support; most importantly, a coach can help show a girl what is possible through sport. 

3. Let Girls Compete – Competition comes in many different shapes and sizes. Coaches have the ability to set up sports experiences so that girls have the chance to experience, become comfortable with and excel at all of them. Competition can be motivating for girls, and coaches should not shy away from challenging girls to improve as individuals, as a team and against others. When a coach’s approach to competition focuses on individual and team improvement and not just the final score, their feedback to their players is more personalised and engaging.

4. Focus On The Progress, Not The Outcome – The process of seeing yourself get better at something is incredibly powerful. Unfortunately, though, that power is wasted if girls aren’t conscious of the fact that they’ve improved. It’s the job of coaches to make sure they see their progress and, through that progress, undergo the transformation from feeling like they “can’t” to believing that they “can”. When coaches focus on progress and not performance outcomes, the definition of success changes. Not only are girls rewarded for winning games, but they are also celebrated for making progress on key sport and life skills that help them perform.

5. Encourage Girls To Be Brave, Not Perfect – For many girls, there is significant pressure to portray themselves in a positive light. Social media is one of the factors that influence girls to think that they always have to be perfect; but girls are typically celebrated and rewarded for being perfect, while boys are celebrated and rewarded for taking risks. This means girls are often socialised to be less likely than boys to try new things, especially when they aren’t sure whether or not they will be successful. But when they don’t try things, they miss out on the opportunity to discover what they enjoy and where they find success. You can’t learn something without being willing to take a risk and try something new.

In order for girls to be willing to try something new, we have to: 

• Create environments that reward bravery, not perfection. 
• Make girls feel safe to take risks, knowing that they won’t be judged and that the courage they use to take a risk will be rewarded. They have to know that what they bring to the team is valued and that their contribution matters. 
• Set expectations and give positive attention to and praise girls who try new things even more than those who perform skills well. When everyone understands that trying, even if they fail, is among their team’s most important values, you will see girls who feel safe to take risks.