Is the following true?
Boys have to win to feel good
Girls have to feel good to win
This is a very simple phrase that has lots of implications.
It suggests that:
- Boys play sports for the thrill of winning while girls play sports for camaraderie.
- There is more psychological and emotional factors for girls before they start to play
- There are some post-game strategies that coaches should employ, depending on the sex of the players.
- The coaching relationship and overall team chemistry with girls has a bigger impact on their performance than it does for the boys.
So what are the implications as a coach?
1) If you coach girls, understand the importance of the emotional state of the players as well as team chemistry issues. Perhaps you need to address these issues rather than ignore them.
2) Maybe understand that the socializing that occurs during practice, with the appearance that the girls are not focused, is actually important to the team being able to perform at a high level. This socializing helps them bond which helps them perform better.
Kudda would love to hear your thoughts!!
I believe that both sexes are driven to excel, and win, based on the idea of having fun (feeling good) while they do it. Kids who are having fun while they play very rarely get “burned out” from the sport. I have coached plenty of boys who need to feel good in order to win, or play their best. I believe that Kudda is clearly correct in making the general statement about the boys winning to feel good and girls feeling good in order to win, but it definately works both ways. Being perfectly honest, there are plenty of teams on both sides that are going to win no matter how they feel ( as well as teams that are likely to lose for no matter how hard they try ) But please keep in mind how vital it is that all teh kids feel valued and cared for as a part of your team. I have seen teams over-achieve, come back from large defecites, and have fun each day, because they have some great relationships with their team (coaches and players alike)….. but may not be as talented as the teams the face day-in and day-out.