To be an effective coach at any level today, a coach must understand the "audience" he is trying to lead. In particular I am looking at the differences between coaching females and males. I have a friend that is considering "jumping" over the gender barrier from coaching males to females. For him to be effective he must consider several key differences in approach. First of all there has to be an understanding in how he critcizes the female athlete in his coaching. Female athletes have a tendency to take a coach's criticism personally and it affects their confidence. They will have a tendency to tie the criticism to their perception of how the coach sees and views them on a personal level. As for the male athlete, they have a tendency to take criticism and blame other teammates for the failure rather than taking the blame individually.
Secondly, if my friend is to be effective in making the transition to coaching females he better understand the difference between team chemistry regarding both genders. For females, working together is a very important factor. There is a need to have support of fellow teammates to succeed. For the males it is more hierarchical in who the dominate person is on the team. Coaches for male teams to be effective have to make sure that they are all on the same page.
These are just a few differences and areas that coaches need to be aware of in coaching the different genders. What do you think?
