How to Coach Girls (Review by Christy Mihaly)

Heads up! 
Many parents and educators struggle with helping our girls maintain a healthy self-esteem through the difficult adolescent years. Studies find that participation in organized sports is one way to encourage girls to find their own strength. But many girls quit sports.

If you've parented, coached, or watched female athletes, you may have noticed that males and females approach athletics differently. But coaches don't always know how to adjust their approaches to account for these differences.

Mia Wenjen

Now, Mia Wenjen (who blogs about education and multicultural books at "PragmaticMom.com") and Alison Foley (Boston College Women's Soccer Head Coach) have co-written a book, How to Coach Girls. Published this month by Audrey Press, it's a much-needed practical manual for coaches and parents. 

Alison Foley

What inspired the authors to write this book? A statistic: Girls quit organized sports at six times the rate of boys. Given the well-established benefits of participating in organized athletics (such as improved health, social skills, motor coordination, and strong friendships), Wenjen and Foley wanted to educate coaches about how to retain girls on their teams. 

How to Coach Girls is informed by the personal experiences of both authors as well as Foley's coaching background. The two women are friends, brought together by their own soccer-playing daughters. Their book is based on research including interviews with coaches. My own informal survey of coaching parents confirmed -- coaches need this book. According to Vermont author and girls' coach Mark Freeman, many girls have limited options when seeking to play on athletic teams. If they end up on boys' teams, they--and their parents--are often unhappy with the lack of coaching attention the girls receive.

Marekpramuka [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]Wikimedia Commons

What's the best way to keep girls on teams? Mia Wenjen says, "What we learned is that research shows the number one reason why kids play sports is to have fun. But for girls, 'fun' means being valued and respected." Winning, she explains, is less important than just having fun as part of the team.

The book starts by identifying differences in the ways girls and boys approach sports. For example, the authors report that girls are more likely than boys to doubt their abilities and to seek approval, and that girls have a greater need to know where they stand with the coach. Boys tend to be more confident, and more willing to perform for a coach they don't feel connected to, and they are more likely to inflate their own abilities. Coach Mark Freeman observes that when a coach criticizes the team as a whole, "boys externalize criticism and feedback while girls internalize it." By this he means "if you tell the boys that we as a team are getting beat on defense, the boys take the criticism as other players not doing their job or as a failure as a team, whereas many girls take that criticism on themselves." Based on such insights, How to Coach Girls gives readers a series of practical pointers for working effectively with girls.

Jarek Tuszyński[CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Part One of the book, "The Big Picture," explains background concepts such as promoting a growth mindset in players, and developing players who are also good people. The second part offers approaches to specific issues such as building players' self-confidence, handling losing streaks, and avoiding cliques among teammates. The final section gives coaches concrete tools including model codes of conduct for players and parents, checklists for pre-season preparation, and constructive forms for player evaluations.

Brisbane City Council [CC BY 2.0(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]Wikimedia Commons

How to Coach Girls focuses on fostering a love of sport. If girls have fun and make friends on the team, they're more likely to stay. This doesn't mean girls can't be competitive. But the key is making the competition fun. 
Here are some of the book's practical examples: 

• Make it clear that the main goal is fun.
• Recognize girls for their improvement (not only talent) and praise those who show the courage to try and fail.
• Rotate team captain duties to give all team members a chance.
• Be clear about expectations so girls aren't in the dark.
• Avoid letting teams break into cliques by forming new groups at each practice.
• Keep practice drills engaging by creating lively variations, such as those that mix sports: Soccer Baseball!
• Avoid exacerbating girls' body image issues -- don't refer to players by their physical size.
• Develop a good understanding of each player as an individual, and know what level of feedback and encouragement she needs.
• Participate in team projects that involve service to the community.
• Set clear expectations for positive parent participation -- no Crazy Sports Parents screaming at refs and players -- and enforce that parent code of conduct.
• Let them eat cake!

Erica's Edibles, https://ericasedibles.wordpress.com/2014/11/01/soccer-cake/

Eat cake? The authors emphasize that it's not healthy to focus excessively on "healthy eating." When a girl celebrates her birthday, let the team eat cake! As Alison Foley says, it's not so much about the cake, as about "the fuel of happiness." Being celebrated with sweet treats tells team members that they're appreciated. "Celebrating individual milestones (a great test grade, first communion, bat mitzvahs, first goal) are all great reasons to bring in a little sugar. It does volumes for your team spirit!" Foley explains.

How to Coach Girls is a welcome practical guide for adults who wish to help girls succeed in sports -- and in their lives. Some of the recommendations would no doubt go a long way to improving the experiences of many boys in athletics, as well. Thanks go to Wenjen and Foley, two moms who saw the need and wrote the book!

More resources and book information are available at this website.

This review is based on an advance reader copy which I received in exchange for an honest review.  ~CM

Meet Author Darlene Beck-Jacobson ~By Suzy Leopold

When not writing, she is baking or sewing. Even though she's never 

had a ride in a carriage like the one in her story, she hopes to one day. 

I would like to introduce to you:

Darlene Beck~Jacobson

Q1: Tell us about your book Wheels of Change.
Racial intolerance, social change, sweeping progress. It is a turbulent time growing up in 1908. 

For twelve year old EMILY SOPER, life in Papa’s carriage barn is magic. Emily is more at home hearing the symphony of the blacksmith’s hammer, than trying to conform to the proper expectations of females. 

Many prominent people own Papa’s carriages. He receives an order to make one for President Theodore Roosevelt. Papa’s livelihood becomes threatened by racist neighbors, and horsepower of a different sort.  Emily is determined to save Papa’s business even if she has to go all the way to the President.

Wheels of Change

I am thrilled to announce that the book recently received two honors: 

Wheels of Change has been chosen as a Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2015 by the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) and the Children’s Book Council (CBC). And, it was also chosen as one of this years 2014 Mighty Girls Books.

Q2: Tell us about the research that you did for your book.
A:   The story began with two facts I discovered while researching my family tree: My grandmother received an invitation to attend a reception at the White House under TR and got to meet him.  Her father made carriages in and around DC at the turn of the Twentieth Century.  The idea for WHEELS OF CHANGE sprang from there.

    

Once I had a story idea it was then a matter of setting the scene to make it as authentic as possible.  I visited a working carriage factory, spent time watching a blacksmith work his magic, and corresponded with experts regarding historical tidbits.  Since the story is set in Washington DC, I contacted the Smithsonian, White House Historical Society, DC Historical Society, Henry Ford Museum, and other places to get answers to the many questions I had.  Everyone I asked was more than willing to assist me; if they had no answer, they referred me to someone who did.  That part still amazes me.  There are many passionate experts in various fields that are thrilled to share their knowledge.  Never be afraid to ask.

I’ve done a blog tour last fall with more than twenty stops, attended the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Conference in Chicago last month, Presented at conferences, and was a featured author at An Open Book Program in DC.

I am also doing numerous school visits and guest blog posts.  It is an ongoing process.  I am learning a lot and meeting so many wonderful people in person and online as well.

Darlene Beck-Jacobson

Q3: What is your current WIP or what is your next project?
A:   I’ve written a historical PB that is out for consideration.  TOGETHER ON OUR KNEES tells about the childhood of Matilda Joslyn Gage – a suffragist and abolitionist from NY – whose childhood was filled with anti-slavery activity and whose house was a stop on the Underground Railroad (URR).

Q4: If you could invite five authors to dinner who would you choose?
A:   Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird), John Green (The Fault in Our Stars), J K Rowling (Harry Potter Series), Mo Willems (PB books), Kate DiCamillo (Flora and Ulysses, and many others).  I think it would be a lively and provocative discussion as well as fun filled evening.

Q5: How do you come up with ideas to write about?
A:   Ideas are everywhere. It could be a photo or a great phrase or quote from another book I’ve read that sparks an idea.  Sometimes a quirky character or person I’ve met or seen begs to have a story told.  The more I read, the more ideas pop into my head.  I doubt I’ll ever be able to write about them all.

Q6: What inspires you to write?
A:   I’m inspired by a love of history, family stories, and wanting to share something unique with young people.

Q7: What words of wisdom or best piece of advice do you have for aspiring writers?
A:   Be persistent.  Never give up.  If you honestly work at writing and desire to be the best you can be, listen and use critiques to improve your craft.  Write something everyday – even if it’s just an idea or character sketch you’ll flesh out later.  As with anything else we set out to master, good writing takes practice and effort to make it better. And, Read! Great! Books! Nothing inspires me more than reading the best children’s literature.

Q8: Where can readers find out more about you? 
Blog: GOLD FROM THE DUST: Bringing Stories to Life

Blog: Smack Dab in the Middle

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dustbunnymaven

You Tube:  A Book Trailer for Wheels of Change
Finally, followers and readers of our GROG Blog, Darlene Beck~Jacobson has generously offered to share a signed copy of Wheels of Change with one winner. Please make a comment on this blog post and visit our Facebook page GROG:Collective Curiosity for chances to win.

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