"Basketball is basketball." That's the argument that coaching boys and girls is the same. I've coached girls over the past twenty years and share my observations.
Transparency is essential for men coaching girls. We invite parents to practice, pre- and post-game conversations, and pass communications (e.g. email) through parents. Transparency doesn't mean ceding decision-making but maximal parental awareness of the intent, style, and substance of your coaching.
Positivity adds value throughout coaching. Positivity promotes energy, confidence, and belief. Reinforce positivity in how we meet, how we prepare, how we talk, and how we watch video. When possible, communicate with 'sandwich technique' with criticism between positive comments. Language matters. "You played smart, aggressive ball AND you can grow your game" differs from "You played smart, aggressive ball BUT..." One word changes everything.
Recognize differences. The women's game is not the same as the men's. It's played mostly below the rim, has less physical explosiveness, and often relies more on technique than athleticism although both count. Winning the first step often wins the play. Women have narrowed gaps in athleticism, skill, and in creating separation both with and without the dribble. Within women's pro ball, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Diana Taurasi, A'ja Wilson, and many others play at consistently high levels.
Physicality varies a lot. One size doesn't fit all players. Elite girls' and women's teams have no shrinking violets, with hard screens, fierce rebounding, aggressive defenses, and 'first to the floor' mentality. Some girls relish the contact. But with younger players, we encounter girls who literally fear the size, athleticism, and toughness of their opponents. That holds them back with "alligator arm" rebounding and layups fading away to avoid contact. It's real. We can love the kids yet feel frustrated at the same time.
I reverse the foot placement, with the offensive player straddling the spacing line and the defender with both feet outside. We require the offensive player to score on one dribble. As the players get older, I disallowed contact to prevent injury. Keeping players healthy is critical and I never ran this drill on the asphalt.
Listening. Many girls have watched less basketball than boys. There are exceptions like Emily Tay, featured in "No Look Pass" (above) who learned by watching Allen Iverson tapes. The language is NOT appropriate for young girls to watch. When I emailed Harvard Coach Kathy Delaney-Smith, she explained, "I'm working on it."
Few girls think they "know-it-all." Most are more attuned to fundamental skill than showboating. "Average" boys are distinctly different in receiving coaching. Exceptional players thrive on coaching.
Psychology. Girls are competitors who want to do well and who want to win. But they can form cliques more readily than boys. Social relationships matter for players of both sexes. Cliques can lead to social isolation and in extreme cases to bullying, especially online via texting. Coaches need to have our finger on our teams' pulse to promote positive cultures and teamwork.
Coaching both girls and boys will always be rewarding and challenging. Recognize and celebrate the differences of both.
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