Clare Daniels of the English Football Association has offered her insights as to what teenage girls need from coaches and those responsible for facilitating sport for young people. Take a look at her top tips below

Change and evolve the adult/child hierarchy 

by that we mean they are seeking peer acceptance and will listen to and respect/respond to their friends more than you as the adult deliverer! So, your role is to keep them safe and facilitate the session based on their choices

How Could you do this?

• Facilitate do not lead
• Listen and act based on what you hear, not what you see!
• Explain the WHY
• Help them to manage time – create the structure of the session and stick to it

Give them autonomy and choice 

to make their own decisions about how to take part, who with and for how long

How Could you do this?

• Allow the girls to take breaks when they want to. If they need the loo, just let them go!
• Be patient, this is a journey, making decisions will take time but it will reduce as they get used to it over the weeks – along with your active involvement diminishing.
• Challenge the perfectionist mindset, encourage the girls to push themselves, try new things and celebrate when it goes wrong

Help them manage their emotions and behaviours 

to ensure that these sessions are a place of safety and security, that helps them discover who they are.

How Could you do this?

• Support their needs, identify emotions-call them out and help them to associate reactions with internal emotions
• Encourage girls to recognise the contribution that EVERY person brings and celebrate that within the social challenges. Their football competency needs can be met during Play, Practice, Compete.
• It is okay if YOU have an emotional or behavioural reaction at some point – we are all human!

Create a sense of belonging so that everyone feels that they can contribute

and that contribution is valued and listened to!

How Could you do this?

• Set the tone at the start of the session with the girls leading a welcome – especially for any new or returning members
• Ensure everyone is listened to and valued equally – a sense of belonging provides psychological safety
• Just make sure every girl is involved in the decision making from the start and if needs be, use a ball to allow that person to speak if structure is required – or break it down into think, pair, share!
• Utilise the Power of Youth Voice to ensure every girls feels comfortable to share their opinion, and that every opinion is equally as important

Remove the barriers to making group decisions and managing conflict

by facilitating these discussions offering them choice to play, practise and compete

How Could you do this?

• Be prepared for the potential conflict that could arise when girls choose if they want to Play, Practice or Compete in each session, as well as, from week 4 onwards when they can choose to repeat a warm-up activity from a previous week or do a new one! Initially, play a more active role as the girls learn how to negotiate
• Just make sure every girl is involved in the decision making from the start and if needs be, use a ball to allow that person to speak if structure is required – or break it down into think, pair, share!
• Utilise the Power of Youth Voice to ensure every girls feels comfortable to share their opinion, and that every opinion is equally as important

Be open to feedback

so that these RECREATIONAL sessions truly meet what these girls want

How Could you do this?

• Listen, learn and adapt – remember it isn’t about you, it is about the girls!
• Utilise the Power of Youth Voice to drive the sessions forward
• Do not take feedback personally or grow resentment towards them. Remember they are growing and changing too. i.e., something they like one week, they might not like the next! That’s okay – listen, learn and adapt

Contributor: