Are you a male coaching females? If so, have you considered this??
- Poonam Sandhu
- Nov 27, 2023
- 7 min read
I want to dedicate this post to all the amazing male coaches out there! Thank you for continuing to create spaces for females to fall in love with sport and for supporting them throughout their athletic journeys. As someone who directly benefited from having some amazing men in my corner, this is my way of supporting the male coaches on some of the trending topics in female athlete research.
As a former varsity coach (one of two females at the time), I received a lot of questions around the research that was emerging on breast health and menstrual cycle tracking. A few of my male peers would ask me how this research would be integrated in the training environment. "We've never been asked to deal with this before." "What do we do?". In addition I would also get asked the question about the difference between coaching males vs females.
I appreciated the fact that they would come to me, but the truth was I didn't grow up with this information, so I was learning at the same pace as all of them. Yes, my experiences as a female athlete/coach help me provide some insight into the struggles women face in sport as it pertains to improper sports bra fittings, menstrual cycle symptoms and coach-athlete relationships. However, I did not have the information then, that we do now.
As a I attempt to keep up with the literature and attend the workshops, I now realize there is so much information I could have considered as an athlete because it would have made a difference in the way I recovered, approached training, fuelled my body, or reflected on my performances. There is so much amazing information that I am happy to share with all my clients, athletes, colleagues, YOU, my sports community.
My goal with this post is to highlight some of the emerging research topics and identify the impact they can have on female athlete performance well-being. In addition, I will uncover WHY it's important for male coaches to share this information with their athletes and HOW they can go about doing this without creating awkward and uncomfortable situations.
Let's get started! WHY is this information important?
TOPIC # 1
Breast Health - Sports bras, do your athletes have the right one?
A big topic right now for female athletes is around sports bras. If you have not caught up with the research, please take a look at my previous post, which highlights the research and some options for high-endurance sports bras.
If you are a male coach working with female athletes within the ages of 12-18, it's important for you to be aware of this research because you will see the biggest drop out rate amongst your groups in comparison to the male athletes. The research shows that we are seeing big drop out rates because females begin to feel uncomfortable in their bodies as they enter puberty and as a result are opting out of physical activity. Some females will have a gradual experience as it pertains to puberty and breast growth, but others may experience rapid growth. Regardless, these are body changes that can often lead to a lack of confidence and body image issues and alter the way females approach sports and physical activity (ie. gym sessions, running, swimming etc.). Because these changes occur within the young adolescent/teen stages, it's important for coaches to be aware of these challenges as it can start to impact athlete mood, willingness to participate, passion for the game, coach-athlete relationships and ultimately whether they come back or not.
Sports bras are a piece of equipment just like shin pads, gloves, masks, helmets etc. They help support optimal performance for female athletes, so the way we fit ourselves for our other sports equipment, we should take the same approach towards our sports bra. It's important to note, the larger the cup size, the more impact it will have on the way we MOVE and PERFORM. (check out my last post for more information) Finding a sports bra that helps provide our athletes wit the BEST support for their bodies, is the best way to approach these scenarios.
HOW can you have this discussion with your team?
You can share this information (this link) or the other resources I have attached to this blog to your athletes (over 18) or to the parents of the athletes (under 18). Knowledge and education is a superpower so use this tool to your advantage.
If you feel this information cannot come from you directly (male coach), collaborate with a TRUSTED female adult who is well known in your sports environment. This could be a parent, a coach from a different team or a former alumni. (Must be an adult if you are working with minors). By bringing in a female partner, this helps ease the nervousness around the conversation and provides a point of contact for your athletes if they have any follow-up questions.
Simply adding "sports bra" to your list of equipment at the beginning of the season can be a really simple and effective way to make it a normal part of the "preparation" conversation. You can also add a simple point of "did you know having a properly fitted sports bra can help you perform better?" and leave it at that. The point is to encourage the athletes to think about the type of sports bra they're wearing and then go access the right fit!
For more information check out the following links:
TOPIC # 2
Menstrual Cycle Tracking- Does this help??
Menstrual cycle tracking is an evolving topic. Stay tuned for more research in this space because we are truly at the infant stages. We don't have much sports specific content to go off of but it is such an important topic and needs to be addressed. What I can tell you is the following:
Keeping a journal to track your menstrual cycle is a highly encouraged practice amongst the research. This approach helps support the reflective practice we want our athletes to develop as it pertains to others areas impacting performance like, mood, sleep, nutrition, etc. So it falls right into place with all of that! The more you know your body, the better prepared you are going to be in major competitions and so forth. Encouraging athletes to journal their cycles can be a helpful tool for their OWN education. Check out this link for ways a coach can help in this process.
Irregular periods can be a sign of overtraining or other health issues, so tracking your menstrual cycle can be a positive tool to help identify issues before they get too big! Contact a health professional if you are worried about your cycle. This is an important message for those multi-sport athletes with super busy schedules.
Females athletes CAN do almost anything when on their period! They are absolutely resilient in that sense, but there are some athletes that may have extreme symptoms as a result of their period. Creating a space where they can share this can help decrease the level of shame attached to their experiences. This can also help you as a coach understand their situation better and be more understanding and accommodating when it arises.
Emergency kit supplied with pads and tampons. As male coaches, its important to understand that accidents happen! Having an emergency kit with extra pads and tampons can seriously save one of your athletes from a tough situation. Sharing the emergency kit location with all the athletes can be a super effective way of supporting your young female athletes and acknowledging the challenges they may face at some point.
Periods/puberty has been identified one of many reason young girls are leaving sport. This phase can be a difficult transition/experience for young women, which is why it's encouraged to create accommodating environments for our young girls. Let's get away from the white shorts, let's be understanding when an athlete says they aren't feeling well, let's create transparency around where that emergency kit is, and let's make it a normal part of the conversation. Saying the word period is not weird!
Again, we're in the early stages of research, which means there will be more recommendations and considerations coming in the future. In the meantime check out these resources.
TOPIC #3
Finally, why do we want to consider coaching females differently?
I'm not going to get into too much research and science here. This is my suggestion based on my past experience combined with what I've just addressed in the literature.
Studies tell us that young girls experience many different changes as a result of puberty,and are leaving sport at an alarming rate compared to our male athletes. Young girls also experience a lack of self-confidence and face challenges with body image during this stage of their life, and so adding poor coach-athlete relationships, peer-peer engagement & high comparison/high outcome focused training environments can be enough for girls to quit.
It's important to recognize that historically much of what we have gained from research has come from male specific research. I was in a workshop recently and one of the researchers admitted that his own approach would primarily focus on male reports without even thinking to look at the female perspective. This means that our methods of coaching, and training programs have also been based on research that best accommodates our male athletes. Not saying that isn't important! But when it comes to our female athletes and supporting their development, we can definitely do more to create more accommodating and welcoming environment that encourages participation and supports them through all stage of life.
If you're interested in learning more about this topic, please don't hesitate to reply in the comments section or send me an email at sandhu.poonamk@gmail.com
In the meantime, I hope this blog helps shed light on the literature and hopefully eradicates some of the confusion around the topics.
Until next post. BYE!
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