Let’s Coach Girls Like Everyone is Watching
05.15.25
By Suzanne Sillett
“Everyone watches women’s sports” is more than a trending phrase—it’s a powerful shift in how we value and celebrate female athletes. It challenges outdated narratives and affirms that women’s sports are exciting, competitive, and worth our attention. For girls, seeing this visibility means more than just representation—it means possibility. When girls play sports, they learn confidence, resilience, teamwork, and leadership. They get to see themselves not just as participants, but as athletes whose effort and talent are respected and supported. When everyone watches, it sends a clear message: girls in sports matter, their stories matter, and their futures, on the field or off, are limitless.
Even with all these benefits, research shows that girls—especially those from underrepresented communities—still face barriers to playing and staying in sports. Gender, race, income, and where girls live can all play a role in whether or not they get involved in sports. As coaches, we have the power to change that by being thoughtful and proactive. Together we can get girls in the game and keep girls in the game.
Strategies for Getting Girls In The Game
Representation Matters – Seek out women coaches to lead teams and use images of girls in advertising and other materials. Help girls see themselves in their coaches and as athletes playing the sport.
Go Beyond Flyers – Use active recruiting strategies to bring girls in. A poster advertising a team may not be enough. Run sessions to show what the program will look like, hold informational meetings, and meet and greets with coaches. Parents are more likely to sign their daughters up if they trust the coach and understand the benefits of sports.
Survey the Community – Ask athletes and their caregivers what is stopping them from participating and what they would like a sports program to include. Use these findings to make your program girl-informed.
Strategies for Keeping Girls In The Game
Create Spaces Where Mistakes are OK – Research shows that when athletes view challenges and mistakes as opportunities to grow, they develop a growth mindset.
- Let girls know it’s safe to take risks and make mistakes. Say things like: “That was a smart risk to take,” or “Mistakes help us improve faster,” or “I love what you tried to do there.”
- Give specific feedback instead of general praise. For example, “Your positioning was excellent when you stepped to defend,” instead of “Good hustle.”
Prioritize Team Culture and Belonging – Research shows that when girls feel they belong, they’re more motivated and more likely to stick with it.
- Use team-building games, rituals, or shared goals to build a strong team identity.
- Handle friendship problems early, as relational issues can really hurt motivation and performance.
Build Leaders – Research demonstrates that sports can teach leadership skills, but only if we give girls the opportunity to lead.
- Invite girls to lead drills, speak up in huddles, and set up equipment
- Celebrate leadership in action “You stepped up and led the group in warm-up today, great job!”
- Peer Mentors – Design opportunities for younger athletes to learn from their older teammates
Next time you’re coaching girls, remember: you’re not just building athletes, you’re helping shape confident and capable young women. These strategies not only help girls succeed on the field, but also in life.