In an earlier discussion with TubbyCat on the boy's thread we both agreed that a double standard exists when picking head coaches. There seems to be no problem with boy's asst. coaches being made head coach of a girl's program or a person with no experience at all being named as head coach. But the reverse does not happen for asst. girl coaches why do you think that is? Does the 9th or 10th region teams not have any good asst. coaches? Is there a bias by AD's? Does the girl's side not have as much turnover rate as the boys? What factors determine this kind of thinking? :confused:

There is plenty of turnover in the girl's ranks. Last year alone Pendleton Co., Bracken Co., and Bishop Brossart all hired first time women coaches. The coaches who had been there previously all had different levels of success, but success none the less and were all males--replaced by females. I think that may be the trend we start seeing, more women in charge of girls programs.

Girls basketball in this state is top notch, especially in the 10th region and both male and female coaches are successful across the entire state.

I think it is more in line with girls being easier to coach than boys. They listen better and are more responsive than boys players of the same age. Maybe it is the 'girls mature faster' argument, but every coach who has coached both boys and girls in various sports has told me that girls are just easier to coach. Maybe that is why we don't see those that have coached girls teams switching to boys teams.

I believe a double standard does exist. I think it may still be the prehistoric way of thinking by those in position to hire qualified coaches.

 

However, I do not believe that it has anything to do with one gender being easier to coach than the other.

I think it is more in line with girls being easier to coach than boys. They listen better and are more responsive than boys players of the same age. Maybe it is the 'girls mature faster' argument, but every coach who has coached both boys and girls in various sports has told me that girls are just easier to coach. Maybe that is why we don't see those that have coached girls teams switching to boys teams.

 

I coached girls basketball for several years and just recently started to coach boys basketball. In my opinion, it is much easier to coach boys than girls.

IMO girls are easier to coach than the boys, but with girls you have to be ready to deal with a lot of other issues besides basketball. I have known a few coaches that have came over from the boys side and all of them have said they feel burned out after a couple of seasons of coaching girls.

I think the Double Standard exists because of the notion that boy's bball is a quicker paced more aggressive game and more attention is given to boy's bball. How many AD's attend the girl's game regularly. The idea that because a coach was successful coaching boys so they will be successful coaching girls does not only transcend in reality.

I coached girls basketball for several years and just recently started to coach boys basketball. In my opinion, it is much easier to coach boys than girls.

 

I am sure there are others who feel this way too, but you are the first I have seen who has coached both and believed the boys were easier to coach.

I have coached both as well. Boys are easier to coach. i will admit that girls do not rely on their athletic ability as much as boys do. Boys can leave personal feelings off the court, girls do not. If someone is talking to another's boyfriend, then their is going to be conflict. Boys can get along on the court regardless of personal feelings, girls sometimes have a hard timedoing that. Remember these are 14-18 year old kids dealing with the emotions of high school.

I have coached both as well. Boys are easier to coach. i will admit that girls do not rely on their athletic ability as much as boys do. Boys can leave personal feelings off the court, girls do not. If someone is talking to another's boyfriend, then their is going to be conflict. Boys can get along on the court regardless of personal feelings, girls sometimes have a hard timedoing that. Remember these are 14-18 year old kids dealing with the emotions of high school.

 

I agree. The biggest problem I had with coaching girls was the drama. I had a player who would not pass to another player because she was mad at her for something that happened off of the court. Just dealing with all of this was draining. You don't have this with the boys. They focus more on basketball when they are on the court. Also, I've had girls cry when I get on them about something on the court, whereas with boys they listen and try to fix their mistakes. I think that may be because sometimes the girls take the criticism personally.

 

Also, has anyone noticed a difference with the parents of girls vs. the parents of boys? From what I have experienced, the boys parents want you to work them hard and are constantly wanting them to stick around for extra practice. With a few of my girls' teams, I've actually had parents call the school and tell the AD that I am working them too hard.

I agree. The biggest problem I had with coaching girls was the drama. I had a player who would not pass to another player because she was mad at her for something that happened off of the court. Just dealing with all of this was draining. You don't have this with the boys. They focus more on basketball when they are on the court. Also, I've had girls cry when I get on them about something on the court, whereas with boys they listen and try to fix their mistakes. I think that may be because sometimes the girls take the criticism personally.

 

Also, has anyone noticed a difference with the parents of girls vs. the parents of boys? From what I have experienced, the boys parents want you to work them hard and are constantly wanting them to stick around for extra practice. With a few of my girls' teams, I've actually had parents call the school and tell the AD that I am working them too hard.

Good post.

I coached junior high girls (and also boys) for a few years back in the '80s and encountered some of the things you have mentioned. Girls are much more emotional than boys. If you get on a boy for not hustling, he will usually take it as a motivation-type speech; girls, however, will many times take it personally...."Why don't you ever say anything to so and so, I play twice harder than she does!"

Also, girls are much worse than boys to split themselves up into two or more social groups who don't like each other's groups. I guess they're called cliques. It's difficult to have a "team" concept with all this nonsense going on. You don't see this as much with boys.

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is boys are easier to coach than girls...IMHO.

I agree with you Professor, girls do take things a different way than boys. It seems as they enter High School they start losing their aggressiveness; not all of them do this, but a majority will. I have been coaching for a long time and have learned that the way I deliver criticism to a female player is totally different than the way I would motivate a male player. When I first started coaching I treated both genders the same, but as I matured as a coach I found that to be the wrong aproach. As a coach the best equalizer to defeating cliques and arguments is the bench. Of course the silly things players argue about will still drive you crazy!!!

Parents is a subject I won't even waste your time on....there are good and bad ones no matter where you coach. I believe the key word for girl's bball is simply JEALOUSY.

Coached both.

On the floor, girls are easier to coach.

Off the floor, boys are easier to coach.

Agree totally with previous post. Most AD's say that they want the same of everything for the girls and boys but they really don't. An AD's dream is for the girls to go to the finals of the region and lose. It cost too much for the team to go to the state tournament but they get a big check from the region.

There are good and bad with both to be sure. I think girls are a bit more robotic than boys and don't ad lib as much on the court. Most girls when they are told they have to cut a certain way to get open or move a certain way to get open will do it that way NO MATTER WHAT the defense is doing. There is so much DRAMA with coaching girls and so many other issues with girls than just coaching and teaching the game of basketball.

 

I will say this, when I coached girls, they absorbed everything I told them and tried to teach them about the game and life. Girls sometimes play just to play, where boys want to play and become better players. Obviously this is not true at the higher levels of competetive girls basketbll, but at the smaller schools it certainly is!

Girls are harder to coach than boys. Boys doesnt have near the drama. Everything can be going perfect before a game and if someone says the wrong thing to one of your girls it is over. Girls will get mad at you and instead of playing to win for themselves they will play bad so that you will lose.

 

Coaching in the estrogen sea is a difficult. But it is also rewarding.