Coaching Girls U17

[SE2002]

I was wondering if anyone had any tips on coaching U17 girls....some good sessions or advice.

[perfectstriker11]

What kind of info do you need?
Drills? Strategies?

[firstshirt]

never put yourself in a postion were you are alone with one of them.......all kidding aside too. I have hear horror stories from other coaches about the smallest things being blown out of proportion. I coached a u15 team in CT during the spring. It was a change of pace from the Boys JV team I coached in the fall. I had a real good team too, played an beat a few u17 teams. Some of them you have to handle with gloves on, others are just like coaching guys. Just as many head aches as coaching guys, just different problems. As far as drill go, do the same as you would guys...Its the mental aspect of the game that I found different.

[ERIMUS]

First of all, think before you do anything...

Simple things such as waiting after practice alone with one of your team could be looked upon in a different light.

Always make sure your never in a compromising position, if you have to stay behind with some of the team, make sure that theres another coach/parent etc there just for legal reasons.

If your used to coaching a boys team, remember boys are a lot stronger physically so think about the training session before hand.

Mos of all, make it fun and enjoyable.

[Ray Luca]

You have some good advice there I remember posting something similar in another time.

If your a player you know you have to think a head so do that Thinking a head which I learned from playing soccer helped me my whole life.

I never coached women but I have train some female players. I trained them the same as I did men.

Women just my oppion are more discipline then menwithout the ball. But it doesn't take long for men to learn.

Women seem to rather pass then take on players. That habit is harder to break sometimes you have to take on a player. So work on your players going 1 v 1 and then pass or shoot if they are within shooting range, and keep moving in the flow of play hoping to get another pass. Get it within range shoot.

Taking on a opponent 1 v1 and beating them creates space for a team mate.
So use it when their is no one to pass to.

[SE2002]

This is good advice...espeacially about being alone with individual girls...i almost forgot about that.

So basically, train the same as you would men...but work on 1v1 or 2v2 aspects right? I did seem to notice that they are real good in skills and in passing but lack some individual skills and positioning skills. I think this would be the best way to work with them...since they just got out of highschool.

Any more info on what not to do or what to do specifically for women only?

[ERIMUS]

Remember girls have 'girl problems' so a girl who may one week be the life and soul of the party may be upset and depressed the next...

And they are at that age where they are starting to also realise 'boys' and 'fashion' so may not always show dedication to the team.

[Elroy]

Remember girls have 'girl problems' so a girl who may one week be the life and soul of the party may be upset and depressed the next...

And they are at that age where they are starting to also realise 'boys' and 'fashion' so may not always show dedication to the team.I've coached girls for many years and I've never been able identify anyone experiencing a "girl problem". In my experience girls are no more moody than boys. I think that the social aspects of a team are more important for girls than for boys and certainly they react to direct criticism differently, but with some effort you can coach both genders as athletes. BTW U-17's are well past being "boy crazy". Your bigger problems at this age are jobs and seeing the end of their serious playing careers on the horizon.

I would be just as reluctant to stay alone with a boy as I would a girl. A coach should always behave in a professional manner and remember that they are the adult.

[ERIMUS]

U-17 are not adults, they are still developing as people. I have no idea what u-17's do in your country but the majority of u-17 girls here are more interested in fashion, boys and partying then sports. I have coached a girls team and seen this for myself.

[Ray Luca]

It's funny my club had no girls teams still doesn't. I have 2 daughters both in their mid twenties now both played. They both had to go outside my club to play and out side our league. There were no womens teams in the league they had to go to Long Island junior soccer league to play. Now our league has women soccer but that only started about 6/7 yrs ago

I was doing the mens team, but I would not have opposed doing a womens team if I wasn't because I had two daughters.

No other coach on my club wanted or even entertained the idea of doing a womens team. Everyone thought it would have been a step down. Actually if I had no daughters I would have thought that as well.

Now all over the US there are a ton of womens teams with men as coaches amazing.

[NHRef]

I coach a U14 co-ed team and at this age they are mostly over the silly boy crazy faze, mostly. At u17 the benefit is that the players you have actually want to play soccer and have been playing for several years.