Navigating Female Puberty: A Game-Changer for Coaches

Did you know that nearly 2 in 3 girls drop out of sport by the end of adolescence¹? This alarming statistic highlights a significant challenge for coaches and those who support young female athletes. Many coaches witness talented athletes struggle and eventually depart sports during puberty. Understanding why this happens and how to address it is crucial for maintaining athlete wellbeing and engagement.

The Unique Challenges of Female Puberty

Female puberty introduces a range of changes that are different from what boy’s experience. Girl’s experience widening of their hips, increased body fat, and the onset of menstruation². These physical changes may temporarily affect a young female athlete’s ability to train and compete, with coaches finding themselves unsure how to adapt training for these shifts³.

In addition to physical changes, adolescent girls face social and psychological pressures from school, social media, and peer expectations. The sum of these changes can lead to sport-related illness, injury, burnout, and eventually dropout, presenting further challenges for coaches.

Why Do Girls Drop Out of Sport During Puberty?

The dropout rate among girls during puberty is influenced by multiple factors. Key reasons include reduced enjoyment of sports, the impact of physical changes, and issues with perceived competence⁴. Coaches who understand these factors and their implications can make a significant difference in retaining young athletes and enhancing their sport experience.

A World First in Coach Education

Coaches seeking to improve their understanding of female puberty and its impact on sports often face a fragmented landscape of information. Many existing resources focus solely on adult female athletes or getting sedentary girls active rather than targeting the specific needs of competitive young female athletes.

This is where the Her Strength Coach Course: Coaching Adolescent Female Athletes comes in. This innovative course, for coaches of adolescent female athletes aged ~12-18 years, is designed to bridge the gap in coach education regarding female puberty and sport. Created to educate, equip, and empower coaches, it provides a comprehensive approach to supporting young female athletes.

What to Expect in the Her Strength Coach Course?

The Her Strength Coach Course is developed by experts with extensive experience across all levels of sport, from club to elite. The course content, shaped by contributions from seasoned coaches and sports experts, offers practical tools and strategies. It breaks down complex scientific concepts into actionable steps, allowing coaches to easily integrate new approaches into their routines.

The course is structured into six comprehensive online modules, covering:

1. Puberty & Sport: An in-depth exploration of the physiological changes during female puberty and how to adjust training based these changes.
2. Menstrual Cycle: Insights into how the menstrual cycle affects training, performance, and overall health, and strategies for managing these effects.
3. Health Considerations: Guidelines on addressing and supporting the unique health needs of adolescent female athletes, including awareness of low energy availability, Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), and injury prevention.
4. Optimising Nutrition: Guidelines for quality and balanced nutrition to support growth, health, and the demands of sport.
5. Optimising Training & Recovery: Understanding of athlete development frameworks, how to integrate resistance training, how to manage training load, and optimise recovery strategies for young female athletes.
6. Psychological Considerations: Addressing female adolescent brain development, social changes, common mental health issues, and how to communicate better with your athletes.

Time Commitment and Format

The Her Strength Coach Course is designed to be both comprehensive and flexible. This online course is structured into six modules, each featuring a mix of video lectures, practical exercises, downloadable resources, and quizzes to reinforce learning. Each module is broken down into 5-6 lessons, with each lesson lasting 10-20 minutes, making it easy for coaches to complete at their own pace. The total estimated time commitment for the entire course is 12-14 hours, allowing coaches to fit it into their busy schedules.

Empowering Coaches and Athletes

Consider a scenario where a dedicated athlete is experiencing a performance plateau despite consistent effort. The Her Strength Coach Course explains the physiological reasons behind such plateaus and offers strategies to navigate these challenges. Understanding that these changes are part of a temporary phase and knowing how to adjust priorities can help coaches and athletes stay focused on long-term success.

Her Strength is committed to elevating youth female sport by providing valuable resources to coaches. By addressing the unique challenges of female puberty, the program helps create an environment where young athletes can thrive and reach their full potential.

Join the Movement

 The Her Strength Coach Course: Coaching Adolescent Female Athletes is now live! With limited spots available in this first intake, don’t miss your chance to join this transformative program. Check out the course here and secure your spot today.

Stay connected with us on Facebook and Instagram for exclusive insights and behind-the-scenes content. Let’s empower the next generation of female athletes together and make a lasting impact! 

References

1. MSLGROUP Research. (2016). The Always Confidence & Puberty Wave IV Study.
2. Stein, C. J., Ackerman, K. E., & Stracciolini, A. (2016). The young female athlete. Springer.
3. Patel, T. S., McGregor, A., Fawcett, L., Bekker, S., Williams, S., Williams, K., & Cumming, S. P. (2021). Coach awareness, knowledge, and practice in relation to growth and maturation and training load in competitive, young gymnasts. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 16(3), 528-543.
4. Sport England (2018). Puberty and sport: An invisible stage. Women in Sport.