Do female runners run better with a cheerleader coach?

Because those are the most interesting things about female athletics.

hotness > speed wrote:

Because those are the most interesting things about female athletics.

I enjoy the way females race way more than I do the men. Women get after it while men all think that leading is the kiss of death. I turned off the men's race at Terre Haute at 6k. If I want to see a bunch of guys out jogging together I will head down to the local turkey trot. But that is not the question.

Women seem to respond better to cheerleader coaches than a sound training plan. Why?

I've noticed that when I present a more supportive role as a coach, and build a trusting relationship with the team, the girls' respond much better to the training. They all buy into the system, handle the workouts, and rarely complain. Conversely, when I apply the "no-nonsense" attitude toward the boys team, there almost nothing but complaints, lack of effort, and utter disinterest.

Much of that comes from the overall attitude toward athletics & hard work, but the point is, I have no problem getting the girls team to a successful point by using a bit of that "cheerleading" style, as you put it.

For females you need to be both, just only let them see the cheerleader part.

Very few female runners respond to being called out or personally challenged to do more, to be better. They take it as an insult. The get mad, they shut down, they tune you out.

You have to talk about everything that is being done well, then talk about the very few things that can be done "even better."

college female athletes want to trust & believe in their coach. Doesn't take much from the coach to get them to trust & believe - so if/when the coach turns out to be a complete a*shole, it's more of a blow to the female athletes than the males, who never really gave a crap anyway and are gonna bitch & cry no matter what the coach says or does..

This hasn't been my experience at all, as a runner or a coach.

I *would* get mad when my coach would call me out in college. I'd go home and stew about it, and get so pissed that I'd do everything I could to prove him wrong. I'm not special, either; just a good D2 runner.

When I started coaching high school boys and girls, I thoughtlessly settled into cheerleader mode, thinking that kids' tender age merited softer edges. Didn't work with the girls, although the guys did great. Now I make an effort to use the time before and after practice to be as compassionate and engaged as I can be, and really try to understand what each individual is going through in his/her life outside of the team; but when it comes time to run and race, the standards I set are high and the excuses I accept are few. This approach has been much more successful for the team as a whole.

ra ra shish wrote:

I enjoy the way females race way more than I do the men. Women get after it while men all think that leading is the kiss of death. I turned off the men's race at Terre Haute at 6k. If I want to see a bunch of guys out jogging together I will head down to the local turkey trot. But that is not the question.

Women seem to respond better to cheerleader coaches than a sound training plan. Why?

Last time I checked a 15:30 5k is not jogging. Yes it may be slow for this level of talent, but you will most likely see no one run a 15:30 turkey trot in your home town. Just sayin'

Actually No wrote:

ra ra shish wrote:

I enjoy the way females race way more than I do the men. Women get after it while men all think that leading is the kiss of death. I turned off the men's race at Terre Haute at 6k. If I want to see a bunch of guys out jogging together I will head down to the local turkey trot. But that is not the question.

Women seem to respond better to cheerleader coaches than a sound training plan. Why?

Last time I checked a 15:30 5k is not jogging. Yes it may be slow for this level of talent, but you will most likely see no one run a 15:30 turkey trot in your home town. Just sayin'

Actually, 15:30 is what it usually takes to win at my local Turkey Trot.