Coaches From Mars, Players From Venus

A Proactive Coaching solo podcast episode with Lori Thomas, drawing on her experience as a multi-sport and professional volleyball athlete and as a coach, about coaching female athletes. Topics covered: why people remember who you are rather than your statistics; the four drivers of today's negative sports culture (instant solutions, lack of accountability, entitlement, blamelessness); what coaches need to know about female athletes (internal pressure, confidence that comes and goes, trust, open communication, team unity, why yelling and scare tactics backfire); professional boundaries for male coaches of female athletes; the six C's paradigm shift, including chemistry and culture (UNC women's soccer core values), clear roles, criticism and correction (Anson Dorrance's lessons), and competition (avoiding one-versus-one punishments, giving simple confidence goals); teaching the difference between internal and external factors and the pressure loop; and Anson Dorrance's senior letter.