Coaching, Parenting, & Empowering Female Athletes

Alison Foley shares how to coach, parent, and guide female athletes on their athletic journey.

Foley is the former Boston College head women’s soccer coach, the winningest coach in BC history, youth National Team scout, and celebrated co-author of two books, “How To Coach Girls’, and “The Elusive Full Ride scholarship.” She is a college recruiting expert and currently helps high school athletes with the recruiting process.

 

The interview is also available on our podcast (see above) or on iTunes and Spotify. 

(The contents of these videos and podcasts are not to take the place of your health care provider, always consult with your doctor first. The opinions expressed by our experts do not necessarily reflect those of Ilovetowatchyouplay. )

Time Stamps For Topics

2:10: Changes to women’s sports in the past 20 years.

3:05: Burnout and bodies breaking down; sport specialization.

5:07: Is it possible to be a multi-sport athlete?

7:34: Primary and complementary sports.

8:55: Should athletes take breaks from their primary sport?

10:38: Is it really possible to play two sports when you are a club or AAU athlete? Benefits of playing multiple sports.

13:33: Importance of communicating upfront with coaches when participating in two sports.

16:28: Rationale for Alison’s book on coaching girls and the statistics on girls quitting sports.

18:50: Main differences between coaching girls and boys.

23:20: How do we get the messages to coaches? Importance of studying the psychological aspects of sports.

25:24: What is contributing to kids quitting sports?

27:26: Need for more female coaches.

31:03: Lifelong impact of boosting girls’ confidence through sports.

32:39: Practical tips for coaching girls.

36:14: The reality of playing sports in college.

38:35: How to increase exposure to college coaches.

41:36: Additional opportunities to get noticed by college coaches and the importance of a credible network.

43:35: What should sports clubs and organizations do to help their athletes with the college search process?

46:15: Dos and don’ts in the recruiting process.

48:48: What happens if a player doesn’t start when a coach comes to watch?

50:54: When should a prospective athlete begin the college search process?

53:24: Other than athletic ability, what are college coaches looking for in a prospect?

55:10: College coaches are also watching parents’ behavior.

59:10: Wrap-up.

 

More Resources For You And Your Athlete

Women's sports foundation

Contact Us

Reach Alison Foley at: foleyathleticadvising.com and @Foleyathleticadvising

Follow Dr. Sam Maniar at Centerforpeakperformance.com and Twitter @sam_maniar

Follow Asia Mape and ILTWYP here.

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