Articles, Guides, and News
Articles, news, and practical guides for coaches, leaders, champions, and parents
For coaches
Creating Body-Confident Teams: How Coaches Can Help Prevent Eating Disorders in Sport
March, 2026: Coaches have enormous influence over team culture, establishing what is valued, prioritized, and expected. Creating a “body talk free” environment may sound, at first, unnecessary or even silly. But when coaches eliminate appearance-based commentary and address it when it arises, athletes receive a powerful message: their bodies matter not because of how they look, but because of what those bodies make possible, which is just about everything, including participation, performance, and winning. And aren’t these the very things that are essential to winning, rather than on body weight or appearance?
Praising Effort Over Appearance: A Coach’s Guide to Start Building Body Confidence
February, 2026: As a coach, you are the most influential person on the sidelines, capable of building a girl’s pride or unintentionally fueling her self-consciousness. To keep girls in the game, we must internalize a critical reality: Low body confidence is the #1 reason why girls leave sport (Body Confident Sport, 2023).
Coaching Girls Effectively
January, 2026: When girls feel heard by their coaches, they’re 2.5x more likely to stay in sport—and stronger coach relationships are directly tied to confidence and mental health. This guide breaks down what gender-responsive coaching actually looks like - moving beyond stereotypes, setting high expectations, listening with intention, and creating environments where girls feel challenged, valued, and ready to lead.
Coaching With Perspective: How Trish & Corey Kennedy Model Athlete-Centered, Bias-Aware Coaching
January, 2026: This interview with longtime coaches Trish and Corey Kennedy shares real stories and honest reflections from the sidelines about what it looks like to truly coach the whole athlete. If you coach girls and want practical reminders about building trust, confidence, and connection—especially when things get hard—this is a must-read.
INCLUSION STARTS WITH LISTENING: MEETING GIRLS WHERE THEY ARE
November, 2025: When coaches stop assuming and start listening, inclusion moves from policy to practice. This short piece reminds coaches that small, intentional changes—like asking what girls need to participate—can transform teams, build belonging, and keep every girl in the game.
Great Coaches Don’t Just Teach the Game — They Change Lives
October, 2025: Celebrate coaches this October. Discover how positive coaching and the 3C Formula—care, competence, and choice—keep girls thriving in sport.
Five Fundamentals Every Coach Should Know to Keep Girls in Sport
September, 2025: Discover five fundamentals every coach needs to keep girls in sport—belonging, skill mastery, body confidence, leadership, and development.
for leaders
Why a “Body Talk Free Zone” is A New Retention Strategy
March, 2026: April is about creating team environments where every girl feels safe, included, and empowered to celebrate what her body can achieve rather than how it’s perceived. We’re highlighting the Body Talk Free Zone—a simple commitment to eliminate appearance-based comments and address them whenever they arise. By shifting our culture away from comparison (including bodies!) and toward skill, effort, and progress, coaches and leaders can strengthen body confidence, foster a sense of belonging, and keep more girls in the game.
Is Your Organization Accidentally Driving Girls Away From Sport?
February, 2026: In March, we shift our focus to one of the most powerful, yet often overlooked, factors in an athlete’s journey: body image. Sport should be a sanctuary where girls build confidence, capability, and pride in what their bodies can do. However, for many, the everyday sport environment from the language used in the locker room to the cut of a uniform can become a source of self-consciousness and comparison. If we want to keep girls in the game, we have to look beyond the scoreboard and audit the culture we are creating at a systems level.
How Leaders Can Use National Girls & Women in Sports Day to Drive Impact
January, 2026: This article explains how the beliefs coaches carry—often without realizing it—shape whether girls feel confident, challenged, and supported in sport. It’s a must-read for coaches and leaders who want clear, research-backed reasons why coach education matters and how better training can help more girls stay and thrive in sport.
Great Coaches See Potential, Not Stereotypes: Why Leaders Must Invest in Coach Education
January, 2026: This article explains how the beliefs coaches carry—often without realizing it—shape whether girls feel confident, challenged, and supported in sport. It’s a must-read for coaches and leaders who want clear, research-backed reasons why coach education matters and how better training can help more girls stay and thrive in sport.
LISTENING TO GIRLS: TURNING FEEDBACK INTO ENGAGEMENT
December, 2025: Listening to girls is one of the most powerful ways to strengthen their engagement in sport. This piece highlights how simple, consistent feedback—gathered safely and acted on intentionally—helps girls feel seen, supported, and motivated to stay in the game. When girls’ voices guide decisions, belonging follows.
SEEING EVERY GIRL: TURNING DATA INTO INCLUSION
November, 2025: Inclusion isn’t just about programs—it starts with awareness. This article challenges sport leaders to look deeper at their data, uncover who’s missing, and turn numbers into meaningful action that creates environments where every girl feels seen, supported, and included.
Coaching the Coaches: Investing in Those Who Invest in Girls
October, 2025: Strong coaches keep girls in sport. Learn how recognition, training, and support help leaders invest in coaches—and build thriving teams.
Back to Basics: Leading with Belonging and Opportunity
September, 2025: September is a reset for sport leaders. Learn how equity, belonging, and visibility keep girls in the game and build stronger futures.
FOR championS
Empowering the Next Generation: i9 Sports' "Gains are for the Girls" Campaign
February, 2026: Girls are telling us what they want from sport, and i9 Sports is listening. Their "Gains Are for the Girls" campaign is a data-driven movement to keep girls playing and thriving, with a bold goal of reaching 500,000 girls by 2030. Grounded in insights from 1,500+ parents and girls nationwide, the findings are already reshaping how youth sports think about coaching, access, and experience. If you care about the future of girls in sport, this is a must-read.
EMPOWERING GIRLS' ENGAGEMENT: DOING WHAT WE CAN, WHERE WE ARE
December, 2025: Jess Nash, RUSH Soccer, shares a powerful reminder that real change starts small. This article shows how everyday actions - creating pathways, building connection, and supporting girls where they are - can strengthen engagement and keep girls growing in sport.
Snowsports in America leverage Coaching HER®
October, 2025: The Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors (AASI) are leveraging Coaching HER® modules to strengthen the pipeline of women leaders within the Snowsports education community.
for PARENTS
Building Confidence at Home and on the Field: A Parent’s Guide
February, 2026: Sport has the power to build a girl's pride and sense of capability, yet for many, the everyday environment of competition can also trigger self-consciousness. This month’s anchoring message is a call to action for every family: Low body confidence is the #1 reason why girls leave sport. Research indicates that the more a parent participates and shows support, the more likely their daughter is to love her sport and intend to play throughout high school and beyond.
From Sidelines to Lifelines — How Parents Keep Girls in Sport for Life
September, 2025: Parents are game-changers in girls’ sports. Learn five ways to keep girls active—lead by example, cheer effort, remove barriers, protect confidence, and support sport sampling.
