The International Youth Coaching Association Supports Better Coaching for HER

Girls' sports are growing, and with that growth comes an incredible opportunity and responsibility to ensure we're not only creating more opportunities for girls to play, but better environments for them to develop and thrive. At the International Youth Coaching Association (IYCA.org), we believe that means investing in the people who influence those environments every day: coaches and performance professionals.

As opportunities for girls continue to expand, we must continue to ask whether the professionals leading them have the education, tools, and support they need to understand and serve athletes well. We must also be willing to evolve and expand. That's one of the many reasons we are proud to advocate for and support the work of Coaching HER®.

For decades, the IYCA (iyca.org) has focused on improving the way young athletes are developed by educating and credentialing the coaches and professionals who serve them.

Coaching girls isn’t about throwing out what we already know about developing athletes; we believe it’s about expanding it. When coaches understand the physical, psychological, social, and leadership factors that can shape girls’ experiences, they gain a more complete framework for developing HER.

The goal isn't to put girls into another box. It's to expand the lens through which we coach them.

This allows us to make better decisions about how we communicate, train, challenge, support, and ultimately develop girls.

Grounded in this belief, the IYCA has intentionally expanded its education, partnerships, and resources for professionals working with girl and women athletes.

Some of these initiatives include:

• Customized workshops and webinars for coaches of girls and women, bringing practical education directly to coaches, performance professionals, and organizations.
• Educational content designed for girls and women that helps coaches bridge the gap between research and real-world application.
• Ongoing advocacy and education around communication, confidence, physical development, mental agility, leadership, athlete wellbeing, and creating environments where girls can thrive.

Across all of these initiatives, one principle continues to guide us:

Education should change what happens when a coach walks into practice or a training session tomorrow.

Knowledge matters. Research matters. Awareness matters. But ultimately, better coach education should lead to better coaching. And this September, we're excited to take another step forward in that commitment.

On September 21, the IYCA will help co-launch The Female Athlete Coaching Code, the new book from Julie Hatfield-Still, IYCA Brand Executive and Director of Education.

Julie has spent years advocating for girls and helping coaches and organizations better understand how to support and develop them. Her work brings together athlete development, mental agility, communication, leadership, and the holistic development of the athlete, with a particular passion for helping coaches translate knowledge and evidence-based concepts into practical action.

The Female Athlete Coaching Code was created to help bridge an important gap between evidence and application, giving coaches a deeper understanding of the athletes they serve and practical strategies for turning that understanding into better coaching.

At the heart of the book is a belief that closely reflects the IYCA's commitment to this work:

Better-equipped coaches create better environments. Better environments create better experiences. And better experiences can change what sport becomes for HER.

We know the future of girls' sport won't be shaped by one organization, one program, one workshop, or one book. It will be shaped by a growing community of coaches, educators, researchers, advocates, and organizations willing to ask better questions, continue learning, and intentionally create environments where girls can thrive.

We're proud to stand alongside Coaching HER® in that work, and honored to be recognized as a Champion of the Month.

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