Lacrosse, Girls

​How to mentor the young people in your life as they navigate an increasingly connected world.
How to help young people stay grounded in the present moment.
Finding a healthy balance between their digital identity and their real-world experiences.
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• Use preferred names
• Ask about their day ‘How was school?’
• Recognize that their unique experiences may impact how they show up

Lead With EmpathyLeading interactions with empathy builds trusting relationships, which can combat the impacts of stress, lead to lower rates of anxiety and depression, and increase each athlete’s own understanding and practice of empathy.

• Pause before reacting
• Acknowledge how the athlete might be feeling
• Be curious and listen to understand the athlete’s perspective

Reinforce Effort and GrowthEffort-focused skill development helps young people feel competent and in control of their own growth, boosts self-confidence, and builds a sense of purpose. 

• Praise effort, improvement, and resilience
• Normalize mistakes as part of learning
• Identify short-term goals that contribute to longer-term objectives

Value All AthletesCreating a sense of belonging for all athletes is critical for a positive sports experience. Taking time to understand and celebrate differences helps deepen coach-athlete connections and peer relationships.

• Seek out alternate voices
• Rotate leadership opportunities
• Reflect on your cultural biases and potential blind spots

Youth sports will always come with pressure points, close games, missed opportunities, and emotional highs and lows. Our role as coaches isn’t to remove those moments, but to make a lasting impact by helping athletes navigate them.

We hope you’ll join us!

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These include:

• Connect with a local program and volunteer: Mentoring, coaching, or running clinics for younger athletes help you create great leadership skills and give young athletes someone to look up to.
• Look out for those who aren’t included. Like former professional football player Joe Ehrmann says, “No one eats alone.”
• Get involved with anti-bullying activities. Model inclusive and kind behavior.
• Support other classmates’ activities by showing up and cheering them on. This works best at events few attend, like junior varsity games.
• Participate in community service activities as a team or on your own.

To take action now, athletes can:

• List what you, your team, or you and a group of teammates can do this season to make a positive contribution to your school community.
• Create an Athlete Action Plan – what steps can you take to make your list come to life? Some examples:
  1. Talk to your coach. 
  2. Bring this topic up at a team meeting. 
  3. Involve teammates; you’ll make a bigger impact with more people involved.
  4. Volunteer to look up opportunities and handle the logistics. 

We’re excited to launch Inner Circle, a new program for Bay Area youth sports coaches in partnership with Kaiser Permanente. This monthly networking series is designed to equip coaches with the tools, knowledge, and community to support equitable and positive experiences for all young athletes.

Our first event kicks off on Thursday, September 11 with Golden State Warriors Assistant Coach Kris Weems, who will share his coaching journey and lead a conversation on creating equitable access in youth sports.

Topics will include:

• Overcoming barriers to participation for marginalized youth
• Adapting coaching to meet diverse needs
• Advocating for equitable resources in sports programs

Registration link: https://rsvp.warriors.com/innercircle1

• Simple exercises to help students channel their energy productively
• Daily mental skills to boost focus and presence
• Techniques for connecting with diverse learners
• Tools to get your students to “lock in” from the start
• Ways to use music to enhance engagement

 
This session wraps with a guided mindfulness practice led by mental performance coach Graham Betchart. As we get ready to start the school year, help your students show up with focus and purpose.
 
Space is limited, register here: https://rsvp.warriors.com/pecoaches0803
 
There are two sessions. Please only register for one.

• Session 1: 11AM – 11:45AM
• Session 2: 12:15PM – 1PM

 
About the Facilitator
For the past 20 years, Graham Betchart has dedicated his career to helping athletes unlock their potential as a mental performance coach, with a focus almost entirely on the world of basketball. He has had the privilege of serving as the mental performance coach for NBA teams, including the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings, as well as the back-to-back national champion, UConn Huskies.
 
Early in his career, he began working with future NBA stars Aaron Gordon and Jaylen Brown while they were still teenagers, helping them build the mental foundation for success. He is also the author of Play Present, a mental skills playbook he wrote while earning his master’s degree in Sports Psychology.
 
His mission has always been simple: to help athletes train their minds the way they train their bodies – intentionally, consistently, and with purpose.

The Golden State Valkyries and Kaiser Permanente are thrilled to invite you to our second exclusive Coaches Clinic; a transformative session designed to empower and uplift youth coaches. For those who joined our last clinic around Mental and Physical Insights, thank you. This clinic will be focused on Social & Emotional Insights and held Tuesday, August 5th from 6:00pm – 8:00pm, offering a comprehensive program filled with insights and practical strategies to elevate your coaching approach, especially when guiding girl athletes.
 
What to expect from the Coaches Clinic:

• Special Guests: Sidney Parsons, Golden State Valkyries Director of Player Development, and Ben Clarfield, Director Golden State Sports Academy.
• Networking: Connect with fellow coaches and share experiences.
• Food: Enjoy refreshments and a meal after the clinic.
• Panel Discussion: Gain invaluable perspectives from a panel featuring coaching staff from the Valkyries and a representative from Kaiser Permanente.
• On-Court Technique: Conclude the clinic with a dynamic, hands-on on-court technique portion led by Golden State Sports Academy, providing practical demonstrations and drills, so please dress accordingly.

 
We believe this clinic will be beneficial for all youth coaches dedicated to deepening their impact and fostering a more supportive, effective, and well-rounded environment for the young athletes they lead.
 
Please RSVP as soon as possible as we only have 50 spots for this event. To RSVP, simply click here.
 
We look forward to welcoming you and collaborating to empower our youth athletes!

• Emotional Intelligence & Mindfulness

 
Coming Fall 2025

• Coaching with Purpose & Leadership
• Sports Psychology, Youth Engagement & Relationship Management

 
Space is limited – sign up for Emotional Intelligence and Mindfulness today!
https://rsvp.warriors.com/coachesunplugged0719
 
Coaches Unplugged is intended for adults coaching Bay Area athletes of all sports, ages, and genders, and is free of charge.

​Every coach has been there: athletes who are not able to follow directions, disruptions during practice, or a player who just can’t seem to focus.

It can be frustrating, and it is easy to assume it’s all about attitude or effort. But what if it’s not? What if misbehavior is a signal, not a choice?

This workshop gives coaches the tools to respond with purpose, building connection and accountability while keeping practices productive and athletes growing.

LINK: ​https://positivecoach.org/training/workshops/

• Close their eyes. Turn their head to the right until they feel a stretch in their neck. Then turn their head to the left until they feel a stretch in their neck. 
• Move their chewing gum from the right side of their mouth to the left side, then back again. 
• Take a deep breath in through the nose for six seconds, then out through the mouth for eight seconds.

For a more detailed list, check out PCA’s Regulation Checklist for Coaches.

View behavior challenges as opportunities for growth (1)
Many challenging behaviors stem not from willful defiance, but developmental gaps in skills like emotional regulation, frustration tolerance, executive functioning, and social skills. 

• When witnessing a behavior challenge, coaches can ask themselves(2):
  • What need is this athlete expressing?
  • What could be overwhelming their ability to cope?
  • What support or skills will help them respond better?
• Coaches can track patterns for individual athletes and reflect on the best ways to develop their skills in future practices.

Ask responsive questions and engage athletes in solutions (3)
When expectations are not met, a coach should try to connect with the athlete as soon as possible. Responsive questions are intended to guide the athlete through taking responsibility for the impact their actions may have on others, while exploring potential solutions. Coaches can:

• Ask the athlete to chat during the next water break or split the team into groups of two for a skill activity, with the athlete as the coach’s partner. Engage them in thinking through:
  • What happened?
  • What were they thinking/feeling at the time?
  • Who was affected by their actions?
  • What can they do to make things right?
• Involve athletes in determining how they can remedy a situation to give them ownership over solutions. Guide athletes through this thought process to help them learn from the experience and identify how to better respond in the future. 

Set and Maintain Clear Expectations
Set clear expectations and boundaries so athletes know what is expected of them. Setting high expectations shows athletes that you believe in them. 

• Establish standards early on and revisit them consistently throughout the season.
• Allow athletes to contribute to and provide feedback about team values..

Support Athletes’  Strengths
Meet athletes where they are and acknowledge that some athletes may require different support than others based on their unique skills and development.

• Approach athletes through a healing centered lens – shift the focus from ‘what is wrong with you’ to ‘what is right with you’ and build upon their strengths while supporting development where needed.(4)

When athletes feel supported to achieve clearly defined, high expectations, they are more likely to learn, focus, improve, feel a sense of belonging, and perform.

Resource Link