First and foremost, teenage girls are concerned about their image. They’re just learning about their bodies (their bodies are changing, remember); they’re being judged based on said body, and their also worried about looking “cool.”
So, singling them out (even if you’re doing it to illustrate a point) is dangerous territory. It’s embarrassing. They’re also in this hugely confusing time — not quite in high school, but trying to assert their independence. They want to be older and more grown up than they are.
I don’t know… teenage girls is such a crazy time that there have been a million books and novels written about the subject. There’s just so much emotion and confusion ramming through your head that it really takes a while to sort out. They want to be older, remember? I used to love it when I was treated like an adult.. when I could hang around with the adults. The majority of them though, probably won’t make adult decisions; you have to remember they’re still kids. I think the better thing to shoot for is accountability. You want them to learn that they’re accountable for their actions. THAT’s a lesson that even a 13 year old can grasp.
But they’re still going to be childish at times and things will get blown out of proportion. If the “popular” girl looks at the other “popular” girl in the wrong way, tears will flow and hearts will be broken. So you have to allow them that…
-A Fellow Coach
