{"id":78,"date":"2011-06-17T05:52:18","date_gmt":"2011-06-17T05:52:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.coachingafemaleathlete.com\/?p=78"},"modified":"2014-07-09T05:31:22","modified_gmt":"2014-07-09T05:31:22","slug":"how-to-coach-the-bratty-athlete","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.coachingafemaleathlete.com\/?p=78","title":{"rendered":"How to Coach the Bratty Athlete"},"content":{"rendered":"

How to Coach the Bratty Athlete<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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If you have never had an athlete on your team with attitude, you are one lucky coach.\u00a0 The truth is though, every team has the bratty athlete; the girl with attitude, negative leadership, and lack of respect.\u00a0 Now, it\u2019s not necessarily your job to understand where the attitude comes from, but it is your job to keep her in check while she is a member on your team.<\/p>\n

Many female athletes act out in different ways for attention and acceptance, and that is okay, as long as it does not negatively affect the team.\u00a0 Female athletes love to be loved and however they can receive that acknowledgment, they will do it.\u00a0 The one thing you want to avoid as a coach is negative actions to receive attention.\u00a0 If you have an athlete on your team being disrespectful, not doing what they are told, and rallying her teammates to do the same, she needs to be stopped immediately.\u00a0 The longer that behavior ensues, the more time she has to take control of the team.\u00a0 Female athletes can be very clingy towards each other and their want for acceptance among their peers is extraordinary.\u00a0 If your bratty athlete is seemingly the \u201cring leader\u201d the rest of your athletes will follow.\u00a0 Their acceptance among their peers is far more important than acceptance from their coach.<\/p>\n

So how do you stop your bratty athlete?\u00a0 Make an example out of her bad behavior.\u00a0 This doesn\u2019t mean you need to demean her, but it means you need to show her teammates that her behavior is inappropriate.\u00a0 The best way to defuse such a situation is, unfortunately, negative reinforcement.\u00a0 When I say make an example out of her, it does not mean make her run laps while the team practices or give her individual punishment, but rather make it a team effort.\u00a0 If you were to make the punishment all about your bratty athlete, she will receive the attention she was looking for and still have the control she was seeking.<\/p>\n

Here is what you can do.\u00a0 Before the start of practice, tell your team that you are going to have a hard practice and give them guidelines; i.e. if one person does not hustle on and off the field, the whole team will run sprints.\u00a0 Once the guidelines are given, the bar is set for everyone on the team, not just the bratty athlete.\u00a0 If she does not comply with the rules, the whole teams runs.\u00a0 If she continues to rebel, the whole team will eventually become irritated and disallow her behavior.\u00a0 By making this a team effort, the bratty athlete is not initially segregated as the \u201cbad apple,\u201d but her behavior in a team activity will be exemplified to her team as troublesome.\u00a0 Just like her teammates, the bratty athlete wants to be accepted and will learn that acting out is not the way to get attention.\u00a0 When a female athlete\u2019s peers disapprove, they will quickly remedy the situation until she is accepted once again.<\/p>\n

Key Coaching Tips for the Bratty Athlete <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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1.) Do not get on your bratty athlete\u2019s level!\u00a0 The more she knows she can get under your skin, the more antagonizing she will be!\u00a0 Remember, she seeks attention, negative or positive.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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2.)\u00a0 Make sure she receives the same amount of attention as all the other athletes; treating your team equally will help show her she is not any better or any less than her teammates.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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3.)\u00a0 Do not individualize punishment!\u00a0 Rule out bad behavior by team consequences so the team as a whole will push for compliance. <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How to Coach the Bratty Athlete   If you have never had an athlete on your team with attitude, you are one lucky coach.\u00a0 The truth is though, every team has the bratty athlete; the girl with attitude, negative leadership, and lack of respect.\u00a0 Now, it\u2019s not necessarily your job to understand where the attitude … <\/p>\n

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