Catch Them Being Good: Everything You Need to Know to Successfully Coach Girls

I've been coaching high school soccer for less than 5 years and wanted to do better for the team. I've played soccer for 35 years and coached boys before, but the girls team had me confounded; this book has completely reshaped the way I will coach these girls. Essentially, the book looks at the major aspects of the game (game psychology, strategy, practice, etc.) and analyzes the female perspective. So many of the questions that start "Why won't they..." are answered. Solutions to address a multitude of problems are provided as well. The book addresses most playing levels, not just elite. Highly recommend this one for anyone that coaches females.

I enjoyed this book. It was exectly what I expected, a little bit of insight, a little bit of instruction and a little bit of personal observation. It is a great book for any new coach or someone looking to get some ideas, but it wont make you a better coach or change your life.

I read this book after reading Anson Dorrance's Training Soccer Champions and Lauren Gregg's The Champions Within. This book is better for the new coach who may be just forming their coaching attitudes and style. For coaches of totally dedicated Premier level teams or higher, the other two books are probably better. Catch Them Being Good shares many of the viewpoints of the other two books on building teams, motivating players, and forming strong positive attitudes. The other two books had better technical information and (perhaps because I read them first) struck me more powerfully than this one. This book was more readable for a beginning coach. I think the team building exercises are a real plus and are the biggest items I will take away from reading this book.

Ok, this book is wonderful. Tony and Colleen put it all together for you coaches and parents out there! The truth in black and white. I am a product of this type of coaching. I was blessed to have been a soccer player who was led by Dr. Colleen Hacker at Pacific Lutheran University. She caught me being good more often than bad and I thrived mostly as a young woman but also on the soccer field. The book takes you through the life of a season from the very beginning to the end. Tony gives examples of experiences he has had with players/coaches on the US National Team. A valuable tool and great food for thought.