Providing positive experiences of learning in girls' soccer (football)

The foundations of the author's reflections come from his own exposure to coaching and physical education from a young age, and across various sports and activities. It is the positive experiences as a young athlete that the author remembers such as those of being supported by coaches and peers in an environment that made the author feel good feel that the author belonged. In this chapter, the author presents a couple of training sessions using a game-based approach with a focus on developing their tactical awareness and decision making. His first session with the girls focused on building rapport through fun, modified games while he determined their individual skills and motivation. The resource used for designing the sessions was Game Sense, Pedagogy for performance, participation and enjoyment. The author’s second session focused on developing girls’ tactical awareness further, through greater awareness of each other, and the different strengths they each brought to the team.