My experience is that it’s all about the amount of pressure.

Boys do much better in high-pressure situations. If they’re at a meet, or working a new skill, or anything like that, the adrenaline kicks in and suddenly they’re at their best.

Girls work best in low-pressure situations; when they’re within their comfort zone, they work hard to be the best they can be. But when they’re afraid, they’re more likely to shut down.

Another big difference (or perhaps a corrolary to that first difference) is how they handle crashes. When a boy crashes but is uninjured, he will often get up and say “THAT WAS COOL! Can I do it again?” When a girl crashes but is uninjured, she will often be afraid to try the skill again.

I coached both boys and girls today in the same gym, completely differently.

For girls, I only consider the “psychology” of training. If they are happy, the gymnastics will progress.

With boys there is no psychology at all. I am demanding. More insistent. Tougher. And only give them “fun” if they do well in training.

Two different animals, male and female gymnasts.

FROM THE MTV POINT OF VIEW (NOT FROM GYM…but from MTV) which gym would be ideal? which second choice? Etc?

How do you think coaching girls and boys is different? I have heard that with girls, they are way more trainable in terms of listening and doing what told, etc. But that boys respond much better to a harsh football/boxing coach type of mentality. But I have actually not seen that in gym. Like in basketball, coaches are more harsh with males, but more coaxing with females…so they don’t shut down. But it almost seems the reverse with gym…where coaches are more dictatorial with girls…and boys just play and train themselves.

Thoughts?

Not exactly sure I’d want it done in my gym currently anyways.