Leave it to Cindy Bristow to come up with a great article that explains some of the mysteries of female athletes and how they think. If you’re a male and coaching females, especially if you’re new to it, you may find yourself quite bewildered at times. You say something you think is perfectly legitimate — and maybe it is — but you get a reaction that isn’t what you expected. Cindy’s article will explain why.

If you’re a female coach, especially if you’re a former college player, you may want to read this article too. I’ve found in talking with some of the girls who have played for me that female coaches can be even worse about that sort of thing. My theory is that they don’t fit the stereotype Cindy talks about, and maybe even resent other females who do. So they have little sympathy for how sensitive or insecure their players are. But the truth is if you want to build a team and have players who will run through a wall for you, you’d better get on board with it. There are more of them than there are of you.

It never ceases to amaze me how things can be taken. I recently had one of players wondering if I was mad at her because I dropped her a couple of positions in the batting order during a rough tournament. I was desperately searching for a combination that would work (none did, unfortunately) and just shuffled things up. She apparently spent the rest of the day wondering what she’d done wrong.

So yes, you definitely have to watch it. Cindy’s article is a must-read for all of us.