Our core spirit is constant as we move through life, but our bodies and minds change as we age. I rarely remember my teenage years until I see adolescent girls and the emotions and memories creep back.

Raising sons, who all had friends with brothers, I didn’t interact with teenage girls except when my two nieces were that age. As the girls grew, I tried giving them as much female wisdom as I remembered. But so much has changed since I was their age with the addition of technology and social media leading to less confidence and higher suicide rates.

This weekend I was treated to a “girl’s weekend” because my best friend’s niece was in town playing hockey in the National Girls Hockey League, and a local teacher and girl’s travel lacrosse coach allowed me to volunteer during their Outlaw Girl’s Lacrosse practice. In both instances, I saw girls playing sports creating stronger self-images and more powerful bodies for today and their future.

What I loved about the two experiences was watching three females coach these teens. All of them were past players of the sports they were coaching and passionate about the game. A few of the coaches were also teachers. Like my parents who were both athletes and physical education teachers with an enthusiasm to inspire others, they easily became coaches of a myriad of sports – even my 5’1” mother coaching boys wrestling and football fresh out of college.

I’ve thought of becoming a coach after retiring from my 30-year business career, which involved inspiring and educating hundreds of women and trying lacrosse refereeing, but yesterday showed me a few things. One, I need more education to coach a sport especially a sport I did not play. Second, I need to take some teaching or coaching courses to ensure I know the basics of the career. Just because I participate in sports and love them, doesn’t mean I can coach them.

After watching my friends Erin and Angelina coach teen girls to play lacrosse in the cold pouring rain with a palpable zest, I am inspired to investigate coaching as an option but only with education first. I am confident my friends will continue to inspire, motivate, and propel the teen girls they are working with to higher levels of success – not just in sports, but in life.

Do you inspire girls in your own life? If so, how?

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