WAG Do your coaches say this?

[MinnieGymMom]

So, my daughters coaches, her bar coach especially (male) tells her "good girl" when she's corrected something or done something really well. She was apparently talking to her friends from school and that came up and her friends thought it was creepy. She's never had a problem before with him eyeing that but now shes creeped out too.
What should I do and also do yalls coaches say that too?
She's 11 and a level 9 in 6th grade

 

[MinnieGymMom]

When it says eyeing i meant "saying" sorry!

 

[2G1B]

Is this coach from the U.S.? If not, I think that it is common (my DD has had a few couaches from other countries who have said it).

 

[MinnieGymMom]

Is this coach from the U.S.? If not, I think that it is common (my DD has had a few couaches from other countries who have said it).

No hes originally from bulgaria

 

[3rd_time_around]

I think its just a saying, I doubt anything creepy is meant by it. Maybe just explain that he's just saying good job, but was raised in a different country with a different language and that's all he means by it.

 

[John]

DD has two Bulgarian coaches. They lose definition when they speak English. Last summer the girls came home saying the HC was sick and may die. In reality he had a cold and was going on vacation.

 

[Tumbellina82]

I don't think that's creepy. Good girl/ good boy is a pretty common phrase in the UK. Older kids might see it as a bit infantalising or patronising, maybe a bit impersonal like how you'd talk to a dog, but she's only 11, not a teenager.

How does that come off creepy in the USA? The coach is literally talking to a girl who has done something good, and praising her for that. I'm kind of struggling to make some sort of double entendre out of it.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I’m in the US. Don’t find it creepy. Not sure what specifically my kids coaches say.

 

[Sk8ermaiden]

DD has had 6 coaches at two gyms, and at 5 of them say it at least once in a while. All are American, male and female.

 

[Peachy88]

It doesn’t sound like what I would expect someone to say praising an athletes effort. We left a gym where the head male coach called my daughter sweetheart regularly. If it were my daughter and this gym was where I wanted to stay I would discuss the issue with a safe head coach in a very positive light...my daughter has expressed discomfort in being told “good girl” but really enjoys working with her coach. Do you have a suggestion for how to help her and the coach meet each other in the middle to use language that helps her feel confident. Maybe they will have no suggestions but my general thoughts are if she feels uncomfortable by his words there may be more to it and I would leave no stone unturned.

 

[Gymnast734]

I’m from the US and almost all of my coaches say this. I don’t find it creepy, in my option it just means the same as good job

 

[Aero]

I say this at least a few times every practice, usually along with a pat on the back, too. Nothing creepy about it, it's just praise.

 

[fuzi]

I try not to say it, because it sounds kind of like I'm talking to a dog, but it certainly comes out of my mouth sometimes. Just another way of saying "good job!" "nice work" "good correction!"

If it doesn't feel creepy, I'd let it go. If it feels inappropriate or she dislikes it, I think it's appropriate to help her offer her coach another suggestion (or have that conversation with the coach on her behalf).

 

[duyetanh]

Not creepy.
Yes it's said.

 

[txgymfan]

It’s not creepy. Nothing bad is usually meant by it. It is vague and I think more appropriate for a toddler than an athlete. If she can ignore it great if not talk to the coach. Personally, I don’t like the expression used above the preschool level.

 

[kecks]

not creepy at all if talking to a kid. 11 is a kid. i heard this a lot from GB coaches in track working with kids.

 

[Taxidriver]

I don’t find it creepy and pretty sure some of my dd coaches if not all say this and I find it quite a normal phrase just meaning well done. A friend of mine is an instructor (not gymnastics) he uses the phrase ‘good job’ with his students and I find that an odd phrase, not saying there’s anything wrong with it but my point being something you’re not use to can seem odd.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Very normal, I say it all the time (I am a female coach) often to older teens too.

 

[coachmolly]

I probably wouldn't say it, because like someone else said I would feel like I was talking to my dog, but I don't find it "creepy" or weird. Especially not if the coach is a non-native English speaker and likely has a limited vocabulary to work with. Coach knows athlete did a good job, athlete is a girl it adds up to good girl.
I think creepy seems to be one of the words of the moment for that age group. I know a few kids who say everything is "creepy," even if the word doesn't quite fit the situation. I think sometimes they use it to mean weird, strange, different, new, unknown, just something they don't like, or any number of other things.

 

[Tumbellina82]

Very normal, I say it all the time (I am a female coach) often to older teens too.

Come to think of it, I think the reason I wouldn't say it to older teens is that I'm not a parent and don't regard myself as old enough to be their parent, though technically I suppose I am. With older kids, though I'm still in loco parentis, I don't think they see me as a parental figure and "good girl" or "good boy" is quite a parental phrase. My mum still says it to me and I'm 35.