Women’s Football Hub

How do we stop talented girls dropping out, breaking down, or burning out?

In this episode of Women's Football Hub, Carolyn Kent sits down with internationally recognised coach, consultant, author and sports scientist Dr Paul Gamble to discuss one of the most significant challenges facing girls' sport.

Together they explore why participation rates decline sharply during adolescence, how puberty changes the sporting experience for girls, and what schools, coaches and parents can do to better support long-term athletic development.

Dr Gamble explains why early exposure to a variety of sports matters, challenges common misconceptions about strength training for young female athletes, and discusses the growing concerns around early specialisation, burnout, and the professionalisation of youth sport.

The conversation also examines the realities of sports parenting, including post-match conversations, parent-coach relationships, academy pathways, and the importance of putting the child's experience at the centre of every decision.

Key themes include:

• Girls' participation and dropout in sport

An episode for parents, coaches, teachers, and practitioners working to create better sporting experiences for girls and young women.

#WomensFootball #GirlsSport #SportsParenting #FemaleAthlete #FootballCoaching #YouthDevelopment #WomenInSport #SportsScience #GirlsFootball #PlayerDevelopment

Wearable technology is now a normal part of modern sport, but how is it affecting female athletes?

In this episode, Carolyn Kent is joined by Dr Paul Bowell from Swinburne University of Technology to explore the growing use of GPS trackers, heart rate monitors, wellness questionnaires, sleep tracking tools, and menstrual cycle apps in women's sport.

Drawing on his research with female athletes, Dr Bowell discusses how wearable technology can improve performance, support injury rehabilitation, and provide athletes with valuable insights into their bodies. At the same time, he highlights important concerns around surveillance, data ownership, athlete wellbeing, privacy, and the risk of placing too much trust in metrics while ignoring the wider context of an athlete's life.

The conversation also examines how under-resourced women's sport can create unique challenges around technology, athlete education, and data interpretation.

This is a discussion for coaches, practitioners, researchers, players, and anyone interested in the future of women's sport.

#WomensFootball #FemaleAthletes #SportsScience #SportsTechnology #AthleteData #PerformanceAnalysis #WomenInSport #FootballPodcast #WearableTechnology #SportsResearch

In this episode, Carolyn Kent is joined by Maria Omma, an experienced strength and conditioning coach, to explore the shift from long-term athletic development to long-term activity development.

They discuss how traditional performance-focused models often overlook the realities of human development and why a more flexible, individualised approach is needed. The conversation highlights the importance of enjoyment, play, and creativity in keeping people engaged in movement throughout life.

Key topics include the five phases of activity development, supporting women returning to football, physical literacy, and practical ways to build strength and resilience without access to facilities.

This episode is relevant for coaches, practitioners, and anyone interested in increasing participation and improving long-term engagement in sport.

#WomensFootball #LongTermActivityDevelopment #Coaching #PhysicalLiteracy #WomenInSport #Participation #StrengthAndConditioning #SportDevelopment #ActiveLifestyle #Football

In this episode, Carolyn Kent speaks with Dr Sinead Dufour about pregnancy and return to play in elite sport, with a focus on new research from the FIFA Female Health Project.

Together, they explore how practitioners can move away from overly cautious, time-based restrictions and instead use evidence-informed decision aids to support athletes through pregnancy and postpartum. The discussion highlights the importance of individualised care, multidisciplinary support, and maintaining athlete wellbeing throughout the perinatal period.

Key topics include risk management, training modifications, mental health, pelvic health, nutrition, the concept of the fourth trimester, and stepwise return-to-play frameworks after childbirth.

This episode provides practical insights for those working with female athletes and offers a clear pathway for supporting players during one of the most complex stages of their careers.

#WomensFootball #FemaleHealth #SportsMedicine #ReturnToPlay #PerinatalAthletes #FIFAResearch #AthleteCare #WomenInSport #PerformanceHealth

Disordered eating is more common in women’s football than many people realise, yet it is frequently misunderstood, normalised or missed entirely.

In this episode, Carolyn Kent is joined by Dr Carly Perry to explore the complex relationship between food, performance and mental health in the women’s game.

They unpack the difference between disordered eating and eating disorders, highlighting why this distinction is crucial for appropriate support and intervention. The conversation dives into the cultural and environmental factors that increase vulnerability, including injury, performance pressure, body composition monitoring and the growing influence of social media.

Dr Perry shares insights from her research with professional players, revealing how behaviours such as restrictive eating, food control and obsessive tracking can become embedded in football environments. The discussion also explores how short-term performance improvements can reinforce unhealthy patterns, before longer-term physical and psychological consequences emerge.

Importantly, this episode offers practical reflections for coaches, support staff and teammates on how to recognise early signs and create safer, more supportive environments.

A must-listen for anyone involved in women’s football or athlete wellbeing.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical advice.

#WomensFootball #DisorderedEating #SportsPsychology #FemaleAthletes #AthleteWellbeing #FootballCulture #MentalHealthInSport #Coaching #Performance

In this episode of Women’s Football Hub, Carolyn Kent sits down with Dr. Anne Leung to discuss sex differences in outcomes following ACL reconstruction, and what they mean for athletes and clinicians working in women’s sport.

Dr. Leung shares insights from her PhD research on quadriceps neuromuscular performance, highlighting key areas where female athletes tend to face greater challenges during and after rehabilitation. From persistent strength deficits and lower return-to-sport rates to psychological readiness and long-term physical activity levels, this episode provides a comprehensive look at what the evidence currently tells us — and where gaps still remain.

The conversation also tackles common misconceptions, including the role of hormonal cycles in training, and explores how rehabilitation environments, training history, and potential bias may influence recovery outcomes.

Key themes include:

This episode is essential for practitioners, athletes, and anyone interested in improving outcomes in women’s sport rehabilitation.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.

#ACLReconstruction #WomensSport #SportsRehab #FemaleAthletes #Physiotherapy #SportsMedicine #InjuryRecovery

In this episode of the Women's Football Hub psychology series, host Dr Ian Cookson welcomes Dr Adrienn Szabadics, Chartered Sport Psychologist and researcher in team resilience. Dr Szabadics shares insights from her research on resilience within elite women’s football environments.

They discuss:

This episode will benefit coaches, parents, practitioners, and players wanting a deeper understanding of how teams navigate pressure and maintain cohesion in challenging environments.

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In this episode of the Women’s Football Hub podcast, host Carolyn Kent welcomes Carol Bates, founder of Old Girls Play Too and Crawley Old Girls (COGS). Carol has become one of the leading voices championing recreational football for women aged 40+, 50+, 60+ and beyond.

Carol shares her journey from growing up in a generation where girls weren’t allowed to play football, to becoming a key figure helping thousands of women discover the joy of the sport later in life. Together, Carolyn and Carol explore:

If you’re curious about playing football later in life, supporting older athletes, or understanding the importance of inclusive sporting spaces, this episode offers practical insight and heartfelt encouragement.

Connect with Carol:

#WomensFootball #RecreationalSport #OlderWomenInSport #FootballCommunity #OldGirlsPlayToo #COGS #Women40Plus #ActiveAging #WomenInFootball

In this powerful episode, host Carolyn Kent speaks with attorney Steven DeBonis of Cordisco & Saile about the growing legal landscape surrounding traumatic brain injury (TBI) in football. With rulings such as the UK’s Gordon McQueen inquest and decades of concussion litigation in the United States, the conversation around brain injury in sport has never been more urgent.

Steven breaks down the intersection between law and medicine explaining how TBIs are defined, how causation is established, why cumulative impacts matter, and what governing bodies and youth organisations need to understand about duty of care. They also explore informed consent, legal precedents, and what the next 10 years might look like as research and litigation continue to evolve.

Whether you're a player, coach, administrator, medical professional, or simply a fan who cares about the future of the sport, this episode offers an essential and accessible deep dive into one of football’s most pressing issues.

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In this episode, host Carolyn Kent speaks with pelvic health expert Sarah Thorne about one of the most overlooked areas in women’s and girls’ sport: female health at grassroots level. With tens of thousands of young girls entering the game, understanding how puberty, menstrual cycles, pelvic health, growth, nutrition and confidence affect performance is more essential than ever.

Sarah shares insights from her extensive work in London grassroots clubs, where she supports coaches, parents, and players to build healthier, safer training environments. From the importance of sports bras and cycle awareness to managing growth-related pain and reducing injury risk, this conversation offers practical, immediately useful advice for every club.

Whether you're coaching under-10s, parenting a teenage footballer, or working within a club structure, this episode will help you understand how to better support young female players in the most crucial years of their development.

Key areas we explore:

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