Women’s Football Hub

In this episode of Women’s Football Hub, Carolyn Kent sits down with sports scientist Andrew Wiseman to discuss the physical preparation of female players. With years of experience in elite football – including the WSL, academies, and international environments – Andrew offers valuable insights into training load, injury risk, recovery, and the unique considerations for female athletes. Topics inc...

Are your boots helping your game or putting you at risk? In this week’s episode of the Women's Football Hub Podcast, Carolyn Kent is joined by Dr Danyon Loud, a football boot researcher and sports engineer from the University of Adelaide, to discuss what really matters when choosing football boots. We tackle: Why many football boots are still designed for male feet How stud design affects injury r...

In this episode, sports science consultant Jo Clubb (Global Performance Insights) joins Carolyn Kent to discuss the real purpose of sports science — and why it's not just about collecting data. From elite football to the NFL and NHL, Jo shares stories and insights on performance, communication, athlete wellness, and the careful integration of tech. This episode is packed with reflections and pract...

In this episode of the Women's Football Hub Podcast, host Carolyn Kent is joined by Dr Jessica Beal Stahl and sports pharmacist Emily Shears for a critical conversation about GLP-1 receptor agonists – better known as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. We unpack: How these drugs work in the body Why they were developed for diabetes and are now used more broadly (including PCOS, weight loss) Risks and s...

Sleep Posture: Controlling the Controllables with Louise Rogerson and Team GB Olympian Katy Marchant In this episode of the Women's Football Hub Podcast, host Carolyn Kent is joined by neurological physiotherapist Louise Rogerson (Chief Clinical Officer at Levitex) and Team GB Olympic track cyclist Katy Marchant to explore a topic that's often overlooked in athlete recovery: sleep posture. You'll...

Menstrual health isn’t a “nice to have” in football – it’s essential. In this episode of Women’s Football Hub, we’re joined by sports scientist Julia Donnelly – head of performance at Athlete Focused and soon-to-be Dr Donnelly – who’s just completed a PhD investigating the menstrual cycle in football. Julia shares her research on: ✅ How players experience symptoms that impact performance ✅ Why t...

This week on the Women’s Football Hub Podcast, Dr Ian Cookson is joined by sport and exercise psychologist in training Mark Eastup for a brilliant deep dive into Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) — a modern, values-driven approach that’s making waves in performance sport. Mark shares his journey from clinical mental health settings to working in women’s football, and breaks down: What ACT is...

: 🎧 UEFA A Coach Andy Driscoll on Coaching, Confidence & the 3 Rs Framework In this episode of the Women’s Football Hub Podcast, host Carolyn Kent speaks with UEFA A Licensed coach Andy Driscoll about his coaching journey, the realities of the badge pathway, and how his 3 Rs framework – Reflection, Realism, Repeat – can help coaches at every level. 💬 Topics covered: Andy’s path from playing...

🎙 Podcast Title: Safeguarding in Football with Sally O'Donnell 📍 Episode Summary: In this essential episode of the Women's Football Hub podcast, host Carolyn Kent speaks with safeguarding consultant Sally O'Donnell about the importance of safeguarding across all levels of football—from grassroots to the professional game. With a powerful blend of personal experience and professional expertise, Sa...

🎙️ “ACL Injuries in Female Youth Players” – with Miss Morgan Bailey 🗣️ Hosted by Carolyn Kent and student co-host Lotte Black 🔹 Episode Summary: In this episode of Women's Football Hub, we’re joined by Miss Morgan Bailey – a consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon and chair of the Women’s ACL Orthopaedic Steering Group. Together with co-host and strength coach Lotte Black, we dive deep into one...

🎙️ Episode Title: Intuition with Melissa Dhillon Hosted by Dr Ian Cookson Guest: Melissa Dhillon, Chartered Sport and Exercise Scientist & MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology Listen now at www.womensfootballhub.com or on your favourite podcast app 🔑 Episode Summary: In this episode, Dr Ian Cookson sits down with Melissa Dhillon to explore the power of intuition in sport. Melissa draws on her...

🎙️ “Rebuilding Stronger: ACL Recovery & Resilience in Young Female Athletes” – with Elliot Greenberg & Dr. Ted Ganley 🗣️ Hosted by Carolyn Kent, co-hosted by Lindsey Cornish 🔹 Episode Summary: In this episode of Women's Football Hub, host Carolyn Kent and co-host Lindsey Cornish are joined by two world-class experts from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia: Elliot Greenberg, a clinica...

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Sam McHaffie, performance nutritionist at Manchester City Women and recent PhD graduate from Liverpool John Moores University. We unpack the findings from his four-part PhD exploring nutrition and energy availability in elite female footballers—from carbohydrate fear and body image concerns to under-fuelling and RED-S risk in adolescent players. Sam shares prac...

🎙️ Podcast Title: "Inside the Referee Mindset: Psychology, Pressure & Performance with PGMOL’s Kayleigh Dougan & Sue Jones" 👥 Guests: Kayleigh Dougan – Performance Psychologist, PGMOL Dr. Sue Jones – Performance Psychologist, PGMOL 🎧 Episode Summary: In this episode, Dr. Ian Cookson sits down with Kayleigh Dougan and Dr. Sue Jones to explore the untold side of officiating. As performance...

🎙️ Podcast Title: "Spotlight on REDs: Female Football, Menstrual Health & Multidisciplinary Support with Velvet Klass" 👤 Guest: Velvet Klass – PhD Candidate at Flinders University, researching REDs and multidisciplinary support in elite women’s football. 🎧 Episode Summary: In this episode, host Carolyn Kent chats with researcher and former athlete Velvet Klass about Relative Energy Deficienc...

🎙️ Women's Football Hub Podcast – Sports Psychology Series: Transitions & Critical Moments  🎧 Hosted by: Dr. Ian Cookson 🎤 Guest: Louis Ross (Sports Psychologist | Loughborough DICE Program | Formerly with Bristol City Women) Episode Overview In this episode of the Women's Football Hub Podcast, Dr. Ian Cookson sits down with Louis Ross, a sports psychologist with experience working in academ...

🎙️ The Role of Sports Pharmacy in Women's Football Guests: Emily Shears & Dr. Jessica Beal-Stahl Host: Carolyn Kent Episode Overview: Pharmacy might not be the first thing you think of in sport, but medications, supplements, and chronic disease management all play a crucial role in performance. In this episode, sports pharmacists Emily Shears and Dr. Jessica Beal-Stahl break down the importanc...

Recovery & Return to Sport with Hannah Poulton 🎙️ Host: Carolyn Kent 🎙️ Guest: Hannah Poulton, Director of HLP Therapy, Women's Health Specialist, and PhD Researcher on C-Section Scarring Episode Overview In this episode of Women's Football Hub, host Carolyn Kent is joined by physiotherapist and women's health specialist Hannah Poulton to explore the realities of C-section recovery and the jou...

In this episode of The Women’s Football Hub, host Sarah Thorne sits down with the brilliant Michelle Lyons, physiotherapist, educator, and global women’s health advocate. Together, they dive into one of the most important—and often overlooked—aspects of female athlete wellbeing: pelvic health and hormonal changes across the lifespan. From menstrual health and RED-s to perimenopause and injury prev...

Sports Psychology Series – The Psychological Return to Football After Injury 🎙 Guest: Dr. Serena MacLeod (Chartered Sport and Exercise Psychologist) 🎙 Host: Dr. Ian Cookson Episode Summary: In this episode, Dr. Ian Cookson sits down with Dr. Serena MacLeod to discuss the psychological challenges athletes face when recovering from serious injuries. Drawing from her experience with Reading Women’s F...

🎙️ Women’s Football Hub Podcast – Exploring ACL Injury Research with Erin Griffiths   Episode Overview In this episode, Carolyn Kent welcomes a special co-host, Emily Howarth, an MSc Physiotherapy student, for her first podcast appearance! Together, they interview Erin Griffiths, a PhD researcher working with Manchester United on ACL injury risk factors in women's football. Erin shares her academi...

Show Notes – Women’s Football Hub Podcast Episode: The History & Future of Women’s Football with Clare McEwen 🎙️ Host: Carolyn Kent 🎙️ Guest: Clare McEwen – Freelance Sports Writer, Author of She Can Kick It, and Health Researcher at Oxford University Episode Overview In this episode, Carolyn Kent welcomes Clare McEwen, author of She Can Kick It, a book that delves into the rich and often over...

The Problem with Women’s Football Boots: Beyond ‘Pink It and Shrink It’ 🎙 Guest: Dr. Amanda Jagielo 🎤 Host: Carolyn Kent Episode Summary In this episode of the Women’s Football Hub podcast, host Carolyn Kent sits down with Dr. Amanda Jagielo, a sports medicine expert and researcher specialising in sports footwear. Dr. Jagielo shares groundbreaking insights into how football boots (or soccer cleat...

Episode Description / Show Notes: In this special episode of Women's Football Hub, host Carolyn Kent welcomes back Mark McGuigan, a mental health occupational therapist and founder of Willow Grove Consulting, after our launch of the Mental Health and Recovery Toolkit — a free resource designed for athletes at every level. Together, they explore the why behind the project and the how behind using s...

Episode Summary: In this short, reflective episode, Occupational Therapist Mark McGuigan offers a powerful mindset reset for players who are struggling after a poor performance. Whether you’ve had a tough match, made a mistake, or are feeling overwhelmed by expectations, this tool helps you let go, learn, and move forward with self-compassion and control. What You’ll Learn: ✅ How to separate who...