Kids are resilient, right? They have unlimited energy, malleable bodies, and can go for hours without losing gas. When they are young, they ooze passion and motivation. Over-training isn't on a parent's radar because everything is fun and games and orange slices at halftime. Things are good....
Injuries happen to all athletes. You’d be hard pressed to find any athlete who played from childhood all the way through college who went totally unscathed. Minor injuries such as bruises, sprains, and pulls can happen even to the strongest girls. Female sports are becoming increasingly...
To better prepare athletes for load, they must load. It must be progressed carefully, like the graph above. Soccer players must also train at a higher stress than game day, rather than doing the same, light to moderate, ad nauseam sport specific nonsense year-round. Eventually, they need to...
I bolted into my mom’s bedroom crying. I was 13 years old, first experiencing the volatility that is being a teenager. I also faced my first encounter with a mean girl. My teammate Emily and I were having a conversation on AOL instant messenger, which was...
I went to the emergency room in 2018. I had insomnia, two faint spells in a week, and chest tightness that lasted for days. From the outside, I was a healthy woman in her 20s. I strength trained and nourished my body. I spent time outside....
"Hand a girl a barbell and change her life." - Emily Neff, Female Athlete Performance Coach I couldn't agree with my colleague more. All female athletes must strength train. It's non-negotiable. Not only does strength training improve performance, it also decreases chance of ACL injury by 50%. Strength...
Changing your nutrition doesn’t happen from getting lectured over and over again. I mean, it's a start, but it will only get you so far. No one wants to be told ad nauseam what foods are healthy. Most people already know what is healthy and what is...
"Just go on TikTok...
I could make a fortune by putting on a show and being like every other "soccer speed guru" on social media. Alas, I don't. As a result of operating in integrity and telling the truth about speed training, I have lost clients along the way. A lot...
In 11 years of coaching young female soccer players, I continue to be flabbergasted by how many messages I get from parents about their daughters' overuse injuries. It sucks. It's bad. I'm tired. "Our daughter has had knee pain for several months," say several concerned parents. "Our daughter has a...