In this episode of the Femme FC Podcast, Nicole sits down with legendary coach Laura Harvey to break down the tactical side of football in a way that medical and performance staff can actually use.

Laura is the most winningest and longest tenured coach in NWSL history, and in this conversation she explains how phases of play, pressing strategies, transition moments, and team structure directly influence match demands and physical preparation. From high press vs mid block vs low block, to why attacking transition can be so deadly, Laura gives a practical "Tactics 101" framework that helps support staff better understand what players are being asked to do on the pitch.

This episode is packed with real-world coaching insight and clear explanations that connect tactics to training load, rehab planning, and weekly periodization.

Topics include:

• What "phases of play" actually mean (structured attack/defense + transition moments)
• High press vs mid block vs low block and how each changes physical demands
• What different positions are responsible for during a high press
• Why the 5–8 second transition window can decide games
• How coaches manipulate opponents to create space in buildup
• What happens immediately after losing the ball (and why it matters)
• Set pieces, throw-ins, and the "decoy" roles that create goals
• How climate, travel, and league trends influence tactical choices
• How Laura structures a training week to prepare tactically while managing injury risk

Don't miss the Soccer Performance Support Summit where professionals across the NWSL, MLS, USL, and NCAA will gather to learn, grow, and connect!

June 20-21, 2026 in New Jersey

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/soccer-performance-support-summit-tickets-1625338644639?aff=oddtdtcreator

In this episode of the Femme FC Podcast, Nicole is joined by Malorie Henderlong, Assistant Director of Sports Performance at Auburn University, for a practical deep dive into strength and conditioning in Division I women's college soccer.

Malorie shares how she approaches athlete development in a population that often arrives with a low training age, why she believes in doing the basics "simple, savagely well," and how she programs an entire roster with wide variation in experience, injury history, and playing time. She also breaks down the realities of modern college soccer, including the impact of the transfer portal, managing roster turnover, and balancing physical development with the academic and life stressors that come with being a student athlete.

This conversation highlights what it really takes to keep players healthy, available, and progressing in a demanding NCAA environment where the calendar never truly slows down.

Topics include:

• Simple movement foundations for low training age athletes (squat, hinge, push, pull, core)
• How Malorie prepares incoming athletes before they arrive on campus
• Programming around injury history while still driving performance
• How the transfer portal changes long term development and load management
• Wellness surveys, RPE, and GPS data in the college setting
• In season lifting structure vs spring development blocks
• Fitness testing (Bronco), maximal aerobic speed, and individualized conditioning
• How to "fill buckets" based on position specific match demands

Register for the Soccer Performance Support Summit!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/soccer-performance-support-summit-tickets-1625338644639?aff=oddtdtcreator

In this episode of the Femme FC Podcast, Nicole is joined by Shawn Hanlon and Sarah Neal for a deep dive into Achilles tendinopathy management in elite soccer, blending cutting edge research with the realities of professional sport.

Shawn shares insights from his research on tendon pathology, subgroup classification, and why symptom duration and imaging often fail to predict outcomes. Sarah brings a clinician's perspective from professional women's soccer, discussing how tendinopathy typically presents as an acute on chronic issue, how flare ups are managed in season, and how load monitoring, athlete education, and collaboration across departments can keep players available.

This conversation reframes tendinopathy not as a simple overuse injury, but as a complex, system wide challenge requiring thoughtful load management rather than rest.

Topics include:

• What tendinopathy really is and why structure does not equal symptoms

• Tendon health subgroups and their relevance to elite athletes

• Acute vs chronic tendinopathy and why duration does not change rehab outcomes

• Safe loading through pain and the pain monitoring model

• In season management strategies for long, congested soccer schedules

• GPS, high speed running, and load metrics that matter most for tendons

Register for the Soccer Performance Support Summit!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/soccer-performance-support-summit-tickets-1625338644639?aff=oddtdtcreator

Enjoy this special episode of the Femme FC Podcast where we revisit every guest's favorite thing about women's soccer. We also hear from host Nicole Surdyka's former college teammates about their college soccer playing experience and how that has shaped who they are today.

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In this episode of the Femme FC Podcast, Nicole speaks with Copa, physical therapist for the Houston Dash, about the real-world process of returning elite footballers to performance after pregnancy. Copa shares how she developed a postpartum RTP framework after managing three pro-player cases back-to-back, and what clinicians can do, especially in resource-limited women's sport settings, to support postpartum athletes safely and confidently.

Topics include:

• Early postpartum priorities and tissue healing considerations

• Pelvic floor cueing and progression into impact, sprinting, and sport demands

• Structuring return to run + strength training, and why recovery drives decisions

• Progressing workload week to week (when to repeat, when to push)

• Readiness for team training, contact exposure, and match minutes using key metrics

• The overlooked essentials: fueling demands (including breastfeeding), fatigue, and long-term monitoring

Register for the Soccer Performance Support Summit! Early bird registration ends on December 20th, 2025!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/soccer-performance-support-summit-tickets-1625338644639?aff=oddtdtcreator

In this episode of the Femme FC Podcast, Nicole speaks with Vittoria Marin of Isokinetic Medical Group to unpack what we truly know about ACL injuries in female footballers, and how clinicians can translate that knowledge into smarter, more individualized rehab.

Vittoria discusses her recent publication on ACL injuries in women's football and shares insights from her clinical experience across the full rehab spectrum, from early post-op care to advanced neuromuscular and movement-quality training in Isokinetic's "green room." She highlights the anatomical, biomechanical, hormonal, and cultural factors that shape injury risk, and explains how understanding how an athlete tore their ACL should meaningfully influence rehabilitation planning.

Topics include:

• Why non-contact mechanisms are so common in women's football

• The importance of reverse-engineering the injury mechanism

• Integrating neuromuscular and neurocognitive training throughout rehab

• How training age, resource allocation, and cultural norms influence movement quality

• Seven priority areas for improving ACL outcomes in the women's game

This episode provides actionable tools and thoughtful perspectives for any practitioner working in female athlete health, rehab, or performance.

Register for the Soccer Performance Support Summit! Early bird registration ends on December 20th, 2025!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/soccer-performance-support-summit-tickets-1625338644639?aff=oddtdtcreator

Lorena Sumser joins the show to share lessons from a global career across Germany, France, and Scotland. Lorena has worked in the private sector, the Bayern Munich Academy, FFC Wacker München, the German U20 and U23 National Teams, OL Féminin, and now Rangers FC Women, where she serves as the Lead Physical Performance Coach.

We dive into the realities of supporting players in different systems, the importance of collaboration between club and national team staff, and how culture and expectations shape the physical preparation of female footballers. Lorena talks through her experiences at World Cup level, what she learned from OL's Champions League environment, and how she approaches player readiness in the Scottish league.

In this episode, we cover:
• Early influences that shaped Lorena's coaching path
• What national team environments teach you about communication and trust
• Navigating the U20 and U23 pathway in Germany
• Managing players with different playing minutes and training histories
• What separates elite performers at OL and why their standards are so high
• The role of culture in gym expectations and strength training
• Moving into a lead role at Rangers and guiding a growing performance department
• The coaching values and principles that stay consistent across environments

This conversation offers practical insight for coaches, physios, strength coaches, and sport scientists working in women's football, or anyone preparing to step into a new environment with different demands and expectations.

This episode takes a deep look at ACL injury patterns in women's soccer and explains new evidence showing that many ACL injuries occur early in matches rather than later. This challenges the long held idea that cumulative fatigue at the end of a game is the main driver of risk.

We discuss how acute, transient fatigue during the early high intensity phases of play may influence injury mechanisms and what this means for both training and rehab.

Topics include:

• Early match injury patterns and what they reveal
• The differences between acute, cumulative, and chronic fatigue
• The impact of early match intensity and chaotic play
• Tactical and neurocognitive factors that shape risk
• Training and warm up strategies that better prepare players
• Why rate of force development matters in ACL rehab
• Contextual influences such as travel, fixture congestion, and position
• Future directions for ACL research in women's football

This episode offers practical and evidence informed insight for practitioners supporting players in elite women's soccer.