Most coaches want to help female athletes… but a lot of the advice being pushed right now is fear-based, trendy, and honestly… backwards.
In this episode, I sit down with Erica (Fit Soccer Queen) to talk about what actually matters in female athlete development: high performance first, real strength & plyometric progressions, smarter youth training, and why “training around the menstrual cycle” has become one of the most confusing topics in the industry.
We cover:
• Why parents are getting wrecked by misinformation (and why 30-second reels don’t help)
• The truth about ACL prevention: it’s not mini bands and clamshells
• How to build powerful, resilient female athletes through real S&C
• Youth training, fun, play, and why some parents are accidentally killing development
• Erica’s conference story: the “menstrual cycle training scam” talk that triggered the room (and why it landed)
• How to set expectations with parents, keep athletes consistent, and run a high-quality youth program
If you coach youth athletes, train female athletes, or work with sports parents… this one is a must.
Connect with Erica: Instagram Fit Soccer Queen (link in her bio has everything)
0:00 – Why coaches ask to “come on your podcast” with zero relationship
1:40 – Sam’s podcast format + why social media is a misinformation cesspit
3:20 – Why Erica started her podcast (COVID, education, and better conversations)
5:00 – Parents are overwhelmed by misinformation (and why they program-hop)
7:10 – “Body of work” + why books still matter
7:40 – Writing a book: flow state vs editing hell
8:40 – Female athlete training: growth spurt years + injury resilience
10:20 – Menstrual cycle misinformation + fear-based coaching
11:20 – The real issue: treating girls like they’re fragile
12:10 – “High performance first, resiliency follows”
14:00 – The speed camp refund story (because it was “too fun”)
18:20 – Erica’s coaching journey: leaving college S&C, choosing youth
21:20 – Consistency and commitment: why drop-in coaching kills results
24:20 – Scarcity culture in S&C + toxic environments
25:40 – Conference story: “Training around the menstrual cycle is a scam”
29:20 – Why cutting back 2 weeks per month makes no sense
33:10 – Evidence + 14 years of real-world coaching anecdotes
34:10 – History lesson: are we repeating 1900s thinking?
39:00 – Paula Radcliffe example + “you don’t need to make it a thing”
43:30 – Coaching parents: assessments, expectations, honesty
47:00 – In-person training is making a comeback
50:00 – Building a home gym model (and why small can be better)
57:50 – Play, games, and why climbing walls are elite development
🔗 Links (Placeholders You Can Swap)
• Erica’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitsoccerqueen/?hl=en
• Erica’s books: https://a.co/d/01nEXDCE
• Sam’s Sports Speed System book: https://www.speedbysportland.com/sportsspeedsystembook
• Legacy Mastermind: https://www.speedbysportland.com/legacy-mastermind-new-page
