Guest host Darren Hansen sits down with Erica Mulholland to talk about coaching young female soccer players the right way: balancing skill work with strength, reducing overuse injuries, and why load management + recovery matter way more than most athletes realize. Erica shares how a meniscus tear changed her approach, what she’s seeing with ACL injuries in young girls, and the big rocks coaches should focus on if they want athletes to stay healthy and keep improving long-term.
Timestamps (Key Moments) - 0:29 – Erica’s early inspiration: discipline, hard work, and chasing big goals
- 1:11 – Meniscus tear → wake-up call on load management + recovery
- 4:09 – Why “skills-only” training fails young girls (and drives overuse injuries)
- 4:29 – ACL injuries becoming more common in young girls (and what pushed Erica deeper into S&C)
- 15:59 – Calling out bad coaching trends you see on Instagram (and why it matters)
- 48:33 – Where to find Erica / socials
Get Connected:Learn more about how becoming a Speed Lab helps you build faster athletes and a more sustainable sports performance business: https://universalspeedrating.com/learn-more-partner-with-universal-speed-rating-speed-lab-podcast
