The Speed Lab Podcast Episode 20 - Coaching Female Athletes for Long Term Health and Performance: Erica Mulholland, Author of Female Athlete High Performance
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Feb 26, 2026 Erica Mulholland, a strength and conditioning coach and author focused on female athlete health, shares practical coaching wisdom. She talks about how a meniscus tear shifted her focus to load management and recovery. Conversations cover why strength matters for young girls, rising ACL concerns, common training red flags, and simple weekly plans to keep athletes healthy and improving long term.
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Skills-Only Training Drives Overuse In Girls
- Erica saw skills-only training causing overuse injuries and rising ACL rates in girls, so she retrained as an S&C specialist.
- She emphasizes progressive overload for bone density gains during adolescence (peak at ~15–16 years).
Use Controlled Strength Work To Reduce Knee Pain
- Explain strength training as slow, controlled, supervised work that reduces knee pain and builds surrounding muscles.
- Use regressions (isometrics, sled drags) to avoid aggravating pain and show immediate post-session improvement.
Soccer's Repeated Decelerations Raise Risk
- Soccer produces far more accelerations/decelerations per game than many sports, creating repeated maximal eccentric loads.
- If athletes lack capacity to absorb ~60+ hard decelerations, fatigue raises ACL risk.