Editor Carolyn Kent – Women’s Football Hub
In this episode of the Women’s Football Hub podcast, I was joined by Jo Clubb, one of the most well-respected sports science consultants working globally today. With experience across elite environments in the Premier League, NHL, and NFL, Jo brings a wealth of knowledge but also a refreshing perspective: sports science isn’t just about technology.
As the founder of Global Performance Insights, Jo’s mission is to break down the complexities of sports science and make it digestible, useful, and evidence-led. Her experience spans continents and codes, but one thing remains consistent: the value of asking good questions, building trust, and understanding the human at the heart of the data.
Ask Questions First, Tech Second
A core theme from our conversation was this: start with questions, not technology.
Jo challenges the increasingly common belief that sports science begins with GPS, force plates, and AI dashboards. Instead, she argues that effective performance support starts by understanding what problem you’re trying to solve. That means starting with coaches’ or players’ real-world questions and then using tools to support the answers.
“Sports scientists need to help coaches make better decisions. If we can’t translate complexity into actionable insight, we’re not doing our job.”
Jo also warns against blindly collecting more and more data in the hope that it will hold the answers. Without a clear rationale, more data can quickly become more noise and more work, often with little benefit.
The Human Side of Sports Science
Despite her technical expertise, Jo is a firm believer in the importance of relationships and communication.
In one story that stuck with me, she recalled an athlete who deliberately reported extreme fatigue and pain on a wellness questionnaire not because he was injured, but to test whether anyone was actually paying attention. Within a day, five different staff members had checked in with him. He was amazed. And Jo was reminded why it’s so essential to “close the loop” when asking players for data.
That one small act built trust and trust, as Jo notes, is the real foundation of good sports science.
Whether it’s pen and paper, an app, or a dashboard, what matters most is what you do with the information, and whether athletes feel heard and supported.
Value vs Burden: A Simple Framework
To help teams review their use of technology and data, Jo shared a simple but powerful framework: Value vs Burden.
For any new tool or process, ask:
- What value does it provide to staff and players?
- What burden does it place on athletes (time, effort, privacy)?
- Are we acting on the data we collect?
This is a crucial lens when deciding what to keep, what to improve, and what to drop. High-value, low-burden processes such as a well-used wellness questionnaire should be prioritised. High-burden, low-value processes? Those need to go.
“We’ve got to stop assuming that if we’ve bought it, we have to keep using it. If it’s not working, change it.”
You Don’t Need a Big Budget
One of the most empowering parts of our conversation was Jo’s reminder that elite sports science doesn’t require elite resources.
She shared examples of how even low-budget environments can implement powerful practices:
- RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion): a validated 1–10 scale that gives real-time insight into internal training load.
- Wellness check-ins: a daily chance to understand how players feel physically and mentally.
- Simple communication: asking athletes how they’re feeling and observing their body language.
These approaches cost little to nothing but they require consistency, trust, and a willingness to listen. As Jo emphasised, subjective feedback from players is often more powerful than data from machines and the research backs this up.
AI, Individualisation, and the Future
Naturally, we touched on the evolving role of AI and machine learning in sports science.
Jo was clear: AI has the potential to improve efficiency and individualise support, but it’s no substitute for scientific thinking. Data is only valuable if you understand what it means, why you’re collecting it, and how to act on it.
“AI won’t replace sports scientists. But sports scientists who use AI wisely may replace those who don’t.”
She believes the next five to ten years will see more individualised programmes across nutrition, rehab, recovery, and training, even outside elite sport. Clinics, gyms, and even community sport settings may begin to integrate sports science more actively.
The opportunity is exciting but it will demand scientific literacy, critical thinking, and communication skills from the next generation of practitioners.
Advice for Aspiring Sports Scientists
Jo’s message for students and early-career professionals was both realistic and empowering:
- Build your foundations. Know your physiology, biomechanics, and evidence base.
- Learn to read research. Even if it’s hard, it’s essential.
- Use AI wisely. Understand how it works, but don’t rely on it blindly.
- Focus on communication. Learn to simplify, visualise, and tell stories with data.
- Build trust. People remember relationships more than they remember tech.
Jo reminds us that what sets great practitioners apart isn’t just knowledge or tools it’s their ability to connect with people, ask better questions, and stay grounded in evidence.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a student, a coach, or a physiotherapist, Jo’s insights are a reminder that sports science is about people, not just numbers. In a world increasingly dominated by tech and data, we mustn’t forget the basics: ask good questions, listen to athletes, and focus on what truly matters.
Jo Clubb’s work is a masterclass in evidence-led, athlete-centred practice and we’re grateful to have had her on the show.
🎧 Listen to the episode now wherever you get your podcasts
📚 Explore Jo’s work at globalperformanceinsights.com
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This blog was created with the help of ChatGPT (Open AI) but human edited by the podcast host.
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