Editor Carolyn Kent – Women’s Football Hub
When I sat down with USA Masters sprinter and strength & speed coach Erica Mulholland better known online as Fit Soccer Queen I knew we were going to get straight into the truth about athletic development for girls. Erica has worked with young athletes across sports, and she sees the same thing again and again: many underestimate themselves, especially in the gym.
In this Women’s Football Hub episode, we talked about building strength and speed, why progressive overload is key, and how to fit high-quality work into already busy schedules without tipping athletes into burnout.
Why girls underestimate their strength
One of the first things Erica highlighted was how many young female athletes can lift far more than they think. She’s seen players stuck using the same light weights for years because no one’s given them the confidence or the coaching to go heavier.
It’s not about maxing out recklessly. We spoke about the importance of good form first and using something called “reps in reserve” to guide effort. That means finishing a set knowing you could have done a couple more quality reps. It’s a safe way to progress load without losing technique, and it helps athletes realise just how capable they are.
When that confidence in the gym grows, Erica said, you see it spill over onto the pitch. Players start moving with more intent, holding their ground in tackles, and generally playing with greater belief.
Speed training doesn’t need a separate session
One of Erica’s biggest takeaways for coaches was this: you don’t have to add extra sessions to improve speed. You can build it right into your warm-up.
She explained that, within the first 10–12 minutes of a session, you can layer short, high-quality speed work on top of your existing injury-prevention warm-up. That might be a brief plyometric, a few technical sprint drills, and one or two timed sprints with full recovery. Done regularly, these small exposures to high speed help protect against hamstring injuries and keep players sharp.
Erica pointed out that, in-season, this approach is much more realistic than trying to run long, separate speed workouts, especially for players balancing multiple commitments.
The in-season “microdosing” approach
When we talked about programming during the season, Erica kept coming back to the idea of minimum effective dose. If a player has multiple training sessions and matches in a week, you don’t need to pile on high volumes of strength or conditioning work just enough to maintain progress without creating soreness or fatigue for game day.
For strength, that means low reps, heavier loads, and focusing on intent rather than volume. For speed, it means those short, sharp efforts built into warm-ups. And for plyometrics or change of direction, it’s about keeping contacts low and quality high.
She emphasised that athletes should finish in-season sessions feeling activated, not exhausted.
Myths that don’t help performance
Erica and I also tackled some of the myths she sees online especially the idea that endless ladders or sand sprints are the secret to speed.
She explained that ladders can have a small role in teaching footwork patterns, but too often they’re misused for long, fatiguing circuits that don’t transfer to match play. Similarly, while beach sessions might be fun and great for team bonding, they aren’t ideal for developing maximum speed because the surface reduces the stiffness and bounce you need to sprint fast.
Instead, she advised focusing on drills and surfaces that actually match the demands of the game.
Recovery is performance
A recurring theme in our conversation was recovery. Erica made it clear that feeling “unfit” in-season is often really about being fatigued. Without enough rest, sleep, and good nutrition, no amount of extra work will make you faster or stronger it will just break you down.
She encouraged coaches, parents, and players to see recovery as part of training, not an optional extra. Protect at least one full day off a week, schedule strength on training days so that true rest days stay clear, and don’t be afraid to do less if an athlete is showing signs of overload.
Doing better, not doing more
To wrap up, Erica said something I think is vital for everyone in youth sport to remember: the best athletes aren’t doing more, they’re doing better. That means intentional, high-quality sessions, measured progress, and space to recover.
It’s a refreshing message in an age where players and parents often feel like they need to be busy every day to keep up. If we can shift the focus to doing the right things well whether that’s in the gym, on the pitch, or in the bedroom sleeping we can help more girls stay in the game, improve their performance, and enjoy their sport for longer.
Listen to the full conversation with Erica Mulholland on the Women’s Football Hub podcast for more on progressive overload, in-season speed work, and simple ways to make your athletic development sessions count.
AI Assistance: This blog was drafted with assistance from ChatGPT and then checked and edited by the podcast host.
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