image: Women’s Football: From Science to High Performance book cover
Credit: Routledge
Advancing women’s football through science
A new book is championing science backed research to help develop women’s football.
Women’s Football: From Science to High Performance provides a thorough, yet straightforward and accessible, analysis of the key physiological, biomechanical and social-psychological issues that can be applied to achieve women’s footballing development.
This cutting-edge text puts developing elite women footballers at the front and centre of its core aim, through the delivery of evidence-based, scientific information focusing on best practice. As such, each chapter is co-written, where possible, by a scholar and a practitioner or player (e.g., coach, footballer), meaning the scientific principles and research presented within are translated clearly into practice.
The book is edited by co-founders of the Women in Sport and Exercise Academic Network, Dr Jacky Forsyth and Dr Claire-Marie Roberts
Dr Jacky Forsyth, Emeritus Professor at University of Staffordshire, is an exercise physiologist, specialising in women's exercise and health.
“The global increase in viewership of and participation in women’s football means that, to continue with this growth, we need to appreciate the specific scientific and health issues that determine successful performance for women,” she commented.
“The aim of our book is to establish a foundation upon which practice, processes and scientific research can evolve so that women’s football performance can continue to flourish.”
The book is essential reading for anyone who is involved with women’s football, including footballers themselves, as well as strength and conditioning coaches, athletic trainers, physiotherapists, medics, nutritionists, sport psychologists, sports scientists, coaches, coach developers, technical directors, general managers, governing body personnel and club owners, from grassroots to elite level. It is also invaluable to students and academics in sport and exercise, who are studying this topic.
Forsyth added: “This book is a call to action. We want more scientific research specifically on women’s and girls’ football. We want research to be applied to practice and we wish to learn from each other’s best practices, sharing ideas to create a better future in the game and to achieve excellence in performance. We hope this text serves as a foundation upon which to build.”
Women’s Football: From Science to High Performance, published by Routledge, is available now.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- Global Context and Organisation Maurizio Valenti and Polly Bancroft
- Advancing Women’s Football Through Strategic Holistic Workforce Development: Payment, Conditions and Policies Beth G. Clarkson and Ali Bowes
- Match Demands and Physiological Determinants Naomi Datson, Ross Julian, and Barry Drust
- Talent Identification Stacey Emmonds, Adam Gledhill, Matthew Wright, and Kevin Till
- The Menstrual Cycle and Hormone-Based Contraception Kelly Lee McNulty, Paul Ansdell, Amal Hassan, and Kirsty Marie Hicks
- Menstrual Cycle Monitoring, Application and Implementation Ross Julian, Jonathan Hughes, and Debby Sargent
- Pregnancy and Motherhood Amal Hassan, Emma Brockwell, Sinead Dufour, Rosalyn Cooke Monica Rho, and Margie Davenport
- Sports Nutrition Needs Rebecca K. Randell, Ian Rollo, Samantha L. Moss, and Tom Clifford
- Eating Disorders and Elite Women’s Football Carly Perry, Maria Luisa Fernanda Pereira Vargas, Alex Culvin, and Ali Bowes
- Disordered Eating and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (Red-S): A Case Study Melissa Streno and Rebecca McConville
- Psychosocial Development and Transitions Alice Stratford and Francesca Champ
- Mental Health in Professional Women’s Football Francesca M. Champ and Kristin McGinty-Minister
- Breast Health Nicola Brown, Melissa Jones, and Joanna Wakefield-Scurr
- Injury Epidemiology Lawrence Mayhew, Lisa Hodgson, Roar Amundsen, and Solveig Thorarinsdottir
- Concussion Craig Rosenbloom, Katrine Kryger, Sean Carmody, Ritan Mehta, Charlotte Cowie, Millie Bright, and Daniel Broman
- Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation Mark De Ste Croix, Francisco Ayala, Ross Julien, Debby Sargent, and Jonathan Hughes
- Reflection And Reflecting on Football Coach Education in Connection with Identity, Process and Practice Dave Lawrence and Hanya Pielichaty