Building Strong Female Soccer Players in the College Game

In this episode of the Femme FC Podcast, Nicole is joined by Malorie Henderlong, Assistant Director of Sports Performance at Auburn University, for a practical deep dive into strength and conditioning in Division I women's college soccer. Malorie shares how she approaches athlete development in a population that often arrives with a low training age, why she believes in doing the basics "simple, savagely well," and how she programs an entire roster with wide variation in experience, injury history, and playing time. She also breaks down the realities of modern college soccer, including the impact of the transfer portal, managing roster turnover, and balancing physical development with the academic and life stressors that come with being a student athlete. This conversation highlights what it really takes to keep players healthy, available, and progressing in a demanding NCAA environment where the calendar never truly slows down. Topics include: Simple movement foundations for low training age athletes (squat, hinge, push, pull, core) How Malorie prepares incoming athletes before they arrive on campus Programming around injury history while still driving performance How the transfer portal changes long term development and load management Wellness surveys, RPE, and GPS data in the college setting In season lifting structure vs spring development blocks Fitness testing (Bronco), maximal aerobic speed, and individualized conditioning How to "fill buckets" based on position specific match demands   Register for the Soccer Performance Support Summit! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/soccer-performance-support-summit-tickets-1625338644639?aff=oddtdtcreator