The ACL Prevention Lie Coaches Keep Pushing with Erica Mulholland

Most coaches want to help female athletes… but a lot of the advice being pushed right now is fear-based, trendy, and honestly… backwards.In this episode, I sit down with Erica (Fit Soccer Queen) to talk about what actually matters in female athlete development: high performance first, real strength & plyometric progressions, smarter youth training, and why “training around the menstrual cycle” has become one of the most confusing topics in the industry.We cover: • Why parents are getting wrecked by misinformation (and why 30-second reels don’t help) • The truth about ACL prevention: it’s not mini bands and clamshells • How to build powerful, resilient female athletes through real S&C • Youth training, fun, play, and why some parents are accidentally killing development • Erica’s conference story: the “menstrual cycle training scam” talk that triggered the room (and why it landed) • How to set expectations with parents, keep athletes consistent, and run a high-quality youth programIf you coach youth athletes, train female athletes, or work with sports parents… this one is a must.Connect with Erica: Instagram Fit Soccer Queen (link in her bio has everything)0:00 – Why coaches ask to “come on your podcast” with zero relationship1:40 – Sam’s podcast format + why social media is a misinformation cesspit3:20 – Why Erica started her podcast (COVID, education, and better conversations)5:00 – Parents are overwhelmed by misinformation (and why they program-hop)7:10 – “Body of work” + why books still matter7:40 – Writing a book: flow state vs editing hell8:40 – Female athlete training: growth spurt years + injury resilience10:20 – Menstrual cycle misinformation + fear-based coaching11:20 – The real issue: treating girls like they’re fragile12:10 – “High performance first, resiliency follows”14:00 – The speed camp refund story (because it was “too fun”)18:20 – Erica’s coaching journey: leaving college S&C, choosing youth21:20 – Consistency and commitment: why drop-in coaching kills results24:20 – Scarcity culture in S&C + toxic environments25:40 – Conference story: “Training around the menstrual cycle is a scam”29:20 – Why cutting back 2 weeks per month makes no sense33:10 – Evidence + 14 years of real-world coaching anecdotes34:10 – History lesson: are we repeating 1900s thinking?39:00 – Paula Radcliffe example + “you don’t need to make it a thing”43:30 – Coaching parents: assessments, expectations, honesty47:00 – In-person training is making a comeback50:00 – Building a home gym model (and why small can be better)57:50 – Play, games, and why climbing walls are elite development🔗 Links (Placeholders You Can Swap) • Erica’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitsoccerqueen/?hl=en • Erica’s books: https://a.co/d/01nEXDCE • Sam’s Sports Speed System book: https://www.speedbysportland.com/sportsspeedsystembook • Legacy Mastermind: https://www.speedbysportland.com/legacy-mastermind-new-page