Turning Sports Science Data into Better Decisions in Women's Soccer

In this episode of the Femme FC Podcast, Nicole is joined by world-renowned sports scientist Jo Clubb, founder of Global Performance Insights and former performance staff member at Chelsea FC and Brighton & Hove Albion. Jo has worked across multiple professional sports including football, the NFL, and the NHL, and now focuses on helping teams and practitioners translate sports science data into practical decision making. In this conversation, Jo explains why collecting more data isn't always the answer and how practitioners can build smarter monitoring systems that actually improve athlete performance and availability. The discussion walks through a practical framework for sport scientists, performance directors, and medical staff working in women's football who are trying to decide: What should we measure? Why should we measure it? And what will we actually do with the information? Topics covered include: • Why sports science is really about translating data into action • A six-stage framework for managing injury risk in sport • How to decide which metrics are worth collecting • The difference between profiling and monitoring athletes • Using load monitoring to support performance rather than restrict it • Balancing the value of data against the burden placed on athletes and staff • The importance of player buy-in when collecting monitoring data • How benchmarking physical performance in women's football is evolving Jo also discusses the FIFA physical benchmarking dashboard created from research analyzing nearly 300 studies and 19,000 women's football players, highlighting key physical qualities associated with higher levels of play. For practitioners working in sport science, strength and conditioning, sports medicine, or performance leadership roles, this episode provides a clear framework for building effective data systems in women's football environments.   Continue your learning at the Soccer Performance Support Summit this June in New Jersey! Learn from and connect with practitioners across the NWSL, MLS, and NCAA! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/soccer-performance-support-summit-tickets-1625338644639?aff=oddtdtcreator     Resources: Fundamentals of Load Monitoring  https://www.sporthorizon.co.uk/fundamentals-of-load-monitoring    Roe et al paper  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40621-017-0123-x    FIFA Benchmark Dashboard  https://fifawomensdevelopmentprogramme.shinyapps.io/FIFA_Womens_Profiling/    FIFA Benchmark Paper  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-025-02251-0     Global Performance Insights  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@globalperformanceinsights  Website: https://www.globalperformanceinsights.com/  Jo's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-clubb-89a285210/