You do not need to have experienced a period to coach girls well.
And you do not need to become a hormone expert.
But female health should be part of coaching female players, just as growth, nutrition, injury prevention, sleep and recovery are.
The goal is simple. Understand enough to support the player in front of you.
Start by making periods normal
Periods are health information.
They are not embarrassing. They are not a weakness. And they are not something girls should automatically have to push through in silence.
A player may experience cramps, headaches, bloating, tiredness, digestive symptoms, mood changes or disrupted sleep around her cycle.
Another player may notice almost nothing.
Both are normal experiences.
Do not assume every girl will respond in the same way.
Should you coach according to cycle phases?
Not as a blanket rule.
We think coaches should understand the basic menstrual cycle and the hormonal changes taking place.
But knowing somebody's estimated cycle day does not tell you everything you need to know about her readiness to train.
Ask how the player feels. Look at her normal behaviour. Consider sleep, nutrition, school demands, training volume, injuries, illness and recovery too.
Use menstrual information as one part of the picture.
What about injury risk?
This is where a lot of coaches understandably become interested.
Female athletes do experience higher rates of certain injuries, including ACL injuries. Hormonal influences are one area being investigated.
There are sensible biological reasons for researching whether changes in oestrogen, progesterone and other hormones affect ligaments or movement.
But we cannot currently identify a player's injury risk simply from her menstrual cycle phase.
So do not start protecting players from football because you think they are ovulating.
Instead, put proper injury prevention in place for everyone.
Strength. Landing. Balance. Deceleration. Change of direction. Progressive training loads. Good recovery.
Those are things you can actually coach.
What should you notice?
You know your players.
Pay attention when somebody suddenly looks very different from normal.
Maybe she is unusually quiet. Maybe she looks exhausted. Maybe she keeps sitting down. Maybe cramps repeatedly stop her training. Maybe she is dizzy. Maybe she repeatedly misses football around her period. Maybe she tells you that she is bleeding very heavily.
You do not need to work out the diagnosis. You need to notice that something may need support.
How do you ask?
Keep it normal.
Try: You do not seem quite yourself today. Are you okay?
Or: Is there anything we can do to make training easier today?
Or: If there is anything health related you would rather talk about privately, that is absolutely fine.
Avoid: Is it your period? particularly in front of teammates.
Also avoid: It is just hormones.
That might shut down exactly the conversation you need a player to have with you.
What if a player tells you she has period pain?
Ask what she needs.
Some players will be happy to train normally. Some might need a longer warm up. Some might want a short break. Some may feel genuinely unwell.
The goal is neither that everyone sits out when they have their period nor that everyone pushes through.
The goal is appropriate support.
When should you encourage more help?
Period pain that regularly stops normal activities should not simply be accepted.
Neither should very heavy bleeding, repeated faintness, severe symptoms or persistent exhaustion.
If something is repeatedly affecting football, school or everyday life, encourage the player to speak to a parent, carer, school nurse, GP or another suitable healthcare professional.
For young players, always work within your club's safeguarding procedures.
Do not forget puberty
Younger players are also dealing with rapid physical and emotional change.
One player may have started periods. Her teammate of exactly the same age may not have begun puberty at all.
Bodies grow at different rates. Confidence changes. Kit can suddenly feel uncomfortable. Changing rooms can become awkward. Coordination can temporarily feel different during periods of rapid growth.
Good coaching makes room for that.
One of your most useful skills is listening
Science will keep teaching us more about female athletes.
But coaches can make a difference now.
Build a culture where players know they can ask for a toilet break without being embarrassed. Make sure emergency period products are available. Know where players can get support. Stop period jokes. Do not make assumptions. And listen when someone tells you something is wrong.
The LTM takeaway
You do not need to know everything about periods. You do need to make it safe for players to talk about them.
Sources and further reading
- England Football Female Health Hub
- UEFA guidance on menstrual cycle tracking
- Current female athlete and football performance research
- Youth sport safeguarding and athlete wellbeing guidance
This article provides general educational information and does not replace individual medical advice or club safeguarding procedures.
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