In this episode of the Femme FC Podcast, host Nicole Surdyka talks with Gaby Smith, Performance Sports Scientist for Bay FC, about how she builds practical, collaborative sport science systems in elite women’s soccer.

Gaby shares how she bridges data and decision-making, the workflows that keep players and staff aligned, and how to make athlete monitoring meaningful rather than overwhelming.

They discuss:
⚽ The core metrics that matter most in women’s football
📊 Building simple, effective data workflows within a multidisciplinary team
💪 Translating performance data into daily training decisions
🤝 How communication and collaboration drive better outcomes for players
🔄 Strategies for connecting rehab, return to play, and performance monitoring

This conversation offers actionable insights for practitioners who want to simplify their processes, improve staff alignment, and build trust through transparent, evidence-informed support in the women’s game.

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In this episode of the Femme FC Podcast, host Nicole Surdyka talks with Georgia Brown, Sports Scientist for San Diego Wave FC, about her PhD research on menstrual health and performance in elite women’s soccer.

Georgia shares what she discovered while tracking menstrual cycles and symptoms in professional footballers, why irregularities are more common than most realize, and how practitioners can start applying these insights within their own teams.

They discuss:
⚽ The menstrual cycle as the “fifth vital sign” for athlete health
🩸 Why up to half of players may experience subtle menstrual disturbances
🧠 How stress and training load influence hormonal profiles
📈 Practical ways to track cycles and symptoms in a team setting
🤝 How staff can individualize support for each athlete

This conversation bridges research and practice, offering practical takeaways for medical, sport science, and performance professionals working in the women’s game.

In this episode, Nicole Surdyka is joined by Emma Brockwell, pelvic health physiotherapist for several Women’s Super League clubs including Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Aston Villa. Emma also serves as a female health consultant for FIFA, leading pelvic health research and education initiatives that are shaping the future of women’s football.

Together they dive into what pelvic health looks like in elite sport—how it’s assessed, addressed, and integrated across multidisciplinary teams. Emma explains the most common pelvic floor symptoms seen in female footballers, how to identify red flags as a physio or coach, and why urinary incontinence is common but not normal. She also shares practical guidance for practitioners without a pelvic health specialist on staff, along with strategies for pregnant and postpartum athletes navigating return to play.

In this episode:
• How Emma’s work bridges pelvic health and performance in elite soccer
• What to look for in athletes who may have pelvic floor dysfunction
• Practical screening tools and conversation strategies for staff
• How to adapt training and rehab progressions to support pelvic health
• Insights from FIFA’s upcoming pelvic health research and frameworks

Emma also highlights valuable resources for practitioners, including the Active Pregnancy Foundation, Michelle Lyons, Christina Previtt, and Margie Davenport’s Exercise & Pregnancy work.

👉 Connect with Emma on Instagram @physiomumuk and find her book Did No One Tell Me? on Amazon.
Learn more at femmefc.com and follow @femmefc for future episodes.