Female Footballers

This week we sit down with one of our newest Mentors, Arianna Manrique! Ari is a former UC Berkeley captain and Cal's newest assistant coach! Ari dives into her journey from her youth days at Top Hat in the South to the USYNT and her recruitment to Cal. We are so thrilled to have Ari join our Female Footballers Family! Enjoy!

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we are incredibly grateful to have a venerable and honest conversation around the struggles we face within sport. NWSL players Bethany Balcer (Racing Louisville) and FF Mentors, Cari Rocarro (Chicago Stars) and Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave), answer some important questions around mental health in soccer. Originally a webinar, we hope you enjoy this converted podcast episode and remind yourself that you are a person first, player second. Enjoy.

We are so excited to have on the Commissioner of the Girls Academy, Patricia Hughes aka Trish the Commish! Trish speaks with us about her journey as a player for the Irish National Team a collegiate coach, and now the Commissioner of the Girls Academy. We discuss what defines success for the GA and the work they are doing to create a female specific holistic player centered environment. A great episode and an even greater person! Enjoy!

This week Sierra and Maya welcome on Dr. Kimberly O'brien! Kimberly is a Harvard educated, founder and Director of Better Together and Unlimited Resilience! She talks about tools on how to navigate the mental health struggles we face in sport. This episode is powerful, helpful and awesome so please give it a listen!

This week we Rachael and Kassie dive into tryout season and how to choose the right club for your player. We attempt to define a few of the leagues and explain important things to take into account when you are trying out for a new club. We also give tips for players at the end of the episode when heading into a new environment! Enjoy!

This week we have Laura Schott back to discuss the different youth soccer trends at the pro, college and youth levels. We discuss the trend of "the younger the better," playing up a level, ID camps and youth NWSL players. What are your thoughts? Let us know! Enjoy!

Welcome back to Beyond the Game! Hosts Sierra Enge and Maya Doms bring you an all new episode featuring their dear friend, teammate and professional soccer player for the San Diego Wave, KENNEDY WESLEY! As a Female Footballers Mentor, Kennedy talks about the highs and hard moments in her journey as a pro and the skills she's learned along the way that help her thrive! Enjoy this second episode of Beyond the Game!

This week we sit down with a former teammate, the Head Coach of University of Oregon, star of Coach the Movie, and a dear friend...welcome Tracy Joyner! We chat about her journey through soccer, what it is like to be a female coach, a head coach of a division one program and taking on new challenges. Enjoy!

This week we sat down with Tori Huster, from the NWSLPA. Tori discusses what the NWSLPA does and how their landmark CBA agreement in 2024 is giving NWSL players the voice and choice they've never had before. Enjoy!

For our FIRST EPISODE, we welcome THE, NAOMI GIRMA!! We chat with Naomi about behind the scenes challenges she has faced and strategies she uses on the mental side of the game that have helped in her career. As close, longtime friends and teammates, we get to go deeper with this Chelsea super star on her feelings behind the struggles and all of her amazing accomplishments! Please enjoy this first episode of Behind The Game!

We are thrilled to announce an all NEW PODCAST SHOW brought to you by Female Footballers!! Welcome to Beyond the Game- with hosts, Sierra Enge and Maya Doms! Beyond the Game will take you behind the scenes of the adversity and challenges players face, and the experiences that don't get talked about often enough. To learn more about this new show, Enjoy!

This week we have on one of our newest and most charismatic mentors, Nikki Stanton! Nikki is a 10 year NWSL Veteran and heading into her first season with the Vancouver Rise. We chat about her journey through the sport and the lessons she has learned along the way. Enjoy!

This week we unpack the larger issue of communication and social emotional wellbeing that relates to the recent allegations of emotional and verbal abuse surrounding head coach Albertin Montoya at Bay FC. Rather than go in depth on the people involved, we discuss why this continues to occur and how complicated this issue is from all sides of the coin. Enjoy.

This week we speak to Iain Martin, a regional manager for the New England Revolution Academy and an associate trainer at Positive Coaching Alliance. We chat with Iain, a fellow presenter, who we met at the United Soccer Coaches Convention, about being a coach in today's youth landscape. His philosophy and his work at the Positive Coaching Alliance. Enjoy!

We are beyond thrilled this week to have on USWNT legend, Carli Lloyd! We discuss what she's been up to, advice she has for younger players, her thoughts on moving through mistakes and more! Enjoy!

This week we are stoked to have on one of our newest mentors, Chardonnay Curran! Curran currently plays in the NWSL for the Chicago Stars. We talk about her journey from Hawaii to playing collegiately for Oregon and now in the NWSL. Enjoy!

This week we welcome a special guest! She is a former NWSL, WPS and USYNT player, having played with legends like Marta, Christine Sinclair, and Carli Lloyd, she's one of our newest mentors, and most importantly, she is a very near and dear friend and former teammate of our staff. Please welcome Kim Yokers Kreta! We discuss her journey in soccer and the mental tools she used to navigate a very different looking early NWSL professional league compared to the one we have today. Enjoy!

This week we are stoked to have on one of our newest mentors! Please welcome former Gotham FC Champion, Sabrina Flores! We discuss her journey through soccer, playing collegiately at Notre Dame, playing pro in the NWSL for Gotham FC, and her transition into retirement. This episode has so many great moments about the mental side of the game! Enjoy!

Welcome to our new segment, HOT SCHOTTS with Laura Schott! Every now and then, our friend Laura Schott with come on the pod and give her two cents about current events in the soccer space! For our first episode we talk Emma Hayes, young players, the USWNT and Futures Camp! Enjoy!

We've traveled the country and asked several athletes the question, "What do you wish that coaches and parents understood about your experience as a female athlete in today's world?" This episode is spent listening to players perspectives on what they wish the grown ups in the game knew about their experience. We break down each response with our thoughts as well. Enjoy!

We are super excited to have on a former UC Berkeley soccer star, the ACC's Offensive Player of the Year, and Bay FC's newest hometown girl, please welcome Karlie Lema to the pod!! We talk about her journey from youth to college to becoming Bay FC's newest and most promising rookie! Enjoy!

We are so excited to kick off our brand new season with a very special guest! Please welcome General Manager of the Seattle Reign, LESLE GALLIMORE! We chat about her journey from All American at Cal to her 26 year tenure as head coach of the University Washington to her stint as the Commissioner of the Girls Academy and her newest role as the General Manager of the Seattle Reign! We touch on her recent Netflix appearance in the Hope Solo Documentary and upcoming NWSL season! Enjoy!

We are thrilled to bring you episode 10 of Season 8, which wraps up the season and 2024 with SAM HIATT! Sam is a Mentor here at FF and the newest member the of the Portland Thorns, fresh off a trade from Gotham FC. We chat about her journey to the pros and why mentorship matters to her! Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

We welcome back Laura Schott to the podcast! Laura is a former USWNT and NWSL player who is currently the coach at George Fox University. We chat about mentality going into a final four match, UNC, Wake Forest and then pivot to some current events. We are excited that Laura will be joining us in the New Year on a more regular basis, (more on that soon!) Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

This week we jumped on the Pod to discuss $30 million dollar investment gifted to US Soccer by Washington Spirit Owner, Michele Kang! What exciting times we are in! We also touch on the upcoming NWSL Final, our recent blog on the Toxic Teammate and more! Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

This week we chat with our newest FF Mentor, Jordyn Bloomer! Bloomer is a goal keeper in the NWSL for Racing Louisville. She chats with us about her journey to the pros and how she handles mental challenges that arise. Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

This week we take a break from interviews to chat about our Winter Mentorship Program and we discuss the upcoming Youth Soccer Age Group Change. We provide some info from Soccer Parenting on this topic. Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

We are super stoked to have Bay FC players and two of our newest Mentors here at Female Footballers, Maddie Moreau and Caroline Conti!! We talk about their soccer journey and how mental skills played a role in their rise to pro soccer. We think you'll love their fresh perspective as rookies in the NWSL! Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

This week we are thrilled to have on US Women's Beach Soccer Player, Ali Hall, on the podcast! We talk to Ali about her soccer journey, including her Beach Soccer experience. She discusses the need for more visibility, investment and opportunities for pro beach soccer players too! Please share this episode to help grow the Beach side of our sport! Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

This week we are joined by FF Board Member, Former UC Berkeley Coach and a College Recruiting EXPERT, Jennifer "JT" Thomas. JT takes us through the evolution of college recruiting and identifies some of the key changes affecting current high school players in the 2024 college recruiting landscape. This is a VERY HELPFUL and INSIGHTFUL episode, you'll want to take some notes! Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

This week we welcome back long time mentor and Carolina Ascent FC Pro Player, Taylor Porter onto the podcast! We discuss Taylors path from NWSL to the new USL Super League and her growth in the game! Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

Welcome back to the Female Footballers Podcast! After a brief hiatus, we are back with Season 8 and we have a very exciting guest! Please welcome McKenna Whitham! Mak is the Youngest Professional Female Soccer player in the United States. At just 14 years old, she currently plays for Gotham FC in the NWSL. She is also the youngest player to ever sign an NIL deal with Nike. We chat with Mak about her path to the pros, her amazing drive to be the best and her journey thus far. Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

This week we pop on the podcast to chat about our biggest mental skills takeaways from the 2024 Paris Olympics! A fun chat recapping important key moments that all of our youth players can learn from. Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

This week our C.O.O. Haley Lukas, interviews Pro Soccer player and former Cal Teammate Mia Corbin! Mia has played professionally for the Seattle Reign, overseas in Costa Rica, Italy, Australia and is currently rostered for the new USL Super League team the Carolina Ascent FC. This is a great chat about the transition from college to pro soccer, the mental skills needed to play at the highest level and what it is like to play overseas. Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

FF Staff recap some current events including the Copa America, the upcoming Olympics and what's been going on at Female Footballers! Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

We are thrilled to have on Katie Steele and Dr. Tiffany Brown, the authors of the newest book, The Price She Pays! These family therapists and founders of the Athlete Mental Health Foundation ask the important question: What is causing the mental health crisis in women's sports? Through first-hand accounts, research, and reporting, they reveal the deep layers of trauma and mistreatment women experience in their pursuit of excellence in sport. They show parents, coaches, and athletes how to recognize the signs of mistreatment and mental health issues, and reveal how, by focusing on the wellbeing of the whole person—not just the athlete— we can provide women and girls with the support they need to thrive, in whatever sport they choose, at whatever level they compete. Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

This week we interviewed three amazing players from MVLA 06 Roma! Welcome Piper Bertani (University of Hawaii), Jordan Geis (UCLA) and Charlotte Kohler (Stanford, Gatorade Player of the Year.) These three amazing players detail how it felt to play for a high level club team (ranked #5th in the country), their experience getting recruited and their feelings about their first upcoming college seasons. This is an episode for everyone with many great takeaways. Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

This week we sit down with FF Mentor, Alana Asch! Alana is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach with a Master's degree in exercise physiology. Her goal is to not only teach youth athletes to stay physically and mentally healthy for as long as they want to play their sport, but also educate them on how to do so for life. Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

This week we sit down with Sydney Andrews. Sydney is a 12 year veteran on the US Deaf WNT where she plays center back. She is a two time DIFA World Champion and a Deaflympics gold medalist! We chat about her journey as a badass soccer player and advocate for the deaf community. Enjoy --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

This week we dive into female focused nutrition for athletes! We interviewed Linda from Levelle Nutrition where they are using female specific data to help create nutritional sports performance products just for females. This conversation is very interesting and can help inform our female athletes on how their physiology is impacted by how they fuel their body. Enjoy! And please check out LevelleNutrition.com! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

We invite you to listen to the recording of our Mental Health Awareness Webinar titled the Mental Side Matters. This webinar featured NWSL players and Female Footballers Mentors, Sam Hiatt (Gotham FC), Sierra Enge (San Diego Wave), and Civana Kuhlmann (Washington Spirit). We were also honored to have special guests Steve and Gina Meyers from Katie's Save. We hope this discussion around normalizing the mental struggles we face and providing some tools to navigate competitve environments was helpful for players, parents and coaches. Please help share this episode and check out our Summer Mentorship Program to connect further with these amazing players! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

We are back with another HOT TOPIC's episode where we are discussing the purpose and growth behind Mental Health Awareness Month. We dive into redefining terms like mental toughness, we call out youth clubs who aren't doing enough for our youth athletes and we highlight the exciting things we're doing this month including our recent community partnership with NWSL club Bay FC! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

This week we welcome Bri Reed, Sam Rosette, and Gabby Cuevas from The Players Network! The Players Network is a professional women's football community by players, for players, designed to connect, protect, and empower players., primarily players playing internationally. These founders discuss the importance of connection and community when looking for opportunity to play overseas. Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

This week we welcome our strategic partner and Athmindset Founder/CEO, Lisa Bonta Sumii! We discuss the importance of defining mental health terms and calling attention to how to support athletes through both the common struggles they face and when they may suffer more deeply in sport. Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

Season 7 kicks off with a new monthly segment called Hot Topics! Each month we will spend one episode talking about relevant content in the female soccer space! This week we are discussing Tryouts and ID Camps. Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

This week we sit down with Asia Amal's, founder of I Love To Watch You Play. She is an Emmy award winning sports journalist who now helps parents restore joy, renew purpose and reevaluate the way they support their athlete. This is a great episode for parents! Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

Join us this week as we chit chat about the start to the NWSL season and the upcoming She Believes Tournament for the USWNT! We talk about league growth, historic moments new expansion teams and some players we are excited about this season! Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

This week we are joined by founder and Board President of EiFocus, Sarah Kivel. EiFocus is aimed at helping coaches harness emotional intelligence and leadership development within their athletes. Sarah is a certified executive coach who specializes in emotional intelligence. We discuss the definition and importance of emotional intelligence training for athletes. She is a wealth of knowledge and insight. Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

This week we continue to highlight Women History Month by having on the legendary Becky Burleigh! Burleigh is a 26 year veteran collegiate! National championship winning coach from the University of Florida, the former Orlando Pride interim Head Coach, and a creative curriculum contributor to the mental side of the game with her course What Drives Winning at the University of Florida. We chat about the need for new ways to coach the modern athlete and she brings so many great nuggets of insight! Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

We are honored this week to have on an Olympic Gold Medalist, a 99 World Cup Winning Goal Keeper, a former College Coach and current part owner of Angel City, the legendary Saskia Webber!! We talk about mentality and goal keeping and how it played a role in her career! Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support

This week we take time to sit down with Everleigh, a mentee from our mentorship program and a youth competitive soccer player. We discuss her experience from her perspective and get insight into what her world is really like. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/femalefootballers/support