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Vicious cycle: the unspoken struggle of female players
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What a tremendous article, thankfully it is becoming increasingly easy to discuss thanks to both the lioness’s and rugby internationals – as a father of three girls it’s not easy to raise the subject for any party, but it is essential in a supportive and understanding way – would welcome an article by a current player on the topic
Sport is supposed to be tough and players learn to accept they won’t always be at their peak so let’s not put additional psychological issues into play.
It’s not about putting additional psychological issues into play, it’s about recognising the very real physiological issues that are already in play, and working out how best to manage them.
Fantastic article Andy. There is still much to be learned about the effect on performance off the menstrual cycle. For example we now know that women are more vulnerable to knee injuries at certain points in their cycles.
Also there needs to be more studying done on the impact of puberty. The model we have is for males, where puberty brings rapid boosts in performance. We don’t have a culture of recognising that for girls, the pathway is very different. Athletic performances may decrease significantly and for many months before improving, and familiar activities may suddenly become painful and more challenging.
I had no idea about being susceptible to knee injuries. That’s super interesting. Thank you for enlightening me. Take care.