Menstrual Cycle & Sport Performance
Through funding from Lambeth Council's Women's and Girls' Health Community Fund, we've been able to develop educational resources and training for our coaches, players, and families around menstrual health in football.
As part of educating our staff and preparing to educate our players and community, we recently attended a presentation by Grace & Green on how the menstrual cycle affects sport performance. We're committed to educating our players, parents, and community on this important topic and creating an open environment where every player feels supported and informed.
Slides created using insights provided by Grace & Green with information on the stages of the cycle and how it can affect sport performance. We encourage you to look through these and even show them to your young person.
What you can do as a parent or carer:
Start by reading through the above slides, even if you think you know a lot on the subject, you may find out something new. It’s important to remind young people that periods are not something to be ashamed of and are completely normal. The language we use can make a massive difference, take a look over the final slide to see some changes you might be able to make.
You may not always have all of the answers and that's okay. To support your young person, there are some great apps with parent-friendly features that can help them track and learn about their menstrual cycle and other relevant health topics.
Luna: teen health & period app
An all-in-one health and wellness app for teens that features a teen period tracker, educational content on topics like mental health, skincare, and body image, and is designed to be a safe and reliable source of information.
Oky Period Tracker
An app that educates young people about puberty and menstruation through games and stories, with the goal of building confidence and knowledge.
Teena - Guide to Periods
This app provides age-appropriate information on period health for pre-teens and teens, and is designed to increase their confidence around the topic.
Our promise as coaches and workforce:
“Coaches are not expected to diagnose or treat menstrual health issues but can play a key role in recognising when support is needed. The aim is to empower young players with knowledge and support so menstrual health doesn’t become a barrier to staying in the game or wellbeing.” -Grace & Green
All coaches carry a period pouch containing pads and tampons. Players are always welcome to ask for it (no questions asked) so they're never caught short at training or matches.
We know periods can sometimes affect participation, but we don't want players to miss the social benefits of being part of the team. If your young person would like to attend training or a match but can't participate physically, please let us know. We'll create an alternative role so they can still be involved.
We're always open to feedback on how we can best support your young person during their period or throughout their menstrual cycle.
For any questions regarding our Menstrual Cycle education campaign please email london@girlsunitedfa.org