Bringing a Female Lens to Player Development: Madison 56ers at U.S. Soccer's herLENS Conference

Madison 56ers Executive Director Jess Nash joins leaders from across the sport to explore the future of girls' and women's soccer.

Madison 56ers Executive Director Jess Nash was among 300 leaders from across the soccer landscape invited to attend the 2026 herLENS Conference, hosted by U.S. Women's National Team Head Coach Emma Hayes and U.S. Soccer on September 30 and October 1 at the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Fayetteville, Georgia.

The two-day event brought together leaders and experts from coaching, sports science, research, medicine, performance, and other sectors to explore one central question: What happens when we put women and girls at the center of how we approach the game?

Understanding the Female Athlete

A central theme of the conference was the importance of applying a genuinely female lens to player development, rather than simply adapting systems and practices historically designed for male athletes.

Through classroom presentations, practical field sessions, and discussions with experts, attendees explored how physical, psychological, and social factors influence the experiences of female players. 

Topics included athlete health and recovery, training methodologies, injury prevention, confidence, resilience, and the environments that influence whether girls stay in or leave the sport. The conference focused on three guiding principles: 



• Know Her: Understand the individual player and the physical, psychological, and social factors that shape her experience.
• Coach Her: Develop coaching practices and training environments that reflect the needs of female athletes.
• Empower Her: Create environments where girls and women feel supported, challenged, and empowered to succeed. 

One particularly important message was that creating challenging environments and creating supportive environments are not mutually exclusive. Coaches can maintain high standards while fostering confidence, belonging, and a willingness to learn. 

Bringing the Learning Back to Madison

For the Madison 56ers, participation in opportunities like herLENS reflects the club's commitment to continued learning and investment in player development. 

"One of the most important things we can do as leaders and coaches is remain curious and willing to challenge how we've always done things," said Nash. "There is so much emerging research and knowledge about female athletes, and we have a responsibility to continue learning and applying what we can to the youth game." 

Nash will share key takeaways with the club's leadership staff and coaches, including practical considerations for training environments, player recovery, and the importance of creating a positive culture where female athletes can thrive. 

While some advances in research and performance science will take time to reach the youth level, there are meaningful steps coaches can take today. Understanding individual athletes, encouraging confidence, promoting belonging, and balancing challenge with support are all important parts of the player development experience. 

A Commitment to Continued Learning

For 70 years, the Madison 56ers have played an important role in developing soccer players in our community. As the game continues to evolve, so does our understanding of how athletes learn, develop, and perform. 

While herLENS focused specifically on the female athlete, many of the broader principles discussed, including creating positive learning environments, building confidence and resilience, understanding individual players, and challenging traditional coaching methods, have applications across both our boys' and girls' programs. 

Our commitment to coach education and continued learning is ultimately a commitment to every player who wears a 56ers jersey. 

By bringing new perspectives, research, and best practices back to our coaching staff, we continue to build on the club's history while looking for ways to improve the experience and development of every player.