Evidence and Application of Athlete Monitoring Programs in National Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Soccer: A Narrative Review

Abstract

ABSTRACT National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) women's soccer players spend 2–3 weeks in preseason, followed by 12–14 weeks in the competitive season. Because of a short, intense preseason followed by the long competitive season, athlete monitoring programs would play an important role in maximizing physical preparation and match performance while minimizing unfavorable adaptations and fatigue during the NCAA Division I collegiate women's soccer competitive season. Athlete monitoring measures can be used to assess training load (TL), the response to TL, and a player's physical and psychological readiness to train or play during the competitive season. Session rating of perceived exertion and global navigation satellite system measures are common load monitoring measures, whereas subjective recovery and stress questionnaires, heart rate measures, performance tests, and biochemical measures are monitoring measures to estimate the response to TL. This article aims to review the roles of these athlete monitoring measures and provide the physical performance demands of women's soccer match play and athlete monitoring strategies. Furthermore, this article provides practitioner examples of athlete monitoring programs based on NCAA Division I women's soccer match schedules and limitations.