After more than 25 years as an athletic trainer and strength coach, here’s the blunt truth: I’ve never seen a female athlete become “too strong.” I have seen hundreds held back by being under-strong, slower off the line, more vulnerable to injuries, and less confident when the game gets fast and physical. If we want girls to play hard, stay healthy, and stand out, strength training must be baked into their development from day one.

The most immediate payoff is injury reduction. Female athletes face a higher risk of lower-limb injuries in sports that demand cutting, jumping, and hard stops. Well-designed strength training builds the tissues and positions that absorb force: strong hips and glutes to control knee valgus, hamstrings that decelerate the shin, and a trunk that keeps the torso from folding under pressure. 

Those are not gym class abstractions; they are the difference between landing cleanly or collapsing, between changing direction with confidence or asking too much of a vulnerable knee. Strength work also cleans up mechanics. Good programs improve proprioception, the body’s sense of where it is in space, so joints track the way they’re supposed to. When athletes develop balanced musculature in the quads, hamstrings, glutes and core, movement gets efficient: less wobble, fewer compensations, more power sent into the ground where it actually matters. That shows up in better sprint posture, crisper cuts, and smoother landings.

Then there’s the benefit you can see on a face as much as a stopwatch: confidence. Strength training delivers obvious, trackable progress, more weight on the bar, faster 10-yard splits, higher jumps. That progress changes how an athlete carries herself. The discipline of showing up, owning technique, and pushing through hard sets translates off the field into academics, leadership, and a positive body image. Feeling strong is empowering, period.

Two myths still get in the way. First: “I’ll get bulky.” No, you won’t—not from a smart, progressive program. Biologically, female athletes don’t have the hormonal profile to “Hulk out.” What they do gain, when training and nutrition are aligned, is a leaner, more powerful body that moves better and lasts longer. 

Second: “I already work out.” Random cardio and a few machine curls are not a strength plan. Lifting light forever doesn’t build durable tissue or meaningful power. If the final reps aren’t challenging with clean form, the weight is too light; if form collapses, it’s too heavy. Progressive overload on the right movements is the standard.

What does “right” look like? Start with qualified coaching. Don’t toss a young athlete into a crowded weight room and hope for the best. Teach the patterns first: squat, hinge, lunge, push, pull, carry. Build sessions around movement prep and landing mechanics; add short sprints and controlled deceleration work; program two to three full-body strength days each week; use core training that resists motion rather than chasing endless sit-ups; progress plyometrics from “jump and-stick” to more advanced efforts as technique allows. Sleds, kettlebells, barbells and dumbbells are tools, not trophies, use the ones that fit the athlete and the goal.

Measure and progress. Add load or volume slowly. Retest quarterly with clear markers: acceleration splits, jump metrics, and change-of-direction tests. Celebrate those numbers; they drive buy-in and keep the work honest.

The bottom line for parents, coaches and athletes: strength training isn’t a side dish. It’s the foundation of speed, power, durability, and the confidence to compete. Give girls a real plan and real coaching, and they won’t just shine this season. They’ll build a habit that protects their bodies and opens doors for years to come.

Stan is the owner of Skolfield Sports Performance, a comprehensive athlete training facility dedicated to getting athletes to the next level. He has been training athletes from 7 years old to the pro’s for over 25 years.