Sport in Her Shoes

ESMS is delighted to be hosting a conference with The Well HQ to help tackle the challenges young women face playing sport when they reach puberty.

The Well HQ was set up by three women: a coach, a GP and a scientist, who are working together to break down the taboos and barriers that are holding women back from playing, enjoying and competing in Sport.

The Mary Erskine School has partnered with The Well HQ to run virtual and physical events which will offer scientific insight and advice to help PE teachers, coaches, sport directors, young athletes and parents understand more about the challenges facing young women and to learn about some of the things we can do to help improve the participation and performance of young women in Sport.

Who can attend?

The virtual event is open to anyone with an interest in learning about and tackling the challenges of women and sport. Our full day conference will host over 200 pupils aged 13-18, PE Teachers, coaches and sport directors from ESMS and other Edinburgh Schools.  While the Well-HQ content refers to girls and women, our event is open to anyone who would benefit from learning about the impact of female puberty on sport.

Topics covered

  • The Menstrual Cycle: the role of periods, hormones and physical and emotional symptoms surrounding menstrual cycles
  • Female Centric Nutrition: the importance of food for health and happiness and the ‘Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport’ (REDs)
  • Developing injury resilience in women: exploring why girls are more likely to have pelvic floor issues, joint injuries and suffer concussion than boys and techniques to increase resilience
  • Breast Support: everything you need to know about breast health and the right type and fit of sports bras for training and exercise
  • Female Mindset: motivation, confidence and managing stress are key to success. We look at training environments that help female players thrive.
  • Coaching Girls: How to create clubs, environments and coaching that will encourage girls to continue to enjoy sport during puberty.

The Speakers

Dr Emma Ross

Emma is a Sports Scientist and was Head of Physiology at the English Institute of Support where she led the science supporting athletes in the 2016 Rio Olympics. This work made her realise the secret to improving performance isn’t through marginal gains but by accessing fundamentals: the female part of the female athlete.

Baz Moffat

Baz is a former GB international rower, winning medals in the World Championships and World Rowing Cup. Her first-hand experience is that existing best practice in sport is not tailored for the female mind or body: she now works with women to improve health and happiness in both athletic preparation, and in life.

Nichola Aitchison

Nichola Aitchison is Head of Physical Education at The Mary Erskine School. In this role she manages the Sports Programme for over 750 senior school students and has oversight of the Female Sports Strategy at ESMS Junior School. Nichola believes that Sport should be for everyone, and her goal is to help every pupil find a sport they enjoy and empower them to play it to the best of their ability.

Ticket information

Virtual Event
Tuesday 20 September 2022
7.30-8.30pm, on Zoom
Open to external parents and staff and ESMS parents and staff

  • Presentation from Baz Moffat and Dr Emma Ross and Q&A

Book your place for the Virtual event

Full Day Event
Monday 26 September 2022
9am-4pm, at The Mary Erskine School
Open to ESMS pupils and staff and external teaching and coaching staff and pupils

  • Keynote speeches
  • Workshop carousels and seminars
  • Lunch
  • Networking and Q&A

Book your place for the Full Day event

Our Move to Co-Education

ESMS Nursery and Junior School, Stewart’s Melville College and The Mary Erskine School are merging to create one fully co-ed school for 3-18 year olds from the 2026/27 academic year.

Click here for more information about these exciting changes.