Forward Press | Formation #1
A warm welcome to the first edition of Forward Press, a space spotlighting the stories, voices, and progress shaping women’s football.
This month we have a fantastic conversation with Dr David McHugh of Washington Spirit, looking at his personal journey to the NWSL and hearing his thoughts on adapting to new cultures in elite sport; we take a deep dive into Hayley Lauder’s recent interview for Glasgow City FC and what it can teach us about people development in the women’s game; and our Founder, Colin Quinn, discusses how organisational dynamics take shape and endure across women’s football.
Let’s dive in!
⚽ Seen Unseen
An editorial viewpoint on the women’s football landscape, focused on recruitment, career pathways, and the dynamics shaping opportunities for clubs and candidates alike.
Hiring Realities in a Growing Women’s Game
by Colin Quinn
Two key hiring themes come up during my conversations across the women’s game. On one side, clubs often say they struggle to find the right people at the right time. On the other, candidates describe roles in the women’s game as hard to see, hard to interpret, and hard to access.
At first glance, these can sound like two separate problems raised by different groups. In practice, they are closely connected.
Across women’s football, clubs are operating under sustained pressure. Growth has outpaced structure, expectations have risen faster than capacity, and decision-making is compressed into tight windows. Under those conditions, getting things done takes precedence. This has a direct impact on recruitment.
In this first piece for Seen Unseen, I look at the environment from both sides, not to allocate blame or offer quick fixes, but to describe how opportunity becomes constrained for both clubs and candidates.
⚽ No Wrong Path
Q&A with a featured face of the women’s game, as we celebrate the individuals driving the women’s game forward — the decision-makers, creators, coaches, communicators, and changemakers making an impact in their own way.
In this edition we chat to Dr David McHugh, Director of Mental Performance at Washington Spirit.
As the NWSL continues to be recognised as one of the fastest-growing professional women’s football leagues, we’re spotlighting a leader shaping its high-performance environments from the inside out. At Formation, we’re inspired by people who elevate the women’s game through expertise, care, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Dr David McHugh, Director of Mental Performance at Washington Spirit, is one of them.
Originally from Athlone, Ireland, David brings a rare blend of applied sport psychology and elite coaching experience to the NWSL. Now in his third season with the Spirit, he has helped embed the mental, cultural, and relational foundations that underpin one of the league’s standout teams. With a Professional Doctorate in Sport and Exercise Psychology and a UEFA A Elite Coaching License, he approaches performance as a holistic ecosystem — one where players, staff, and environment evolve together.
David’s work sits at the centre of the Spirit’s identity and daily rhythm, contributing to their second-place finish in this year’s regular season and the continued development of the club’s performance culture.
In this conversation, he reflects on the experiences that shaped his path, the philosophy behind his work, and the evolving future of mental performance in the women’s game.
⚽ The Replay
Videos, headlines, interviews, or news articles worth pausing on — shared or retold with added context, insight, and intention.
The first edition of Forward Press turns its focus to Glasgow City FC and one of the most experienced figures in Scottish football: Hayley Lauder, also a centurion for the Scotland women’s national team with over 100 international caps.
Founded in 1998, Glasgow City FC are an independent, women-founded and women-led football club, and have been one of the defining forces in Scottish women’s football for more than two decades. Since joining the club in 2014, Hayley has been a central figure throughout one of the most successful periods in its history. During that time, City have won multiple domestic league and cup titles and maintained a strong presence on the European stage, including reaching the quarterfinals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League on two occasions.
In a recent interview produced by the club, Hayley offers insight into her progression into a dual role as both player and assistant coach, providing a rare perspective on the demands of modern women’s professional football.
⚽ Focus Points
Insights for professionals and organisations working in and around women’s football — from career navigation and leadership lessons to strategies that strengthen the structures behind sustainable growth.
In this edition, we asked Dr David McHugh of Washington Spirit to offer some advice for those moving into elite women’s sport:
3 Tips for Adapting to New Roles or Cultures in Elite Sport
1. Understand that you can’t “change” culture. People often think you can change a culture, but I don’t fully agree. You can evolve it but there’s far too much outside one person’s control. The club’s history, investment, location, staffing, and player personalities all shape the culture.
2. Focus on the journey, not just definitions. I focus less on defining “our” culture and more on going on a journey together. When teams try to define their culture at the start, they often narrow it down to a few values that reflect leadership more than the wider group. Instead, I encourage everyone to explore what matters most to them both individually and collectively as the season unfolds.
3. Embrace evolution over prescription. Rather than defining who we want to become before knowing what challenges we’ll face, we embark on a journey of discovery. Our values then become tools for overcoming challenges and seizing opportunities. This mindset shift creates space for continuous evolution and a richer understanding of what drives the team. We use specific exercises throughout the year to guide this process and weekly reflections to reinforce it.
Stay Connected
Stay tuned for stories, insights, and ideas designed to help you grow your career, strengthen your organisation, and move the game forward.
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