Dr Kate Hays joins The FA as Head of Women’s Performance Psychology after more than seven years in a similar role with the English Institute of Sport.
Vastly experienced in performance psychology and being part of multidisciplinary teams for 20 years, she has worked across a range of different sports and supported athletes competing in major global events including world championships, Olympics and Paralympics – most recently supporting the team at the Tokyo Games.
Her remit within the technical directorate at St. George’s Park will include working closely with elite England players in an on-camp role as a key part of head coach Sarina Wiegman’s support team. Day to day, she will also ensure a consistent approach is introduced across all development sides as part of a commitment to strengthening the women’s player pathway.
Dr Hays said: “I am really looking forward to joining a world class team at such an exciting time for women’s football. After speaking to Kay and Sarina at length I know that we share the same vision and values and I can’t wait to meet the players and wider staff group.”
Kay Cossington, head of women’s technical, said: “I am delighted to welcome Kate. She is vastly experienced and will play a part in our efforts to move to the next level of high performance. Another important aspect of her role will be developing a performance psychology strategy for all of our national teams across the age groups. Kate is very passionate about making a difference and her experience will be invaluable for us.”
Sue Campbell, director of women’s football, said: “I am pleased we have been able to bring someone of this calibre into Sarina’s team. Kate has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in this area and shares Sarina’s drive and values. We are at a very exciting moment with the home EURO next summer and the start of World Cup qualifying this month. We want to strengthen across all of our teams and Kate will play a pivotal role in preparing our players for success.”
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