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Published 10 September 2021 1 min read
England Men's Senior Team

Hays joins England Football

Written by:

Callum Davies

A new addition to England Football's technical department for our elite women's teams

PLAY WOMEN'S & GIRLS FOOTBALL

Dr Kate Hays has been appointed England Football’s head of women’s performance psychology.
 
Hays joins after more than seven years in a similar role with the English Institute of Sport [EIS]. Vastly experienced in performance psychology and being part of multidisciplinary teams, she has worked across a range of different sports and supported athletes in major global events including world championships, Olympics and Paralympics – most recently 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 within the wider commitment to strengthening the women’s player pathway.
 
Dr Hays said: “I'm 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, added: “I'm delighted to welcome Kate. She is vastly experienced and will help our efforts to move to the next level of high performance. Another important aspect of her role will be developing 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'm 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're 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 be invaluable in preparing our players for success.”