To conclude the 2024 four-part Innovative Lives series themed around the Lemelson Center's new exhibition "Change Your Game"/"Cambia tu juego," join us for an evening of light fare, drinks, and conversation with Dawn Scott, Vice President of Performance, Medical and Innovation with the Washington Spirit. Scott's individualized approach to performance training is especially innovative within women's soccer, given that clubs often function with a significantly smaller staff compared to their male counterparts. Her role is essential for the Washington Spirit's success, as she plays a key part in preparing the players both physically and mentally to compete at the highest level of women's soccer.

Training female athletes involves considerations that differ from training male athletes due to physiological, hormonal, nutritional, and sometimes social differences. Tailoring athletic training programs to account for biomechanical differences between males and females can help optimize performance, and Scott’s work recognizing and addressing these differences ensures that female athletes receive training that is appropriate for their specific needs, maximizing their potential for success and lowering their risk for injuries.

Originally from Newcastle, England, Scott has over two decades of experience training women athletes to maximize their performance at the highest level. From 2001 to 2010, Scott was the Head of Sport Science for the England Women’s National Team before becoming the USWNT’s High Performance Manager in early 2010. Ten years, two World Cup titles and one Olympic gold medal later, Scott returned to the England WNT as the Senior Women’s Physical Performance Manager in late 2019. Scott joined the Washington Spirit in 2022 after serving as the Performance Director at Inter Miami CF of MLS where she oversaw performance for the First Team, MLS Next Pro and Inter Miami CF Academy.