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No matter where I have coached nutrition is something that I have tried to impress upon the kids. I make sure they have an understanding of what they are supposed to have, but that is about as much as I can do. I cannot go home with them to make sure they are eating what they should be eating. I am in class during third period at school, so I am unable to watch what they are eating for lunch. It becomes a trust issue, and when you are talking about a teenager and food, there is no trust.
I have researched the topic for years. I have recently come across the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Site on Nutrition. This has a lot of information on the choices kids should make when choosing fuel for their body. It shows foods to eat for both endurance athletes, and power athletes. This to me is one of the most in-depth sites that I have seen when dealing with Athlete Nutrition.
How can we get athletes away from the fried foods, the hot dogs, and the fast food? We show them what they should have the night before a game, and we show them what they should eat before and after games. Money is the issue where I am. There is just not enough money for me to feed the kids the food they need to be eating the night before the game, and then both the pre and post game meals. So we, as coaches, must hope and pray that the message that you passed on to their parents or guardians at the parent meeting. What I don’t think they understand is that when they feed their children the food they are feeding them, they are hindering the athletic improvement and overall ability of their child.
How can we get truly press the point to them that what their child eats at home, is a major factor in how their child performs in practice and games?
Also, what are some of your thoughts on pre-game meals?
Article on Chocolate Milk and its effect on the body after workouts…
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Coaching - A View From the Sidelines 
I coach Middle School Fastpitch Softball. I talk to my kids about what they eat. However, my main focus is what they drink. They can be terrible at making sure they are properly hydrated. To me, drinking right is more important than eating right. I have seen too many kids almost seriously hurt themselves because of lack of proper hydration.
Comment by Chad Brannon February 22, 2009 @ 11:37 amChad, I agree with you. I guess I was lumping it all together. We talk a lot about what to drink and when to drink it. I had my kids lay off soft drinks during the season, and it made a huge difference in their endurance level. I also let them in on the new research of drinking chocolate milk following a workout. i will edit the post to add in the article.
Comment by davidhines February 22, 2009 @ 12:00 pmI would love to tell my girls to lay of softdrinks. But I know that they won’t do it. I tell them that if they drink something with caffeine to also follow it with water. Just found this interesting article: http://www.ific.org/foodinsight/2002/ja/caffdehydnbfi402.cfm
Comment by Chad Brannon February 22, 2009 @ 12:06 pmThat is a very interesting article. I think it has more to do with the Carbonation. The carbonated water makes you feel fuller faster, which can lead to the dehydration factor. Check out this article…
http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/carmichael-20060718.html
Comment by davidhines February 22, 2009 @ 12:10 pmI coach football and wrestling. The mandatory use of the OPC system has given us wrestling coaches a site of nutrition information and a menu set up that helps you determine what and how much to eat to lose, maintain, or gain weight in healthy way. You can ask your wrestling coaches (high school) to let you see the information. Most coaches do not like having to use this system but I think its great.
Also, while we are touching on the subject, I feel that all athletes should have to pass the hydration tests that wrestlers have to pass. I think that football players especially should have to take the hydration test weekly, like we do with the 8 quarter rule. If they are not properly hydrated, they cannot play. I definitely think this is a great c.y.a. for the coaching staff.
Comment by Vernon Walworth February 22, 2009 @ 2:10 pmI think it is difficult to have a group of teenagers see that it really does make a difference because they eat at Burger King all the time. They don’t have much to compare it to, or they don’t make the connection. When they feel “drained”, they think it is because they have been playing hard, not because they had six doughnuts and a Mountain Dew for lunch.
I read an article about Larry Fitzgerald about the time he was to be drafted. He was discussing his diet then, and it was his offseason. Guess it worked.
Comment by Just Some Guy, NC February 23, 2009 @ 10:02 amI agree. What our athletes drink is very important. One of the best ways for us to show them this is for us to set an example. I haven’t had a soft drink in 6 years now. I make sure my students know this. I always have 2 bottles of water on my desk for the studetns to see. I also only allow water in my classroom or gym. Absolutely no sodas or any other drink. I also go over the school lunch menu and talk about the healthier choices on the menu for the week. In the county I teach at we are about to get a nutrition board up with how many calories in each choice for everyday. We are getting these at the middle schools and high schools.
Comment by wcuCAT March 4, 2009 @ 1:58 pmI beleieve our example is one of the most important, espcially for us young teachers. I also like for my students to see guys who just went off to college to play. High school kids love to hear from the guys a few years older than them and how they train and take care of their body.