Parents Bad Example

[FastpitchFan]

I am trying to instill proper eating habits with my athletes and get them to understand that proper nutrition will help them perform better and get more out their training.

That's easy with older athletes cause you are only dealing with one person.

Now, at the 16U level, the problem is your are dealing with the parents too.

What I have noticed is the problem is often more the parents than the kids themselves. Or I should say parents are a bad example.

For example, for lunch between games, parents will buy their kids fast-food or they are going to bring unhealthy snacks or junk food to eat during the break at practices.

I can only imagine how it is at home.

That makes my job A LOT harder.

Anybody living a similar situation?

Marc

 

[StacieM]

Marc, I think the same is probably true all over. Maybe it would be more effective to educate the parents and the players. Give parents the BIG reasons to help their child with better nutritional habits. Then maybe they will be more likely to try to make small changes here and there.

 

[KAT]

I am trying to instill proper eating habits with my athletes and get them to understand that proper nutrition will help them perform better and get more out their training.

That's easy with older athletes cause you are only dealing with one person.

Now, at the 16U level, the problem is your are dealing with the parents too.

What I have noticed is the problem is often more the parents than the kids themselves. Or I should say parents are a bad example.

For example, for lunch between games, parents will buy their kids fast-food or they are going to bring unhealthy snacks or junk food to eat during the break at practices.

I can only imagine how it is at home.

That makes my job A LOT harder.

Anybody living a similar situation?

Marc

Yeah we had a similiar problem with a team we were one (they eat junk and drink sodas and the girls were never ready to take the field, after lunch. Alot of htem dehyrated etc... wonder why!!)

Now we are on a team which stressed good eating etc.

 

[Mike]

What would you suggest that kids eat on game day that keeps there bodies in go mode?

Mike

 

[druer]

Like anything I think people only learn from "object lessons." The best time to teach nutrition to players/parents is right after that 1:00 AM loss for the championship game and the girls were obviously dead before the game got started.

"I saw you eating hot dogs, fries and nachos and drinking coke all day ... how did that work out for you with the game on the line?" "Would you have been safe on that play at home if you had even a little more gas left in your tank?" "I want you to capture this moment right now ... is this the way you want to feel next time?" "Every time you put something in your mouth the day before our next tournament, the morning of our tournament, at lunch at our tournament and dinner at our tournament I want you to ask yourself if that is going to put you right back in this same situation or if what you are eating is going to provide the nutrition your body needs to walk away with the first place trophy next time. Because this game is to competitive to only prepare to be adequate and expect to play great."

 

[ang4yanks]

I still think I'd make a fortune in healthy concession stand food...smoothies, salads, trail mix, some fruit. I see overweight athletes (and parents) in 95 degree weather with those burgers, cheese fries...yikes!!! I posted once before. We make our own trail mix. We buy dry cereal, pretzels, sunflower seeds, raisins, a dash of sweet, and it makes 80 or more small baggies.