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NEDA TOOLKIT for Coaches and Trainers The potential role of the coach As a coach or trainer, you play a significant role in the physical and psychological health of your athletes. You are a key figure in creating training environments conducive to successful athletic performance as well as emotionally rewarding sport experiences. It is often coaches or trainers – before friends or even family – who first notice physical changes or shifts in unhealthy attitudes and behaviors. If you think an athlete might be at risk for disordered eating or in the midst of an eating disorder, you are in a position to help. Remember to involve the athlete’s family members whenever appropriate. Take warning signs and eating-disordered behaviors seriously. Eating disorders are the most deadly of all mental illnesses. A 2011 study in JAMA Psychiatry found that a young person with anorexia, for example, is twelve times more likely to die than his or her healthy classmate. Cardiac arrest and suicide are the leading causes of death among people with eating disorders, the researchers concluded in the same study. What should you do if you are concerned about an athlete? Don’t try to manage the situation alone! Here are some people and resources to involve. Parents/guardians Informing an athlete’s parent/guardian should be your first step. Parents can play a crucial role in helping their child recover from an eating disorder, even if they are a young adult. Health Services at your school They can help by: • Connecting the athlete with a doctor for examination • Monitoring an athlete for weight and vital signs • Weighing in athletes for weight-restricted sports • Giving a talk to your team Mental Health Services They can help by: • Connecting the athlete with a therapist • Talking to the team if there is a designated specialist • Informing you of the school’s policy on eating disorders • Aiding in handling athletes who refuse to seek treatment or address the problem Nutritionists A registered dietitian or Certified Specialist in Sport Dietetics can help by: • Ensuring that the athlete is consuming enough energy or calories to support daily demands • Giving an athlete a meal plan • Talking to the team about supportive eating for performance Trainers They can help by: • Having a good enough rapport with athletes to sit a player down and express concern • Giving a talk on the importance of nutrition in strength and endurance building Page  | 29