NEDA TOOLKIT for Coaches and Trainers
Sample conversation with an athlete you are concerned about:
“Sarah, I really value you as a team member and
appreciate x, y, and z about you. I am concerned
because I have noticed you are having a hard time
focusing, you aren’t as social with your teammates, and
I’m worried that you are becoming overly restrictive in
your eating and are training to the point of diminishing
returns. I think you could really benefit from seeing
a dietitian and someone at health services for an
evaluation to determine if there is a problem. Would
you be willing to explore this idea with me? ”
Make it clear to the athlete that you are concerned,
that the conversation will not stop here, and that
you will be taking your concerns further. The athlete
may agree or may deny that there is a problem.
Either way, as a coach you can be helpful. If he/she
denies a problem, simply say that you hope he/she is
correct, but that the only way to know for sure is to be
evaluated by an appropriate healthcare professional.
Tell the athlete that you hope the evaluation indicates
that there is no cause for alarm. In that case, you as
the coach and everyone concerned about him/her
will breathe a sigh of relief. Add, however, that if the
evaluation indicates a problem, you very much want
the athlete to seek appropriate treatment.
If an athlete continues to deny a problem and refuses
to get help, options include contacting your school’s
psychological services or an eating disorders specialist
to guide you through the next steps. Sometimes
withholding sport participation until the athlete has
been evaluated will motivate him or her to have the
evaluation. Withholding such participation indicates to
the athlete that his/her health is more important than
sport participation. An evaluation should also include
a decision regarding whether training and competition
can continue without increasing the risk to the athlete.
That decision is made by the treatment team and can
be adjusted as necessary as the athlete’s treatment
progresses. It is important for you, the athlete, the parents and the
team to realize that there are resources and support
networks to help.
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