NEDA TOOLKIT for Coaches and Trainers
possible. In general, however, the decision should be
made on an individual basis.
Incentives or consequences such as telling an athlete
“You can’t drop below a certain weight or you won’t
be participating in the next game” can be effective
in the short term because athletes will usually do the
bare minimum to stay on the team. Although this is
usually not a long-term solution, it is a strategy that
allows you as a coach to collaborate with the treatment
team. I recommend that athletes be open with their
teammates if possible, and make them a source of
support. If an athlete is missing practice or not doing
everything that the rest of the team is doing, there
needs to be some sort of communication with the
team to explain why this is happening. You may want
to take this opportunity to educate your team about
disordered eating and how the rest of the team can
help in their teammate’s recovery.
Finding the right balance between weight and performance: tips from a sport psychologist
Talking with Sandy Dupcak, PsyD, sport psychologist
Dr. Dupcak works with athletes, coaches and parents
on issues related to performance enhancement,
confidence, anxiety and self-esteem. Struggles with
depression and eating disorders are commonly
embedded in these performance issues.
Both disordered eating (i.e. poor food choices and
inaccurate beliefs about nutrition and weight) as well as
clinical eating disorders are common among athletes.
However, disordered eating that goes unidentified is
far more common than full-blown eating disorders.
Distorted thoughts about food, weight and body
image may be more dangerous than actual poor eating
behaviors. Actual eating disorders, however, stem from this kind of
distorted thinking. Coaches can unwittingly contribute
to this transition from distorted thinking to distorted
eating behaviors by making comments such as, “So-
and-so does this so much faster,” or “So-and-so has the
perfect body for this sport.” An athlete will twist even
a casual coach remark, apply it to him or herself, and all
of a sudden you’ve got a new set of problematic eating
behaviors. Complicating matters, young athletes generally do not
have the appropriate knowledge and they are often not
directed to a dietitian, so their attempts to lose weight
can make the athlete weaker and compromise his or
her performance. As this happens, athletes can become
more confused and vulnerable to additional distorted
thinking about weight, performance, and body image.
composition, and there’s no simple formula that tells
you what an optimal weight is. It is the level at which
the athlete is healthy in terms of looking good, feeling
his or her strongest, and able to execute the sport skills
to his or her maximum ability. Finding that balance can
be a challenge for both coaches and athletes, and may
involve a bit of experimentation with optimal weight
and performance.
Dr. Dupcak’s tips for middle and high school
coaches concerned about disordered eating
• Recognize the enormous power you have over
your athletes. Coaches chronically underestimate
the power and influence that they have over the
decision making and behavior of their athletes.
• Know your athletes. Be especially careful with
athletes who have low self-esteem, are highly
perfectionist or are self-critical. They will distort
your comments and do what they think they need
to do to please you.
• After speaking with your athlete about your
concerns, sit down with his or her parents to get
everyone working together as a team.
• Be aware of the secretive nature of eating
disorders. Athletes will try to hide their disordered
eating behaviors. Resist the temptation to look the
other way when you suspect there is a problem.
This is especially true if the behaviors have not
yet begun to negatively affect performance. The
earlier an eating disorder is treated, the better the
chances of recovery.
One of the most challenging aspects for coaches and
athletes is finding the right balance between weight
and performance. Every athlete has a different muscle
Page | 43