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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. Page  | 31