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NEDA TOOLKIT for Coaches and Trainers Eating disorders prevention in the middle or high school athlete By  Lois M. Neaton, PT Because athletes are now being groomed at a younger age for varsity sports, physical therapist Lois Neaton believes it is important to start thinking about prevention at the middle school level. Here is her advice to coaches and trainers of young athletes: • The more activities a child is exposed to, the broader his or her physical and mental development will be. Instead of locking the sixth grader into basketball year round, keep your eyes open to the actual interests of the child. Explore lots of different activities. • When girls who are in 8th grade are invited to participate in varsity sports, especially in speed sports such as cross country or skiing, the burden of a high level of training is being put on an immature skeleton. Be aware of this, as well as of the social aspect of putting a middle schooler in with high school athletes, and adjust your demands accordingly. • Younger team members may worry that although they are fast now, going through puberty will slow them down. Reinforce that it is normal for athletes to have menstruation and growth for a healthy life. • Be observant. Are your athletes developing? Some of the kids I see have not grown in a year; an athletic 13-year-old who is losing weight when she or he should be growing is a travesty. When the gang is going out for pizza, do your players all eat? What is the conversation about at the table? In the locker room? • Get to know your athlete outside of your sport. When I ask eating disordered athletes “what would have made a difference?” this is the comment I hear most often: “My coach has no clue about the rest of my life.” Do you know their other life interests? Do you know their parents or guardians? • Give every player equal attention and meet with them individually at the beginning of the season. Make direct eye contact when you speak to them, if culturally appropriate. Find out what they want to work on. Make training about succeeding both in their sport and in their life beyond sport. • Be specific and precise in defining your expectations. Instead of telling a player “run on the weekends,” or “don’t eat junk food,” spell out exactly what you mean. There is going to be the kid who decides “if it’s not organic, it’s junk” or the kid who decides he needs to run 20 miles on the weekends. • Be vigilant if you have an athlete who is always doing “extra.” He or she is the one who, whenever everyone else is running five laps, is running six. • Tell your athletes what “going too far” means. Give them limits. Respect your athletes’ bodies and teach them to do the same. If a coach says, “This is the point in training when you are going to feel nauseous,” kids believe this is the gold standard of training. Help them know what overtraining looks like and how to avoid it. • Be clear about the need for adequate restorative sleep and at least 1-2 rest days, and explain how it improves performance. • Follow up on any injuries. Shin splints and stress fractures should not be shrugged off as an expected runner’s hazard. • Coaching should be about performance, not perfection. Explain that it’s not about weighing 10 pounds less; it’s about extending the foot another half inch to get that extra speed, or developing strategies to strengthen mental focus. • Many athletes get so hooked on the cardio aspect of their sport they are afraid of bulking up through strength training. Explain that core training will not make them overweight, but may make them stronger competitors. Challenge their perceptions of the ways they can excel, beyond just speed or weight. • Know when to drive a point home in the heat of the moment, but balance that with hanging back and getting your athlete’s feedback when possible. Remember that building mutual respect is the foundation of a healthy coach-athlete relationship. • If you have concerns about nutritional support, act on your instincts and seek professional help. Focus on guiding the athlete to outside resources, and make those available. • Be aware of your own food and fitness attitudes and behaviors. If you are struggling in these areas, keep those struggles to yourself both in word and in deed before your athletes. Page  | 25