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.
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