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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