- Jan 25, 2011
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You must not have working taste buds, eating health is fine. But spinach in a sandwich?
Before game, between game, during game and after game nutrition.
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You must not have working taste buds, eating health is fine. But spinach in a sandwich?
- Jul 26, 2010
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You seriously think that playing a game of softball takes as much energy as running? The warmups take some energy, sure. The pitcher and catcher need to hydrate a bit, sure. But for the rest of everyone else playing, there's about 4 seconds of activity for every 20 seconds of game time, and that's the active part of the game when they're running defense. The other part involves sitting on a bench waiting with the opportunity to perform a few calisthenics (swinging the bat) followed by some extremely short sprints if they're lucky. As much as I love the sport, the actual "game" is not an aerobic activity.
They really don't burn that much energy playing.
The umpires actually get a better work out, and you don't see them with trainers between games figuring out which energy drink they need to recover.
Most kids will tell you that the hardest part is sitting in the hot sun. The hot sun! Oh the horror! For the multi-sports kids, softball season is a vacation.
-W
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- Dec 20, 2012
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I thinks ok, but you may like less. you might start at 1/2 and adjust from there.
I think by spinach, it means spinach lettuce. Subway has it.
- Dec 20, 2012
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If your kid is playing multiple sports then they are probably not playing at the level of ball most of us are talking about. How many pitches are thrown a game??? Every pitch every play should making some type of movement to get set. One, two steps and a squat to field a ball. If your at your kids game and the outfielders are standing around at every pitch then disregard anything I previously posted. It may not be running but while in the field they will be constantly contracting multiple muscle every pitch, making aggressive steps and stances, ss and 2nd will be crossing every pitch to back the throw to the pitcher(every pitch on some teams). Ever here "everyone should be moving on every pitch"? How many slappers on a team, every pitch fielders will be shifting to play whatever the slapper shows(bunt, slap, hit away). Guess there could be base runners in a game? Getting set for the pitch delivery then a quick move back to the base every pitch. And by your logic football player really don't do much either, 11 minutes of action out 60 but the games last 3 hours plus. Or power lifters, dead lift 495 8 times in about 45 seconds and then rest for 5. I guess marathon runners are the only ones that should worry about nutrition, but they don't carry the muscle mass that a lot of other sports do so their need for protein isn't as great. They probably consume a TON more complex carbs, what do you think???
There is a reason every major university, most smaller ones, many HS, even some TB teams have a sports nutritionist. If the only reason a kid. is at Handkerchief State instead of Alabama is because they watched her play the 4th game of the day. And decided she wasn't worth another look. Only because she was so exhausted and couldn't keep together. But all the coaches see is a so so player.
Under different circumstances she may have been just what they were looking for. Well that would be a shame, and I'm sure that has happened to more than one kid.
And point well taken about the umps! Most look like they could drop dead from cardiac arrest at any moment.
NCAA, fine looking specimen!
- Dec 20, 2012
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Yeah fresh spinach instead of lettuce. Iceberg lettuce has almost ZERO nutritional value. Spinach on the other hand is loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, folate, betaine, iron, vitamin B2, calcium, potassium, vitamin B6, folic acid, copper, protein, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids.
And it doesn't taste too bad.
Yeah, the OP asked for suggestions. I kinda skipped that and just said what we tend to do....certainly not what I would suggest as a diet plan. Lol. But I am speaking from a vantage point where my kids could eat a house and lose weight I think. Lol. Blessed with that motor that never quits.
There are some really good thoughts and suggestions in this post. Thank you for the replies!
I won't say that a weekend of games is the same as a marathon but just sitting in 105 temps burns calories. Your body has to use energy to keep itself cool. That's a no brainer.
My biggest part of the original question is, can you make your parents feed their kids the correct foods for game day nutrition. I have compiled a small suggested list to email out and while I know all of them won't abide by it, I'm hoping it will at least make them aware of what they should be eating.
I come from a drag racing background where reaction times are measured down to the thousandth. Years of experience and research by many has proven that your diet effects your brains ability to react. Your body uses brain power to digest food and that takes away from reaction times. A kid goes and eats a hamburger and then an hour later is on the field with a hard hit ball to SS and its takes her a fraction of a second longer to process the info and the runner beats the throw. Or reacting on a hard hit ball to the outfield and the player is a step behind because they had a heavy carb loaded lunch after the second morning game because they didnt have Breakfast earlier. I'm trying to at least limit the heavy lunch between games as much as possible while still getting them enough food for energy to make that play. It's a fine line.
Thanks again for the responses and keep the ideas coming!
I won't say that a weekend of games is the same as a marathon but just sitting in 105 temps burns calories. Your body has to use energy to keep itself cool. That's a no brainer.
My biggest part of the original question is, can you make your parents feed their kids the correct foods for game day nutrition. I have compiled a small suggested list to email out and while I know all of them won't abide by it, I'm hoping it will at least make them aware of what they should be eating.
I come from a drag racing background where reaction times are measured down to the thousandth. Years of experience and research by many has proven that your diet effects your brains ability to react. Your body uses brain power to digest food and that takes away from reaction times. A kid goes and eats a hamburger and then an hour later is on the field with a hard hit ball to SS and its takes her a fraction of a second longer to process the info and the runner beats the throw. Or reacting on a hard hit ball to the outfield and the player is a step behind because they had a heavy carb loaded lunch after the second morning game because they didnt have Breakfast earlier. I'm trying to at least limit the heavy lunch between games as much as possible while still getting them enough food for energy to make that play. It's a fine line.
Thanks again for the responses and keep the ideas coming!
- Jul 26, 2010
- 3,553
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Many coaches demand that their players adhere to a strict diet, on and off the fields. 18 gold coaches are often held accountable to showing the kids to college coaches, so their weight and appearance of athleticism are very important parts of that marketable "product". The same goes for food/drink on game day. While performance is very important, so is appearance. A team that has energy drinks and junk food in the dugout lacks the appearance of dedication and discipline, irregardless of the teams playing ability.
Parents of players who have a desire to play for a college would do well to learn these nutrition and behavior lessons early so that by the time the kid is playing for a showcase team, they can focus on their game instead of changing their personal habits and negative behaviors.
-W
Parents of players who have a desire to play for a college would do well to learn these nutrition and behavior lessons early so that by the time the kid is playing for a showcase team, they can focus on their game instead of changing their personal habits and negative behaviors.
-W
Sorry but I have to disagree with your premise that multi sport kids are playing at a different level, and therefore are not running as much as your's who only play one sport.
In fact I sort of think its either funny or myopic. My dd plays multiple sports, and regardless of the level, she is constantly moving during a softball game, whether she is pitching or catching she still does not get as much exercise as she gets in one basketball game. And no where near the amount of running that happens in one rec level soccer game.
In my opinion, average multi sport kids are in better shape then the average softball player. On a basketball team or a soccer team you don't have much room to carry a kid who is out of shape but she can kick hard, or dribble good. They have to be able to go up and down the field / court and while in the act of actual running perform. Softball on the other hand has positions and with it opportunity for larger girls who can do one thing well. Not knocking them I am happy to see them out enjoying the game, but its a fact that you don't have to be able to run well to excel in softball. So yes my multi sport dd sees softball as less physically challenging then most other sports, having done softball, swim, volleyball, basketball, soccer, and ran track she has had experience in a variety of sports.
