Most sport parents have heard their athletes talk about how much they need this or that supplement to perform better, stay healthier, or train harder. If your athlete is set on supplements, you can help them minimize the risks from those products by understanding red flags, identifying high-risk supplements, and using only third-party certified supplements.

Here, Tammy Hanson, Director of Elite Education at the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), explains how to minimize the health and anti-doping risks from supplements.

1. Understand the Potential Risks from Supplements

Dietary supplements come in many forms, including gels, protein powders, and multi-vitamins. These products are regulated post-market, which means that neither the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nor any other regulatory body evaluates the contents or safety of supplements before they are sold online and at major retailers.

Even though there are many safe supplements on the market, post-market regulation makes it very hard to determine which products are truly safe and actually contain what’s listed on the labels. Contamination and the use of unhealthy, low-quality, or unlisted ingredients continues to be a big problem in the growing supplement industry.

“We know that the majority of ingredients are being outsourced from other countries, which increases the risk of cross-contamination,” explains Hanson. “Supplement companies can leave out or omit ingredients on the ingredient list. They can change the name of ingredients. Yes, the FDA can pull something off store shelves if they deem it unsafe—but only after they’ve deemed it unsafe, which could be too late.”

Given the potential for unknown ingredients and quantities of those ingredients, some supplements pose a health risk, and unfortunately, there are many documented cases of this issue. Some supplement companies may also intentionally use potent ingredients that increase the effects of the product but are prohibited for athletes subject to anti-doping rules.

2. Recognize Red Flags

Researching supplements and recognizing red flags can help consumers reduce their risk if they decide to use supplements. You can start researching supplements by checking to see if the product or manufacturer is on the USADA High Risk List or the FDA Tainted Supplements list before use. These lists are not all inclusive, but they are a good starting place for ruling out risky supplements known to be contaminated or contain harmful ingredients.

You should also consider these red flags while evaluating and researching any supplement you might use.

1. Products sold exclusively on the internet may be risky, as some companies try to avoid regulations this way.
2. Some products list ingredients by chemical names to deliberately confuse consumers.
3. Products that make claims like “newest scientific breakthrough” and “quick fix” are risky.
4. Products that claim to treat or prevent a disease, or be “an alternative to prescription medication” are risky.
5. Products that claim to be “FDA Approved” or “USADA Approved” are risky – these organizations don’t approve supplements.

More information about red flags is available here.

3. Use Third-Party Certified Supplements

Third-party certification simply means that products are tested by an independent company to confirm that the product’s label matches its contents. If athletes choose to use supplements despite the known risks, USADA has always recommended that athletes use only dietary supplements that have been certified by a third-party program that tests for substances prohibited in sport. Even if your athlete isn’t subject to anti-doping rules or being tested, avoiding potentially contaminated supplements is good practice, and safer for your athlete.

USADA doesn’t test products or offer certification, but it does currently recommend NSF Certified for Sport as the program best suited for athletes to reduce the risk from supplements. Look for the NSF Certified for Sport label on products, which means it has been tested by NSF not only to confirm that the product contains what it claims to contain, but also that it’s free of any substances that are banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Some brands use “NSF Certified” and “NSF Certified for Sport” interchangeably in their marketing, so be sure to check on NSF for Sport’s website or app to ensure that the product is specifically tested for banned substances. Finally, when purchasing supplements, the safest way to purchase NSF Certified for Sport products is directly through that supplement company’s website rather than a third-party provider.

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Takeaway

USADA and TrueSport recommend a ‘food-first’ approach to fueling whenever possible. The fewer supplements your athlete uses, the lower the potential for contamination risks. For example, if your athlete needs more calcium in their diet, prioritizing calcium-rich foods like yogurt and nuts and seeds provides not just calcium, but also other vital nutrients. Similarly, rather than using a whey protein supplement, opting for regular milk, silken tofu, or low-fat Greek yogurt in smoothies can provide the same amount of protein without risk of contamination.

Here, TrueSport Expert Kristen Ziesmer, a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, explains what exactly these supplements are providing, if they’re necessary, and what natural alternatives exist.

What are hydration supplements?

The hydration supplements that are currently popular are low-to-no calorie electrolyte tablets and powders. The common electrolytes found in these drinks include sodium, potassium, magnesium, and chloride. Electrolytes are required to help your body maintain fluid balance. They are necessary—but are also found in most foods, and likely don’t need to be supplemented.

Electrolyte tablets are supplements

It’s important to remember that even though these hydration tablets may seem innocuous, they still fall into the supplement category and that means they aren’t subject to the same regulations as foods. Supplements are regulated post-market, so no regulatory body reviews the contents before they reach consumers and that increases the chance of both intentional and unintentional contamination. If the supplement isn’t certified as NSF Certified for Sport, it may contain substances not listed on the label, substances in different quantities than identified, and substances that are prohibited in sport, says Ziesmer. “People often don’t realize that even things like electrolyte tablets or sports drink mixes can fall into the supplement category,” she says. A food-first approach to fueling is safer than supplements, and especially when it comes to electrolyte-infused drinks, it’s easy to get the same nutrients through real food.

Electrolyte tablets are expensive

Unfortunately, these tablets also come at a high cost, often nearly a dollar a tablet or packet, depending on the brand. “I strongly urge families to stop spending so much money on these fancy hydration supplements,” says Ziesmer. “They’re prohibitively expensive and they can truly be replaced by adding a bit of salt to water.”

Electrolyte tablets are not necessary for young athletes

Ultimately, while these electrolyte tablets and mixes may give water a fun flavor, they aren’t necessary for performance, says Ziesmer. And they’re certainly not necessary outside of practice or competition, since a standard diet will typically provide plenty of sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Often, these packets or tablets of electrolytes primarily contain high amounts of sodium, which is inexpensive and easy to add to any meal just by sprinkling a bit more salt on your food.

That being said, there are some situations where electrolyte products can be helpful, especially if you have a picky eater who doesn’t get enough sodium through food or a very heavy or salty sweater.

Electrolyte drinks should not replace other sports drinks

You may have seen low-or-no calorie electrolyte drinks and assumed that they would be healthier due to their low sugar content. However, those carbohydrates from sugar are actually necessary for athletes to perform! “You can make your own homemade sports drink by diluting fruit juice with water and adding a pinch of salt and a bit of granulated sugar,” says Ziesmer. “But you do need carbohydrates in addition to electrolytes, especially if you’re training for more than 45 minutes or you’re going to be sweating a lot.”

Replacing electrolyte supplements with food

Fortunately, there are two very simple ways to ensure your athlete is getting enough electrolytes in their diet: Add a pinch of salt in their water bottle or pack a salty snack. “I like putting a pinch of salt and a splash of fruit juice in a water bottle,” says Ziesmer. This gives your athlete the sodium they need, plus a fun flavor and a small amount of simple carbohydrates, which speeds the transport of sodium through the body. “If your athlete is already eating salty snacks like pretzels or chips, or any processed food, they’re likely getting plenty of sodium,” she adds. “You don’t need to add additional sodium on top of that.” Athletes can also get sodium from many sauces and condiments, such as soy sauce, BBQ sauce, and hot sauce.

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Takeaway

While your athlete may benefit from sports drinks that contain electrolytes and calories from simple carbohydrates during practice, they likely don’t need expensive electrolyte beverages or mixes outside of sport. A pinch of salt added to a water bottle is going to be just as effective while saving money and avoiding any issues of contamination in supplements.

While intervention and reporting may be uncomfortable, the most important thing you can do for your athlete is protect them, and it’s your responsibility as a parent, coach, official, or other present adult to educate yourself and act. According to the U.S. Center for SafeSport, here’s what you need to know about recognizing, responding to, and reporting abuse and misconduct.

RECOGNIZE Abuse and Misconduct

Recognizing abuse and misconduct is a critical first step to both preventing and responding to it. To start, it’s important to realize that abuse and misconduct can happen between an athlete and many different people, including another athlete, a coach, coach’s assistant, athletic trainer, or physical therapist.

We’ll cover the types of misconduct and abuse below, but keep in mind that even if you can’t label a behavior or it doesn’t violate a policy, you should always report anything that concerns you. Additionally, while the below are referred to as misconduct, they can all be considered child abuse depending on severity, as per federal and/or state law.

• Emotional Misconduct: Emotional misconduct can include both verbal and physical acts, from name-calling to throwing equipment at an athlete. Stalking and denying support can also be considered emotional misconduct.
• Physical Misconduct: Physical misconduct is any behavior that does or could lead to physical harm, which includes both contact and non-contact acts. Examples include punching, knowingly letting athletes return to play after injury without medical clearance, and withholding food or water.
• Sexual Misconduct: Sexual misconduct includes a wide range of sexual actions that are done without consent. It also includes grooming, sexual harassment, nonconsensual sexual contact or intercourse, sexual exploitation, exposing a minor to sexual content/imagery, sexual bullying behavior, and sexual hazing.
• Bullying: Bullying involves repeated and severe physical, verbal, social, or sexual behaviors, including name-calling, spreading rumors, taunting, or ridiculing someone based on gender or sexual preferences.
• Harassment: Harassment refers to repeated or severe conduct that causes fear or humiliation, degrades an athlete, creates a hostile environment, or attempts to establish superiority based on an athlete’s age, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, national origin, or disability.
• Hazing: Hazing involves physical, mental, emotional, or psychological conduct that could intimidate, degrade, abuse, or put an athlete in danger in order to be socially accepted. This could include conduct like making people play drinking games, physically restraining them, or depriving them of water, food, or sleep.

RESPOND to Abuse and Misconduct

If you witness or know about misconduct or abuse, never assume that someone else is taking care of it. Be sure to intervene and put an immediate stop to any misconduct or other harmful behavior you witness. If you learn about misconduct after the fact, determine if it has stopped, and if not, take action to stop it.

As you prepare for your role as an active bystander and/or mandatory reporter, keep these best practices in mind:

• Understand your sport organization’s policies and know what actions to look for, how you are expected to respond, and how to report.
• Regularly discuss acceptable and unacceptable behavior and hold everyone accountable for their behavior.
• Respond quickly to inappropriate behaviors to prevent escalation and continued harm.
• Respond consistently to misconduct you witness or learn about so there is no confusion about boundaries and accountability.
• Consider the developmental level of those involved when identifying acceptable behaviors and responses to those behaviors.

If abuse is disclosed to you, respond with these best practices in mind prior to reporting:

• Listen with empathy and let the athlete tell you the details they want to share at their own pace. Keep your body language and facial expressions open and non-judgmental.
• Thank them for telling you and trusting you.
• Remind them that you and others are here to help.
• Inform them of your next steps, including who you will report the information to. Remember, even if a child does not want the incident reported, mandatory reporters must follow legal reporting requirements.

If abuse is disclosed to you, do NOT:

• Doubt the accuracy of the report. Remember that false reports of abuse are very rare.
• Ask leading questions. Only ask open-ended questions and let the athlete tell you what happened in their own words.
• Call a child’s parents. Let authorities like child protective services identify when to communicate with parents and the appropriate steps needed to ensure a child’s safety.
• Check with other people to uncover more information or confront the perpetrator, as this can jeopardize the athlete’s safety.

REPORT Abuse and Misconduct

To best protect athletes, report abuse or suspicions of abuse immediately and regardless of your mandatory reporter status. Make sure you familiarize yourself with federal and state reporting requirements, as well as SafeSport reporting requirements.

For adults affiliated with the Olympic and Paralympic Movement, the SafeSport Code requires you to first follow applicable state or federal laws around reporting abuse and misconduct, but also to report:

• Child abuse, including child sexual abuse, immediately to law enforcement and the U.S. Center for SafeSport
• Sexual misconduct regardless of age immediately to SafeSport
• Emotional and physical misconduct (including bullying, hazing, and harassment) to your National Governing Body or SafeSport
• Violations of proactive prevention policies (such as the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies) to your National Governing Body

Your athlete’s team should have an abuse prevention policy already in place, which should include detailed instructions for reporting suspicions of abuse. If you haven’t seen this policy, ask the coach. Often, part of the reason abuse and misconduct are allowed to continue is that they are reported to the wrong people. Don’t automatically go to the athlete’s parents, the school administrator, or the coach.

If you’re unsure who to report to, go directly to local law enforcement, where they are better trained to handle these situations. You can also direct questions about abuse and misconduct to the SafeSport Helpline at 866-200-0796 or safesporthelpline.org. More information on reporting to the U.S. Center for SafeSport can be found here.

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Takeaway

Additional resources on recognizing, responding to, and reporting abuse are available here. Other local and national organizations are also available to help, including RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization.

Caveat: While nutrition can be used as a tool to improve sleep quality and help ease mild symptoms of anxiety, if your athlete is struggling with sleep disturbances or anxiety, it’s important to talk to a medical professional in addition to making smart nutritional choices.

Reduce Anxiety

1. Eat Enough and Keep It Balanced

“The first line of defense for your overall physical and mental health is to make sure that you have a well-balanced diet,” says Ziesmer. “Consuming a variety of different foods over the course of the day, particularly a lot of different fruits and vegetables, is going to help ensure that your athlete gets the nutrients they need. It’s also important to make sure your athlete is eating enough: Under fueling can exacerbate sleep and anxiety issues.” She also recommends a check-in with your family doctor to get bloodwork done to make sure that your athlete isn’t deficient in certain vitamins and minerals, including zinc, magnesium, and vitamins D and B.

2. Get the Right Fats

“Omega 3 fatty acids are extremely beneficial for brain health, and have been shown to help reduce anxiety,” says Ziesmer. Fatty fish are the best source of Omega-3s, so if your athlete likes salmon, tuna, and mackerel, add those to the shopping list. If your athlete isn’t a fish fan, Ziesmer says that flaxseed, walnuts, flaxseed oil, or walnut oil also contain high amounts of Omega-3s.

3. Get Some Sun

“A huge percentage of the U.S. population is deficient in vitamin D,” says Ziesmer. “And low vitamin D levels have been linked to anxiety. Fortunately, vitamin D is relatively easy to obtain: Just spend time outside in the sun.” She recommends roughly 30 minutes per day in bright sunlight. If that’s impossible in your area, especially in the winter, there are plenty of foods that contain or are fortified with vitamin D.

4. Include Magnesium and Zinc Sources

Magnesium and zinc are both important minerals for preventing and reducing anxiety. “Leafy greens, nuts, and seeds are a great source of magnesium, while zinc will primarily come from meat sources,” says Ziesmer. “Liver, oysters, cashews, and egg yolks are especially good sources of zinc.”

Promote Sleep

5. Cut Back on Caffeine Early

If your athlete tends to drink a caffeine-infused sports drink during afternoon practice, that caffeine could be wreaking havoc on their sleep schedule. Some people feel the impact of caffeine longer than others, so if your athlete is always wide awake around bedtime, try cutting out caffeine after noon. “Caffeine makes our brain go into overdrive. And even if you don’t feel the obvious effects of it, it can still keep you awake at night,” Ziesmer adds.

6. Create a Routine

Cutting caffeine helps promote sleep, but the best way to help improve your athlete’s snooze time is to help them create smart routines and rituals around bedtime. This means things like setting a schedule for bed/wakeup times and adding soothing pre-sleep activities, like reading a book rather than scrolling on Instagram, or taking a warm shower after practice. Ziesmer says a set schedule and routine—including bedtime snacks and beverages—is the best way to promote sleep.

7. Enjoy a Warm Beverage

While chamomile tea is touted as the best herbal option for making someone feel sleepy, any relaxing herbal tea that your athlete likes is a great option. The ritual of having a cup of tea before bed can help put your athlete in a state of relaxation—and of course, provide some bonus hydration! Any herbal tea will work well before bed, but make sure it doesn’t contain caffeine. Adding a bit of milk to the tea can also be sleep inducing, Ziesmer adds.

8. Add a High Protein Dessert

A higher protein snack before bed can help a young athlete sleep better, especially if there’s a late game or practice, or if they tend to underfuel during the day. If your athlete complains of waking up in the middle of the night feeling hungry, a protein-dense snack before bed will help. A mug of hot chocolate made with one percent milk, for example, is a tasty and protein-dense treat in addition to being a soothing warm beverage. Ziesmer also recommends a small bowl of Greek yogurt with berries and granola.

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Takeaway

Nutrition can help improve sleep and reduce feelings of anxiety by giving the body more of what it needs (like antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables) and less of what it doesn’t (like caffeine).

As a parent, you can help your athlete hone in on what really matters to them, and cut out the noise. Here are some easy ways to help your overwhelmed athlete set realistic goals.

Lead with empathy

Remember that while you have the benefit of hindsight as a parent, your young athlete may be experiencing this level of overwhelm for the first time. From your point of view, it’s easy to think their stressors are trivial and overblown, but remind yourself that your athlete’s feelings are real and valid. This is a critically important step, because if you don’t validate your athlete’s feeling of overwhelm, they may stop sharing those struggles with you.

Ask good questions

Most overwhelmed athletes struggle to explain how they’re feeling or even understand how many pressures they’re dealing with. Before you can help them tame their schedule and set goals for the next semester, start by helping them understand where they are right now. What are all of the activities they’re doing now, including sports, school, extracurriculars, and part-time work? Where are they falling behind? Where are they feeling caught up? How much time is each activity taking?

Help them identify what matters to them

After identifying what’s on their plate, it’s time to identify what really matters. Young athletes may struggle to identify the things that truly matter to them, rather than what matters to other people in their lives. For example, they may want to excel in a sport because their coach mentioned they have natural talent or because a best friend asked them to try out. And of course, they likely believe—whether accurately or not—that there are certain things that they should do because they matter to you. The best way you can help your athlete is by helping them identify the things that truly are important to them.

Help them prioritize

As you help your athlete prioritize, make sure the activities (including homework and time to sleep/relax) actually fit into their schedule. Try using a daily, weekly, or monthly planner to gain a better perspective on what’s realistic. Often, student-athletes are trying to fit 28 hours of activities and work into a single day. There may be some difficult decisions or conversations that come from this activity. For instance, your athlete may need to talk to the club coach about skipping some practices in favor of training with the school team. This might feel uncomfortable for your athlete, but that discomfort is a critical first step in them learning how to establish their priorities and set boundaries.

Turn their goals into SMART goals

Often, students struggle with setting goals that are challenging but realistic and actually within their control. Help your athlete think SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. Once that goal is set, help them come up with a plan to get to that goal, one step at a time. Also encourage them to regularly revisit their goals and edit the original goal as circumstances change.

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Takeaway

Feelings of overwhelm are common for athletes of all ages. You can help your athlete evaluate their commitments, establish their priorities, and set realistic goals that prioritize their wellness and grow their ability to set healthy boundaries.

Board-certified family physician and TrueSport Expert Deborah Gilboa, MD, explains that helping your athlete change their outlook—how they view any situation—is key in building resilience. If you can help your athlete learn to shift their outlook to see opportunities and solutions in challenging moments on the playing field, they’ll be able to bounce back from tough situations in every area of their lives. Your goal, as Gilboa explains it, is to offer your athlete a different perspective on an experience, one that will allow them to consider their own outlook and reframe it.

Here are ways you can make an impact:

1. Stop Trying to Change the Narrative

“Parents often default to trying to change the narrative that their athletes have about their experience,” says Gilboa. For example, if your athlete tells you that they played poorly, your immediate reaction might be to tell them that they did great. According to Gilboa, “This is an understandable reaction, but it rarely helps the athlete change their outlook.”

2. Start with Validation

Before you can help your athlete reframe an experience in a more positive or neutral light, you must start by validating their current outlook, says Gilboa. This doesn’t mean you need to agree with them—just that you need to allow them to express it and show that you’re actually listening. “A child isn’t going to be able to shift their outlook until you validate the outlook that they currently hold,” she says. “This doesn’t mean you agree. Parents tend to think that if they can point out another way of viewing the situation or explain it in a different way, the athlete’s outlook can change. But often, that makes an athlete feel unseen and misunderstood.” Instead, respond to your athlete in a neutral way, saying things like, “I hear that really has your attention,” or “I hear that you’re frustrated” to demonstrate that you’re listening, but not judging.

3. Give Athletes Space as Needed

Knowing your athlete’s preferences is important when it comes to helping them improve their outlook, because some athletes need space to feel their emotions privately before sharing, while others are happy to talk through their feelings on the drive home from practice. As a parent, try to respect your child’s need for space, says Gilboa. If your athlete needs some quiet contemplation time or wants to talk about something else for a while, let them. Trying to force a conversation is likely to put your athlete on the defensive rather than being receptive. “Treat them not in the way you would like to be treated or how you wish they’d like to be treated, but how you think they would actually like to be treated after a rough experience,” Gilboa says.

4. Calm Yourself Down

If your athlete shares a hard story—for example, if a coach or teammate said something hurtful to them—it’s natural to have your own strong emotions as their parent or guardian. However, your athlete needs a calm, level reaction from you, rather than an explosion. “Try not to allow yourself to spiral out of control,” says Gilboa. “It’s easy to get worked up at the idea of your athlete going through a hard time. But what they need from you is a calm, safe space to talk through their feelings.” You may need to take a few deep breaths, distract yourself by running through your to-do list in your head, or simply put on a song that you and your athlete both love and say you need a minute to get into a better headspace.”

5. Ask for Permission

Before giving advice or sharing your opinion, make sure your athlete is receptive to it, and respect their feelings if they say no. “After you’ve validated their feelings about a topic, you can ask if you can share how you interpreted the situation they’re talking about,” says Gilboa. “What you’re really asking is, ‘Are you ready to consider a different outlook?’ And if they say no, then they’re just not ready to have that conversation.” There’s nothing to be gained by pushing your athlete to discuss something when they’re not in the right headspace to do so.

6. Consider What’s Not Being Said

When having these conversations with your athlete, always keep in mind that you may not know the entire context surrounding any situation. “For example, if your athlete is angry at a referee after a lot of calls against the team in a game, what they may not be mentioning is that they have a really good friend on the team who told them if there was another bad call from the referee, they were quitting,” says Gilboa. “In this case, your athlete may not be upset about the game itself, they’re actually upset because they think their friend may leave the team. You simply can’t know the full breadth of their experiences or their internal monologues.”

7. Be Vulnerable with Your Athlete

“As parents and caregivers, you have the opportunity to show your athletes how you deal with challenges and negative emotions in your own life,” says Gilboa. “Being vulnerable with them not only gives them examples of how to verbalize their emotions, it also shows them how to work through them. Whenever we have a frustrating experience, we can verbalize our own genuine emotions, and call attention to those negative emotions. For example, if you’re stuck in traffic with your athlete and you start complaining about how the rest of your day is going to be ruined, catch yourself—and share that with your athlete. Say something like, ‘My words are really expressing a lot of my frustration and my fear.’ And then ask for help shifting your outlook. Ask your athlete to tell you a funny story or a joke.”

8. Ask Open-Ended Questions

Once your athlete shares what’s bothering them, you can ask questions to try to change how they perceive a situation and help them come up with different solutions and viewpoints. Try to make your questions as open and non-judgmental as possible. “Ask questions where there isn’t an obvious right answer, and your athlete will feel more comfortable answering you,” Gilboa says. Her favorite question is simply: ‘Can you help me understand why this has so much of your attention?’ Be curious rather than trying to share your own opinion.

9. Understand How Athletes View Consequences

Parents have the advantage of age: It’s easy to look back at our time in school and recall moments that we considered really difficult. Those moments, in hindsight, tend to be a lot less important than we thought they were, but your athlete doesn’t have that hindsight yet. “When a student thinks something has really huge consequences, take their feelings seriously rather than telling them it won’t matter in a week,” says Gilboa. “Younger kids tend to have outsized consequences. Parents have to earn their trust by showing that you see why things matter to them. Once they feel validated, you can help them understand why it might not matter as much as they think. And when it comes to high schoolers, err on the side of believing them when they tell you about any consequences that they’re concerned about. If those consequences don’t happen, you can both celebrate, but those older athletes should feel as though you truly believe them.”

10. Beware of Toxic Positivity

While you want to help your athlete shift away from a negative outlook about a challenging situation, it’s important to avoid falling into the ’toxic positivity’ trap where every experience needs to be reframed as positive. Some situations are simply neutral, or may remain negative, even with a solution-oriented outlook. “You don’t have to always be positive,” says Gilboa. “Preteens and teens in particular will find that tendency annoying, difficult, and inauthentic.”

11. Ask Your Athlete What They Need

“When your athlete starts to talk to you about how they’re feeling, don’t assume you know what they want from you,” says Gilboa. “First, thank them for sharing with you. Then, ask: ‘Are you hoping for empathy, advice, or intervention?” And however they answer, respect that decision.

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Takeaway

As a parent, you want to help your athlete get through challenging situations. But rather than trying to fix their problem or offering your own opinion, start by listening to your athlete, validating their feelings, and asking open-ended questions to help them reframe the challenge and come up with their own solution.

With this in mind, how can you best support their mental wellness while helping them grow as people and athletes? Here, one of the authors of a recent recommendations report on mental wellness in youth sport—longtime sports sociologist Jay Coakley, PhD—is helping break down the tangible ways that caregivers and coaches can support athletes.

1. Humanity over athleticism

The title of the report is “Humanizing Sport,” speaking to the fact that taking care of young people needs to be the top goal for coaches and caregivers. Adults often struggle to remember that young athletes are under immense amounts of pressure while still developing the life skills and resilience necessary to cope with that pressure. It’s important to understand that the situations a young person is dealing with are valid and important, even if as an adult, you can look back and see how minor those problems are in retrospect. For example, an athlete fighting with a teammate may seem minor, but for that athlete, it can take a huge mental toll.

As a coach, it’s also easy to see a team of athletes as one singular mass—’the team’—but Coakley urges coaches to remember that each team member is their own individual with a different set of skills and struggles. For family members too, it’s easy to focus on a young athlete’s talent on the field rather than prioritizing their happiness on that field.

2. Relieve pressure

Even without meaning to, caregivers and coaches can add huge amounts of pressure for athletes. “For example, sports are often expensive these days, which is a source of pressure for a child who knows that parents are using discretionary money for their sport participation, and because of that, they feel trapped,” says Coakley. Mentioning things like the price of sport or the need for an athletic scholarship can put an unhealthy burden on your young athlete.

Coaches often create similar pressures for the team or for certain players by setting outcome-specific goals like winning certain games and placing more emphasis on wins than progress. Coaches and caregivers who limit unnecessary triggers for stress and pressure, while seeking opportunities to develop athlete resilience, create an optimal environment to support student-athlete mental wellbeing.

3. Take mental health as seriously as physical health

Often in youth sport, mental health is an afterthought, if it comes up at all. But Coakley says that mental health is potentially more important than physical health for young athletes. “Unfortunately, within sport culture, it used to be defined as a weakness if you had a mental health problem,” he says. “It’s hard to change that culture, but that’s our goal.”

To start, have open conversations with athletes about mental health, let them know that they can come to you if they’re experiencing any distress, and focus on mental wellness alongside physical wellness on the team. You can do goal-setting exercises throughout the season, make sure athletes and their families understand your open-door policy, and host weekly check-ins with the team to tackle any issues that have come up.

4. Have regular one-on-ones with athletes

Whether you’re a caregiver or a coach, having individual conversations with your athlete on a regular basis is an important part of monitoring their mental wellness. “Good coaches have weekly one-on-one conversations with their athletes,” says Coakley. “They might be short conversations, but these quick talks let the athletes know that the coach cares about them and helps coaches catch any potential issues early.” In alignment with athlete safety best practices, be sure these conversations are always observable and interruptible.

The same is true for parents and guardians: Make sure you’re having at least one check-in with your athlete each week, even if it’s just for 10 minutes. Intentionally creating time to connect with your athlete leaves room for them to share anything they may be struggling to process or move through on their own.

5. Don’t be afraid to refer out

Many of the recommendations in the report center around seeking appropriate help and guidance from other professionals. While coaches may feel as though they need to be the therapist, nutritionist, physical therapist, and sleep specialist, it’s important to remember that wearing all of those hats isn’t actually in the best interest of you nor your athletes. It’s simply overburdening you and keeping your athletes from getting the professional care that they need. Instead, build relationships with experts who are qualified in these different areas and try to make them readily available for your athletes. If financial means are a concern, Coakley suggests reaching out to local universities and seeking out students looking for internships in the fields of physiotherapy, sports dietetics, or psychology. Consider the sport administrators in your particular system as a great ally in this effort. Seek their guidance and support to identify appropriate resources to supplement the important work you’re doing as a caregiver or coach.

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Takeaway

Serving young athletes means taking care of their mental wellbeing as well as their physical health. This begins with seeing athletes as whole humans, rather than viewing them as one team, or as individuals who are only defined by their athletic achievements. For coaches and caregivers who interact closely with athletes, this should include regular check-ins and open conversations about mental health. It should also include seeking expert help when needed, rather than trying to do everything yourself.

Here, TrueSport Expert Kristen Ziesmer, a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, shares some tips on how to approach holidays and vacations mindfully so that athletes can feel comfortable getting the nutrients they need and the flavors they want.

1. Help Your Athlete Understand Intuitive Eating

Simply put, intuitive eating is learning to listen to your body’s hunger cues and respond to them appropriately. Ziesmer explains that leaning into intuitive eating makes it easier for an athlete to enjoy tasty treats at a holiday party and to stop when they’re full. “Eating intuitively helps you avoid those big spikes in hunger, where you go too long without eating and then you’re starving,” says Ziesmer. “When you’re eating, it’s also about asking, ‘Am I satisfied? Or am I still hungry?’ You don’t always need to clear your plate—but it’s also okay if you do.”

2. Don’t Restrict

For young athletes, developing restrictive tendencies is unfortunately all too common, and the hype around ‘not gaining weight over the holidays’ may actually cause those tendencies to show up. Ziesmer says it’s important to ensure that your athlete has a healthy relationship with all types of food so they can maintain a nutrient-dense diet while still enjoying the seasonal festivities during the holidays.

3. Start with a Nutrient-Dense Meal

Showing up to the holiday party after not eating all day is a recipe for going overboard on the tasty treats. Ziesmer says that the easiest way to avoid overindulgence and the stomachache that’s likely going to follow is to eat a nutrient-dense snack beforehand. This strategy shouldn’t cause stress: Balance is the priority, so keep in mind that a single indulgent meal won’t unbalance a generally healthy nutrition plan.

4. Aim for a Balanced Plate at Meals

Sitting down to a big family meal? Focus on the different elements on the plate, says Ziesmer. Is there a source of protein (like chicken, fish, turkey, or tofu), a whole grain (like brown rice or  whole wheat rolls) and some vegetables (like steamed broccoli or a side salad)? Don’t panic if instead of a whole grain, mashed potatoes are your carbohydrate options, and instead of a kale salad, canned green beans are the only vegetable. Do the best with what you have!

5. BYO Healthy Snacks

Heading to a hotel or a family member’s house for the holidays? Stock up on healthy snacks and meal options that you can easily travel with so your athletes don’t miss out on important nutrients during the trip. “If you are staying at a hotel, you can ask for a mini fridge in your room,” says Ziesmer.” Stock the fridge with fruit, chopped up vegetables and hummus, string cheese, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, and granola.” If you don’t have fridge access, mixed nuts, shelf-stable fruits like apples, dried fruit, and homemade granola bars are great options too.

6. Make New Traditions

Rather than throwing out current family traditions, try to add a few instead! Remember that with most foods, whether it’s ‘healthy’ or ‘unhealthy’ largely depends on context. A big mug of hot chocolate after a day of sitting and watching movies may not be the most nutritious choice, but that same mug of hot chocolate is actually a great blend of carbohydrates and proteins that can help an athlete recover from a 5K training run. If most of the holiday traditions and vacation activities in your family center around food, consider suggesting a few new traditions that include movement. A snowball fight or walk before Christmas dinner helps create balance.

7. Pay Attention to Portion Size and Unconscious Snacking

At parties, it’s easy to snack through the evening and be completely unaware of how much you’ve eaten. Because of this natural tendency, Ziesmer recommends taking a mindful approach to eating to truly enjoy every bite. “I try to help people really think about what they’re eating: What does the food smell like, how exactly does it taste, how does it feel in your mouth?” she says. “When possible, try to eat without distractions and pay attention to what you’re eating. Try to focus on eating the food instead of doing other things at the same time.”

8. Look for Healthy New Favorites

The best way to make sure that there will be something nutrient dense at the party you’re heading to is to bring a healthy dish! A slow-cooker stew that’s packed with vegetables, beans, and lean protein is a great addition to a buffet, while a dense salad with dark leafy greens and a wide variety of vegetables is an easy dish to bring for a sit-down dinner. Consider making a fruit-focused dessert or a big dish of chopped vegetables and a Greek yogurt-based dip for an appetizer.

9. On a Specific Diet? Let Family Know Ahead of Time

If your athlete is vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or has a specific food intolerance, don’t wait until the table is set to bring it up. “Have a conversation before you get there,” says Ziesmer. “It’s a lot less stressful and a lot less tense when you discuss it with the host beforehand. This approach takes the emotions out of it and lets you figure out a solution. Is there a vegan option for your athlete, or should you bring a dish?”

10. Focus on Movement and Sleep—Not Just Food

It’s easy to get stressed about ‘eating right’ over the holidays and on vacation, but Ziesmer reminds athletes and caregivers that movement and sleep are just as important—and just as prone to getting off-kilter during this chunk of time. Urge your athlete to maintain a reasonable sleep schedule, aiming for seven to nine hours of sleep per night, and to get in some movement every day. This doesn’t have to mean running laps or hitting the gym—it could mean going on a walk or bike ride with a friend, tossing the basketball around in the driveway, or doing some gentle yoga.

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Takeaway

The holidays should be a time to enjoy yourself—not stress out about what you should or shouldn’t eat. It’s okay to enjoy food simply because it tastes good, and you can find balance by also working in nutrient-dense snacks and meals, exercise, and good sleep.

Here, TrueSport Expert Kristen Ziesmer, a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, shares her best tips for optimizing time, dollars, and nutrition.

No Time to Cook? No Problem.

There is nothing wrong with purchasing soup from the soup aisle in the grocery store rather than making it yourself, says Ziesmer. Not everyone has the time to make a soup from scratch. Canned and boxed soups are a simple option—and with a few simple additions, they can be made much more filling and satisfying for a hungry young athlete.

Start by choosing the healthiest option available by scanning nutrition labels before putting a can or box of soup in your cart. Look for:

• Under 500 milligrams of sodium per serving
• At least 2 grams of fiber per serving
• No more than 10% of daily value in saturated fat

Ziesmer notes that soups that are vegetable broth-based are generally going to be better options than cream-based soups, so opt for Manhattan clam chowder rather than New England clam chowder, for instance.

She also likes black bean, lentil, and split pea-based soups for their high fiber content. If you’re opting for a noodle soup, look for options with whole grain noodles to boost fiber and satiety.

Even if you don’t often rely on canned soup, Ziesmer suggests having a few cans on hand: This way, when a game runs into overtime, you know you can get home and prepare dinner in just a few minutes. “Soup is such a great backup meal to have on hand,” she says.

Improve Your Canned Soup

Most people don’t think about adding extras to canned soup, but Ziesmer says that there are a few simple additions that can make a big difference in flavor as well as nutrition. It’s easy to go from a can of soup to a gourmet meal and clean out your refrigerator in the process.

• For a vegetable-based soup, adding canned black beans, chickpeas, white beans, or kidney beans can add fiber and protein.
• To improve nutrient content, toss in some frozen vegetables like spinach—or chop up and add those herbs and vegetables that are wilting in the refrigerator.
• An overripe tomato that’s no longer salad-worthy gives a soup more body and flavor, as does limp basil or coriander.
• Leftover chicken or beef from the night before can be added to boost a soup’s protein content. Ziesmer’s personal favorite is to create a heartier soup by adding chunks from a grocery store rotisserie chicken.
• Cooked brown rice or whole wheat pasta can also be added to turn a light soup into a hearty stew.

Add a Hearty Side

Soup is a great option for a quick meal, but if there aren’t appropriate carbohydrates and protein added, it can leave an athlete feeling hungry. After a practice or competition, Ziesmer notes that a traditional ’soup and salad’ meal is not going to be satisfying enough for an athlete. Don’t be afraid of adding carbohydrates on the side: Athletes need quick-burning carbohydrates to boost recovery and refill glycogen stores.

“One of our standard dinners is tomato soup with grilled cheese,” she says. “It’s a classic for a reason. Soups are often low on calories and carbohydrates.”

She recommends using a whole grain bread for the grilled cheese to add more fiber and nutrients. A cornbread muffin is another favorite of Ziesmer’s, and if you make a batch, you can freeze the unused ones for the next time you’re running late on dinner prep.

Start from Scratch

Making your own soup doesn’t have to be complicated, thanks to a plethora of pre-made broths and bouillon cubes that you can use as your base. Made-from-scratch soups and stews are more cost-effective and tend to be healthier since they won’t contain as many artificial preservatives as canned options. If you have a large pot or a slow cooker, you can also make your own soup in bulk, then freeze leftovers so you’re ready for the next time you need a meal in a hurry.

In a slow cooker, simply combine your stock of choice—chicken, beef, vegetable—and add your preferred frozen vegetables or wilted vegetables from the fridge, a can of drained black, white, kidney or garbanzo beans, shredded or chunked chicken or beef if desired, a can of diced stewed tomatoes, and a teaspoon of your preferred seasoning mix (Italian, chili, et cetera) and let it stew for a few hours. An hour before serving, add rice or pasta if desired. (If adding pasta or rice, either pre-cook or add extra water since uncooked rice or pasta will absorb the broth.)

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Takeaway

Whether it’s from a can or made from scratch, soup can be a great meal for any athlete, especially if you add more carbohydrates, fiber, protein, and vegetables to the mix.