One of the challenges in our sport is we often play multiple games and if you are playing travel ball, you may find yourself at the ballpark for many hours. One of the most important things we can do for our athletes is to make sure they have a plan to stay hydrated and snack properly to nourish and maintain their energy levels. Ballparks are notorious for hotdogs and hamburgers, candy and soda pop and it sure taste good going down but will cause your performance to suffer. One of the common problems with young athletes is they love to eat fast foods and items with sugar that eventually causes them to hit the wall! As parents or coaches, we can help performance by making sure we supply nourishing snacks that are available between competitions and during long days at the ballpark. I am no means an expert on this subject, but have learned the importance of providing our athletes with choices that will allow them to perform throughout a long day and maintain their alertness and energy level. Often in our sport, the time between games is less than 2 hours and in this case a full meal cannot be consumed. Instead, a small high-carbohydrate snack will need to be consumed along with adequate fluid intake from sports drinks and water. The main focus is to keep the athlete hydrated and not feeling hungry, yet still leave the gastrointestinal tract empty when competition begins. Athletes should be drinking 48+ oz. of water each day and most players over the age of 13 should be taking in 60-120 oz.
Always begin with a good breakfast! Some options would be Egg Whites w/vegetables, whole wheat toast, yogurt, fruit, cottage cheese, protein shakes, and all natural peanut butter. Be sure to get your carbohydrates from whole wheat/grain sources. Avoid white bread, heavy amounts of cheese (like an omelet or breakfast sandwich, fatty meats such as sausage/ham. Be sure to have water with breakfast and not fruit juice which is overloaded in sugar.
During your pre-game, keep hydrating with both water and sports drinks. It is sometimes good to water down your sports drinks unless it is really hot and you are sweating allot. Have a snack that you can get to easily as you will not have much of an opportunity to eat until between games and you want to make sure your blood-sugar levels don’t get too low which is when you start to lose energy, alertness, and overall enthusiasm. A suggestion would be either a low-sugar protein bar or a hand full of mixed nuts along with water.
Healthy Snacks for Between Games:
Fruit: Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Berries, Oranges, Grapes, Raisins, Apples, Banana w/All natural Peanut Butter
Drinks: Water, Unsweetened Apple Juice
Snacks: Peanut Butter Crackers, Pretzels, Rice Cakes (popcorn only), Low fat Granola Bars, Bagels, Bran Chex Mix, Graham crackers, Animal crackers
2 Hour Break Foods:
Subs: Rolls (wheat, rye, pumpernickel, NO white bread)
Meats: All lean meats (turkey, ham, roast beef, grilled chicken)
Condiments: Light on dressings, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado etc. Veggies are good!
Until Next Month,
