Parental Involvement

I had a couple of moms ask me at the meet today what they can do to help get their kids ready for the upcoming League Championships.  I was more than happy to answer H-N-R. (Hydration-Nutrition-Relaxation)

So, moms and dads of our outstanding athletes.  If you want to help make your kid successful this weekend, get them to bed early!  The number one thing an athlete needs when "peaking" is lots of rest/sleep/relaxation.  I heard coach Jay Johnson speak, and he told a room full of coaches that if all things are equal, he would rather have a kid who eats at McDonalds all the time and gets good sleep before one who eats at Whole Foods every day but never gets a good night's sleep.  Crazy, but it's true.  I see it in my own family life. When Chloe sleeps well, she is in great spirits.  When she does not, we are in for a tough day.  These kids are like babies, make sure they get their sleep!

The nest thing is nutrition.  I have blogged extensively about this, so I won't say much more other than to direct you to this old blog post.  Please click on the Nancy Clark link as well, she is the guru of sports nutrition.  I don't want kids carbo-loading the night before a race, I want them eating well every night!

The final piece is hydration.  I saw three runners collapse today in the 800, two more in the 200.  Why?  They were de-hydrated, I bet.  The first really hot meet of the year always seems to sneak up on kids.  Staying hydrated is not a day-of-race thing.  You need to be hydrated all the time.  Plenty of water, fruit juices, water, chocolate milk, and more water.  Like Coach Monfre says every time you pass a water fountain, take a drink from it.  We will be providing coolers of Gatorade this week at practice, but please be sure to always have nice clear pee!

So, moms and dads.  I want your kids to race well, and I know you do too.  I will work them over at practice like a speedbag, you gotta make sure they have the proper H-N-R at home to be able to grow from the training stress and become stronger and faster athletes!

Thanks!!

SEP