Nutrition: The Game Changer
Over the past decade, there has been a gigantic push for proper nutrition. Locally sourced, organic food is all the rage now, but it hasn't always been that way. Growing up, my mother was a fantastic cook who prepared home made meals nightly for us, packed lunches with sandwiches, fruit, and snacks, while making sure we ate breakfast every morning. However, little thought was put towards athletic performance and nutrition. It was acceptable to eat almost anything before a game to fuel up. I remember eating fast food, pizza, junk food, and candy before games when left to my own devices as a child because I didn't understand the effect proper nutrition had on my performance.
It wasn't until I was on the coaching staff at UCSB, that I really began to understand the importance of proper nutrition, not only before games, but in life in general. At UCSB, our strength and conditioning coach was Dr. Jermey Bettle, who ended up leaving UCSB to be the primary strength and conditioning coach for the Brooklyn Nets. He had a customized diet for each athlete, monitored what we ate on the road, had a direct say in pregame meals, made recovery shakes after practice, workouts, and games, and made sure we adhered to a strict schedule to ensure we ate at optimal times to provide peak athletic performance. For young athletes, it is vital that they receive the proper mix of vitamins, minerals, protein, and carbohydrates. This link to kidshealth.org details the puts in all in perspective in a short but informative read. In addition I know it's long but check out this TEDx talk by Ironman athlete, Brendan Brazier, gives the importance and reasoning behind proper nutrition.
At Next Level Sports Camp, we take nutrition and hydration and nutrition very seriously. Camper safety is our number one priority which is why we have scheduled water and nutrition breaks, a full time, certified athletic trainer, and each of our coaches is CPR and First Aid certified. Sign up to today to give your child an athletic experience unlike any other while experiencing peace of mind that they will be safe and well taken care of while they are at camp.
