Softball Coaching Tips � Quick Nutrition Tips for Your Players

I’m sure that majority of softball coaches appreciate the importance of good nutrition to their players. However, as a softball coach, your players may not have the same level of appreciation you have for nutrition, much less the same level of understanding.

That’s perfectly normal, of course, especially if you’re training younger players. They still don’t appreciate the fact that what they eat will ultimately have an effect on how they perform not only on the field but on their daily activities such as going to school, doing their homework, etc.

So here are some quick nutrition tips you could teach your players. I made them easy enough to remember so that your players would be able to integrate it with their daily routine and make it into a habit.

Here you go:

Never Skip Breakfast

It may sound trite but the truth is that really, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Many players miss breakfast because they’re running late for class or for practice.

But without having breakfast, your players will have a huge deficit when it comes to their required calories to function. And as athletes, they need more than the usual amount of calories in their body. With calorie deficit come feeling of sluggishness, slow reaction times, etc.

So remind your players on the importance of having breakfast daily.

Stay Well-Hydrated

Most players never drink enough fluids. Usually, they wait until they feel thirsty before loading up on water or sports drinks. But by the time they feel thirsty, they are already dehydrated and the effects of dehydration may already manifest itself on their performance.

That’s why you should tell your players to stay well-hydrated before going to a game. Also have sports drinks or water ready in the dug out to keep your players supplied with fluids. I know it’s obvious, but hydration becomes even more important when you’re playing during very hot conditions.

Stock Up on Carbohydrates During Games

Carbohydrates are the main fuel that your body uses to perform different activities. That’s why it’s important that your players are well-stocked on carbohydrates before the game.

But how about protein and fat? Protein is good for repairing damage on your body. Meanwhile, fat can also be an energy source, albeit an inefficient one. That’s because fat burns more slowly than carbohydrates.

Aside from that, fat is also difficult to digest. So eating fatty foods during a game would be a bad idea because it will make your players feel sluggish.

Load Up After Games

Your body needs to recover after every game or practice. So you need to refuel with carbohydrates. As a guide, eat 0.3-0.5 gram of carbohydrates for every pound of your body weight. That should keep you with enough fuel to do your activities for the next day and the next game.

So let me summarize everything we discussed here. When it comes to sports nutrition, the easiest for your players to remember include never skipping breakfast, keeping well-hydrated, having enough stocks of carbs during games and eating enough to help you recover after games and practice.