The proper way to keep your athletes healthy, confident and focused.
By Jessica Pribush
No matter your size or shape, it’s common for people to find things they don’t like about their physique. In fact, it’s often easier to list the negatives than it is to name one thing they love about themselves. Your teenage years are some of the toughest, thanks to a little thing called puberty, an awkward stage often complete with growing pains. If your athletes are having body woes, you’ll not only need to be well versed in the correct ways to handle their questions and concerns, but you should also be there building their confidence and helping them achieve their healthiest shape.
While it can be tough discussing a young athlete’s negative body image, it can sometimes be even harder to determine the severity of her problem and the best way to promote healthy eating and exercise habits. Below is a breakdown of common concerns, the smartest ways to approach a potential issue and tips for keeping your athletes fit and focused.
Approaching the Issue
The level of sensitivity is heightened during adolescence and discussing, an athlete’s weight can be uncomfortable. Jenni Hawkins, a Junior 5 coach from Twist and Shout in Tulsa, OK, believes it’s important to remember the age of the athlete you’re dealing with when preparing to tackle an issue concerning her weight. “Self-esteem in teens is a very touchy subject, and we as coaches have to remember that they’re still young,” says Hawkins. “We can shape and mold them or tear and break them with our words.”
Overweight youths are best encouraged to lead a healthy lifestyle by constant support and monitoring. Athletes who want to lose weight should be consistent and committed. As a coach it’s important to remind them that they didn’t put the weight on overnight, so it’s impossible to take it off overnight. Healthy weight loss is a long and tough process, not a quick fix.
Dr. Mastrich, a licensed psychologist and certified sports psychologist out of Kingston, NJ, believes coaches should be knowledgeable about nutrition before approaching an athlete they believe has a weight issue. “It’s really important for coaches not to talk outside of their level of expertise,” he warns. “An expert in the field of nutrition should be the only one addressing the health of a growing teen and judging the severity of the problem at hand.”
Mastrich says coaches must refer athletes to nutritionist or psychologists. “I always instruct the child’s parents to consult with their family doctor or nutritionist, who’ll address the issue, diagnose it and tell them where to go from there.”
Talking to the Athlete and Parents
Before jumping to conclusions and getting parents involved, you should speak directly to the athlete about her health. Your initial approach should be in a non-accusatory and come across as a genuine inquiry rather than a serious concern. If you’ve noticed an athlete suddenly has shed or gained some weight, it’s best to see what else has recently changed in her life. Are there problems at home? Are her parents arguing? Has she recently switched positions from top girl to base?
“Asking your athletes questions such as ‘Do you want to lose weight to improve your physical performance, or just to change how you look in a uniform?’ can help you avoid awkward situations and a possible false diagnosis,” explains Mastrich. “Finding the source of rapid weight loss or gain is key in keeping your athletes healthy.”
He also says that, when dealing with kids under the age of 18, it’s often helpful, and at times necessary (if the athlete’s a danger to herself) to address the parent as well as the athlete, but steer clear of group discussions. “It’s very important to address a weight issue, but keep things private and direct.”
Hawkins agrees: “I’d first talk to the child’s parent in private about my concerns, and if we still see dramatic weight loss after a period of time, I’ll [privately] ask her how she’s going about losing the weight, to make sure she’s making wise decisions,” she says.
Paige Major, owner of All-Star Fusion in Vancouver, WA, also thinks that the athlete’s parents should be alerted about a weight concern before the athlete herself is confronted. “I’d definitely let the parents of the athlete know that she’s losing a noticeable amount of weight, so they can keep an eye on her at home,” she says. “We want to keep her from falling into a negative cycle.”
Once a definite problem is idebntified, you should try to gauge its severity as well as you can before contacting as specialist, so they can form a strategy to help an athlete’s deal with their weight. If there’s a severe case of anorexia or bulimia present, the initial discussion may be met with a great deal of denial. If the athlete seems as concerned with her problem as you are, chances are her case will be easier to get under control.
You Raise Me Up
Due to the extreme athleticism of all-star cheerleading, most athletes are already in tip-top shape, yet have poor body image. Masteridge explains that negative body image is often hard for coaches to understand, since an athlete can appear to be youthful and healthy, but see herself as fat. Each athlete views her body differently. A base may hate her muscular thighs, which are necessary for those awesome tosses, while a top girl might feel threatened of her counterpart’s six-pack abs, and think her own mid-section is too soft. Always keep in mind that what you see in front of you isn’t necessarily what your athletes are seeing when they look in the mirror.
If an athlete is grounded and confident, her self-worth and positive body image will increase on its own. You should always encourage your athletes to eat healthy, stay active and never compare them to their thinner teammates or place them in skintight uniforms that highlight their every flaw.
“Our uniforms are full-length tops that flatter all body types,” says Major. “It’s so sad to see a girl perform while wearing something you know she’s so incredibly uncomfortable in. Cheerleading should build self-esteem, not tear it down.”
Praising athletes for their positive accomplishments is another way to help them obtain a healthier view of themselves. At Twist and Shout, appearance is the least important part of the children’s growth as an athlete. They don’t discuss what a kid looks like and instead only focus on the positive attributes their athletes bring to the table.
“We believe all kids have something special about them,” says Hawkins. “We like to show the world that anyone of any shape or size can be an equally amazing cheerleader.”
Dr. Mastrich concurs: “What an athlete does in competition should stand on its own,” he says. “If she can see past the self-focus and obsessive thoughts about her body, she’ll be able to see the amazing skills she completed that assisted in the first-place win.”
By simply encouraging your athletes to focus all their determination on working hard, having fun, doing their best and loving who they are, you’ll boost their self-confidence, which will help negate potential weight issues.
Monkey See, Monkey Do
As a coach, you and your staff set an example for all the kids who enter your gym, whether they’re a part of your squad or not. Why not be the best possible role model by stressing the importance of healthy eating from the inside out?
By switching out the unhealthy snacks lined up in row B of that vending machine in the lobby, you can save your staff, parents, and most importantly, athletes, from eating junk food. Removing temptation and providing healthy options is a great way to enforce the “healthy haven” attitude your program should adopt if it hasn’t. Twist and Shout is very serious about leading by healthy example, and allows only water in the main part of the gym. Also, while at camp or other events, they usually order healthy sandwich trays instead of holding the traditional pizza party.
“During competition season, we’re always reminding our athletes to get lots of sleep, take their vitamins, use hand sanitizer and make healthy choices when it comes to food and drink,” says Hawkins. “Healthy-minded decisions will help increase [the athletes’] energy before practices and competitions alike.”
Sometimes providing healthy options just isn’t enough. You must constantly reinforce the importance of good health and a positive body image, while making sure to focus on how your athletes [ital: feel] following certain unhealthy habits, rather than how they [ital: look] after.
“If [our kids] eat something unhealthy, we let them know in a joking tone that their insides aren’t going to be happy with them,” says Major. “And that what they’re eating isn’t proper fuel for the intense workout they’ll be taking part in.”
While these topics can be tough to deal with, there are ways to help athletes who are struggling with weight issues. Just remember to proceed consciouly about the issue and consult someone in the medical field if you’re unsure how to advise your athlete.
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