|
Equipment and shoes
In our league, shin guards are required for a child to be able to play. We recommend soccer shoes (cleats) for the players, although they are not required. A soccer shoe does not have a cleat on the tip or toe of the shoe. Baseball and football cleats cannot be worn. Jewelry, such as watches, earrings, bracelets or rings must not be worn during games or practices.
Player Nutrition Before, During, and After Games
PRE-GAME MEAL EQUALS GAME-TIME ENERGY
by Nancy Clark
Q: My son is a soccer player. His games are at 9:00 A.M. on Saturdays. He likes to sleep as late as possible, so he usually doesn't have time for much of a breakfast. What kinds of foods should a young athlete eat on game day?
A: Fueling the body properly before a game is very important for your son -- and for the whole team. After all, one player who runs out of energy can ruin the game for everyone else.
By eating wisely and well before a game, your son will notice the benefits of being properly fueled: energy, endurance, and the ability to concentrate. If the whole team follows the same plan, they will increase their chances of beating the opponent, hands down!
DINNER THE NIGHT BEFORE THE GAME
The night before the game, every player should eat a carbohydrate- rich dinner. Spaghetti is a popular choice, but any meal based on rice, potatoes, breads, noodles, vegetables, and fruit will do the job. I happen to like pancakes! (See the recipe below.) These carbohydrate-rich foods are stored in the muscles as muscle glycogen and provide the energy your son needs for endurance.
Be careful, though. Sometimes, athletes think they are "carbo-loading" when they actually are "fat-loading". For example, one soccer player raved about his pre-game pepperoni pizza with double cheese; another named lasagna as his favorite pre-game dinner. Both choices offer more fat and protein than carbohydrates. The fat fills the stomach, but leaves the muscles poorly fueled.
Better pre-game meal choices would be pizza with a thick crust and single cheese (and veggie toppings), or spaghetti with tomato sauce and a few meatballs.
Carbohydrate-rich desserts include low fat frozen yogurt (instead of ice cream), Fig Newton's or Animal Crackers (instead of butter-laden cookies) and juice pops. Extra fluids help replenish sweat lost during training. Encourage your son to drink an extra glass or two of orange juice, low-fat milk, and/or water at dinner.
PRE-GAME BREAKFAST
Your son should eat breakfast on the morning of the game. Despite popular belief, the food eaten even five minutes before exercise can actually help, and not hurt, athletic performance. Breakfast helps maintain a normal blood sugar; this enhances energy, feeds the brain, and helps the athlete stay focused.
Your son should not eat too much -- nor too little -- of "tried-and-true" carbohydrate-based foods that settle well. Portions will vary according to time allotted for digestion and an individual's capacity to tolerate pre-exercise food. Generally speaking, about 300 calories is appropriate within the hour before the game, or 400 to 700 calories eaten earlier in the morning (before 8:00 A.M.).
Some popular breakfast choices include:
Cereal with milk and a banana; a bagel and yogurt; two to three slices of toast, with just a little margarine or light cream cheese and low-fat milk or juice; pancakes, waffles, or French toast (Caution: Too big of a portion may feel heavy in the stomach during exercise.) oatmeal with raisins and low-fat milk.
Extra morning fluids, such as water and juice, are important to help your son start off adequately hydrated. Because the body needs about 45 to 90 minutes to process liquids, the extra fluids should be consumed before 7:30 A.M. or 8:00 A.M., in order to be passed by game time. But fluids at any time are better than no fluids at all. For example, sipping juice in the car on the way to the game is better than drinking nothing.
RUNNING LATE?
Soccer players who sleep until the last minute, roll out of bed, jump into the car, and arrive at the game without fuel or water will put their team at a disadvantage. The best- fueled team has the best chances of winning. "No time" is no excuse!!!
If your son is short on time, he might actually prefer a liquid breakfast. A glass of orange juice followed by one or two glasses of low-fat milk can provide wholesome energy as well as fluids -- with little time needed for preparation or consumption. Or the night before the game, you or he can prepare one or two packets of Carnation Instant Breakfast, so it will be ready and waiting for that morning "rush hour."
DURING THE GAME
During the game, your son needs to continue fueling his body. His job is to
prevent dehydration, by drinking 6 to 8 ounces of fluid (water, sports drink) every 15 to 20 minutes. He should take his own 16-ounce water bottle to the game so that he can monitor how much fluid he actually consumes. prevent his blood sugar from dropping by consuming carbohydrates. The simplest way to maintain high energy is to drink a sports drink; it supplies water and carbohydrates. Alternatives are banana chunks and water, orange sections, and energy bars plus water.
If your son has consumed too little breakfast, the during-game carbohydrates will provide a welcome energy boost. If he has eaten an appropriate breakfast, he may have adequate energy to last the hour without any supplements during the game.
AFTER THE GAME
After the game, your son needs to refuel his muscles and start the preparation for the next practice or game. Muscles are most receptive to refueling within the first two hours after the game. So, for rapid recovery, muscles need to be offered carbohydrate-rich foods and fluids as soon as your son is hungry. Proper refueling is particularly important if your son is playing a second soccer game that day.
For your son to refuel properly, you may need to pack groceries with you: yogurt, bagels, bananas, apples, raisins, and juice boxes. Or if you are picking up something to eat at a fast-food place after the game, choose the places that offer wholesome carbohydrates: Bean burritos from Taco Bell are a good choice, as is thick-crust pizza, and submarine sandwiches.
HYDRATION - THE IMPORTANCE
HYDRATION
The following is an excerpt from Carolina Sports Medicine Web Page.......
Proper hydration is an important factor in optimizing athletic performance. As our new soccer season begins, the weather is hot and dry. Keeping hydrated is important especially when the temperatures are in the 90's.
WHY IS HYDRATION IMPORTANT?
Hydration is important in helping maintain fluid balance during physical activity or exercise. Fluid balance is important for maintaining normal body function.
HOW MUCH FLUIDS DO ATHLETES REALLY LOSE?
The amounts of fluids that athletes lose depends upon their fitness level, haw well acclimated they are to the environment, the environment itself, the type of clothing they are required to wear and the intensity of the activity or exercise. During light exercise, in a moderate environment, an athlete can lose 500 to 1000 ml/hr of 1-2 lbs of daily fluid needs. Intense exercise, in a hot environment can lead to a loss of 1500 to 3000 ml/hr or 3 to 7.5 lbs. of daily fluids needs.
WHAT GUIDELINES SHOULD ATHLETES FOLLOW?
Before exercise or activity: 2 hours before drink 16oz. of water, 8 to 10 oz. every 15 min thereafter.
Drink during the activity or exercise. The goal is to replace sweat loss. For each pound lost, 16oz. of fluid should be replaced to maintain fluid balance. Drinking to quench your thirst will only replace 1/2 to 2/3 of the fluid loss.
Consumption of 6 to 8 oz. of water or a 5-8% CHO solution every 10 to 15 min. during exercise will improve performance. Use water alone for events under 60 min. duration.
REMEMBER...when you are thirsty, it's too late. Keep water in you in these hot days.