As I have mentioned before, I feel very strongly that it is our responsibility as teachers, parents, and coaches to teach kids how to make healthy choices. By providing unhealthy snacks after athletic events, we are doing the opposite! And we are giving our children contradictory messages. We tell our children to run around, be healthy and active, eat your fruit and vegetables, and when you are done with your soccer game, baseball game, basketball game, race etc. it is okay to eat junk food...?
In this case I am not even speaking as a childhood obesity expert, though experts feel this is one of many contributing factors to the childhood obesity epidemic. I am speaking as a parent, athlete, coach, and teacher. Why do we want our athletic kids to fuel their bodies with junk? Not only does it affect their performance on the field, it affects their attitude, behavior and energy before, during and after the game...long after the game.
This is the third year in a row that all of the soccer teams that my 3 daughters play on have collectively agreed to have no treats after soccer games. Parents bring fruit at half time, and that is it. It has been great. No one, including the kids, complain. Parents are relieved and the kids are over it. Most kids are on their way to a playdate, birthday party or scouting event anyway...
We have gotten so used to the no post-game snacks that I was surprised when I saw the snacks of a teams that was playing right before us. Each child got a bag of chips, a rice krispy treat and a sugary orange drink. When I do comment on the abundance of unhealthy post-game snacks, a frequent parental response is "they are kids so they can eat whatever they want". Now that may or may not be true - it depends on your child , but skinny or overweight, it is not healthy for any child to be eating junk food before, during or after an athletic event.
The irony! Last week I gave a presentation at a couple of different school assemblies on the topic of "Making Healthy Choices". I taught the kids about Red, Yellow and Green light foods and sugary drinks. A couple of the children at the assembly were also on my soccer team so I asked them what color foods the other team was eating after their soccer game. Their response was "A lot of Red Lights!"
As a parent, athlete, teacher and health educator, I feel tremendous responsibility to teach kids, all kids, how to make healthy choices. We know that eating healthy food and exercising regularly improves academic success, social and emotional health, sleep habits, and of course, athletic performance. Don't we want our kids to feel and perform their best, all the time?
In this case I am not even speaking as a childhood obesity expert, though experts feel this is one of many contributing factors to the childhood obesity epidemic. I am speaking as a parent, athlete, coach, and teacher. Why do we want our athletic kids to fuel their bodies with junk? Not only does it affect their performance on the field, it affects their attitude, behavior and energy before, during and after the game...long after the game.
This is the third year in a row that all of the soccer teams that my 3 daughters play on have collectively agreed to have no treats after soccer games. Parents bring fruit at half time, and that is it. It has been great. No one, including the kids, complain. Parents are relieved and the kids are over it. Most kids are on their way to a playdate, birthday party or scouting event anyway...
We have gotten so used to the no post-game snacks that I was surprised when I saw the snacks of a teams that was playing right before us. Each child got a bag of chips, a rice krispy treat and a sugary orange drink. When I do comment on the abundance of unhealthy post-game snacks, a frequent parental response is "they are kids so they can eat whatever they want". Now that may or may not be true - it depends on your child , but skinny or overweight, it is not healthy for any child to be eating junk food before, during or after an athletic event.
The irony! Last week I gave a presentation at a couple of different school assemblies on the topic of "Making Healthy Choices". I taught the kids about Red, Yellow and Green light foods and sugary drinks. A couple of the children at the assembly were also on my soccer team so I asked them what color foods the other team was eating after their soccer game. Their response was "A lot of Red Lights!"
As a parent, athlete, teacher and health educator, I feel tremendous responsibility to teach kids, all kids, how to make healthy choices. We know that eating healthy food and exercising regularly improves academic success, social and emotional health, sleep habits, and of course, athletic performance. Don't we want our kids to feel and perform their best, all the time?
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