Sports Nutrition

Activity

3

Sports nutrition

As you saw during the previous activity, professional athletes must be in excellent physical shape. In addition to their rigorous training, they must follow a diet that not only benefits their performance during training and on the field but also their general health and well-being. Food choices are important as they affect energy levels and body composition; they also influence disease risk. As a sports nutritionist, your role is to determine when and what your clients should eat and drink, depending on their goals.

Exercise 1

Test your knowledge of nutrition by trying out the “Test Your Nutrition IQ” quiz. To find this activity, visit the POP Links website at http://liensppo.qc.ca and click on “Professional Sports” and then on “Test Your Nutrition IQ” (in the “Websites for Activities” section).

Exercise 2

You are now ready to assume the role of a sports nutritionist. The latest player recruited to the team has started his exercise program and needs a diet that will give him the energy and endurance required to succeed. The recruited hockey player is 19years old and weighs 70 kg. He needs food that will fuel his body during his workouts, as sport-specific training and competition can be very rigorous.

Step 1

Visit the POP Links website (http://liensppo.qc.ca) and click on “Professional Sports.” Scroll down to the “Files and Other Resources” section and click on “Healthy Eating Habits for Athletes.” Read this document created by Nanci S. Guest, a registered sports dietitian. When you are finished, answer the questions on the following page.

1)  Assuming that your client needs to consume 3000 calories a day, how many calories, on average, should come from carbohydrates?

2)  How many grams of protein, on average, does your client need to consume per day?

3)  Why is it important to eat small amounts of protein throughout the day?

Compare your answers to those found in the Answer Key.

Step 2

Using the information provided in the Healthy Eating Habits for Athletes handout as well as in the websites listed below, create a one-day menu plan that corresponds to the player’s needs by suggesting food and drinks for breakfast, lunch and supper as well as three snacks throughout the day (mid-morning, mid-afternoon and after supper).

Ø  Canada’s Food Guide

http://liensppo.qc.ca

Click on “Professional Sports” and then on “Canada’s Food Guide” (in the “Websites for Activities” section).

Ø  TeensHealth

http://kidshealth.org/teen/

Click on “Food & Fitness.”

Ø  USDA Food and Nutrition Information Center

http://fnic.nal.usda.gov

When you are finished, show your sample menu to a fitness trainer, your doctor, your gym teacher, the school nurse or the school board nutritionist. Ask him or her to provide you with feedback on your menu, if possible.

Activity

4

Sporting event management

Since you are interested in the sports industry, you probably enjoy watching your favourite teams play, but did you know that there is another team behind the scenes organizing these games? Sporting event management involves many people and a great deal of preparation.

Exercise

Help plan a sporting event at your school. It can be a friendly tournament at lunchtime, a new sporting event as an afterschool activity or an actual game between a sports team at your school and another school’s team. If possible, work with the people who usually organize such events in your school and ask them if you can help. Speak to your teacher or a school coach to find out from whom to get permission to plan an event.

Step 1

Before you create a timeline for the sporting event you are helping to organize, you need to consider what is going to happen during this event. Here are some examples of the things you might want to think about:

1)  What needs to happen before the event?

Is there anything that needs to be set up? Will there be games, music, a contest, etc. before the sporting event begins? When are the players warming up? Are any or all of the players going to be introduced? Do you need to assemble a team of volunteers?

2)  What needs to happen during the event?

Do you need an announcer, music, cheerleaders, items to distribute to the fans, etc.? Will you have a canteen or a stand selling team shirts or hats? Do you need a referee or security guards? Do you need a first aid kit in case a player is injured?

3)  What needs to happen at half time or between periods, innings, quarters, etc. (if applicable)?

Are you planning any entertainment (music, cheerleaders, games, raffle, etc.)? Do you have refreshments for the players?

4)  What needs to happen after the event?

Will there be an awards ceremony? If so, will trophies or ribbons be handed out? Who will clean up or take down material?

Step 2

Fill out the timeline on the following page, providing as much detail as possible. Be sure to include the time at which each item begins in the first column and the tasks to be accomplished in the second column. You will also need to indicate what material is needed and the contact people you will need to get in touch with.

Compare your timeline with the example found in the Answer Key. Did you forget anything?

Half-time show at a Montreal Alouettes game

Game-Day Timeline
Event, time, location

Time / Task(s) / Material needed / Contact(s)

Step 3

After the event is over, answer the questions on the following page.

1)  Was the event successful in your opinion? What went well? What needed more planning? Was anything forgotten? Did everything run on time?

2)  Did you enjoy planning this event with other people? Given the chance, would you repeat this type of experience? Explain.

Congratulations for planning this sporting event! Remember that, regardless of what happened, this was a learning experience that will serve you if you decide on a career in sporting event management!

Activity

5

Public relations

Public relations specialists who work for professional sports organizations perform a variety of tasks, including writing press releases, organizing press conferences, maintaining the team’s historical files and responding to information requests from the public or media. The PR department is responsible for managing public and media perception of a professional sports team, both on and off the field. It can be difficult to enhance the team’s reputation when players get caught in negative situations or when the team is not performing very well. The main goal of a PR specialist is to maintain a positive image of the sports team at all times and to show the team at its best. For this activity, your challenge will be to put a positive spin on a bad situation involving the team you represent, just like an actual public relations specialist would do.

Here are some of the skills you will need to succeed in the public relations field:

Ø  Verbal and written communication skills

Ø  Multitasking skills

Ø  Organizational and planning skills

Ø  Time management skills

Ø  Ability to cope under pressure

Ø  Media and advertising knowledge

Before you begin, familiarize yourself with the field of sports public relations by visiting the POP Links website at http://liensppo.qc.ca and clicking on “Professional Sports” and then on “Public Relations in Sports” (in the “Websites for Activities” section).

You can also look for examples of press releases on various teams’ official websites.

Exercise

You are responsible for the public relations of the sports teams at your school. You have just been informed that the all-star player of the basketball team has let his grades slide, despite the fact that the school has a clear policy that all student athletes must maintain a certain average. Several parents have called to ensure that the policy is enforced to set an example for all players. They are demanding that the student be benched from the team. As the playoffs are coming up, the team would like you to propose an alternate solution.

How will you manage the public’s perception of this situation so it becomes positive for the basketball team? What could you suggest that the player do instead of being benched until his grades improve? (As you know, losing a key player right before the playoffs will negatively impact the team’s likelihood of success, which is something the team wants to avoid.)

You decide to present your decision at the next parents’ committee meeting and invite the parents and basketball team members to attend, as well as members of the school administration and a school reporter.

Step 1

Write a statement for the meeting in which you describe the situation, the final verdict and the actions that will be taken to implement your decision.

When you are finished, compare your response to the situation to the suggestions found in the Answer Key. Rework your statement, if necessary.

Step 2

Ask two or three classmates to play the roles of the parents and school reporter. Present your statement to them and encourage them to ask questions.

Step 3

Once the meeting is over, assess how it went by answering the following questions:

1)  Did anyone ask you any questions you were not prepared for? If so, how could you have handled the situation better?

2)  What did you learn from this experience?

As you have just experienced, public relations is a challenging field where you have to think fast, be resourceful and keep cool under pressure!

Press box

Activity

6

Community relations

As demonstrated in the previous activities, professional sports are an exciting and high-energy field that offers many career opportunities. Many people are not aware that a professional sports career also often involves working in the community, either through volunteering or donating to various foundations or organizations. Most members of sports organizations are actively involved in their communities; however, it is especially important for the players to give back to the communities that support them.

Exercise

Step 1

Visit the websites of your favourite teams to see what they are doing in their communities. For example, you could visit any of these websites[1]:

Ø  Montreal Alouettes

www.montrealalouettes.com

Ø  Montreal Canadiens

www.canadiens.com

Ø  Montreal Impact

www.montrealimpact.com

Click on “Community” or “Community & Events” to see how these sports teams are giving back to the communities that support them.

Step 2

Look around your community and see how you can volunteer your time. Visit the following websites for volunteer work ideas that could be of interest to you:

Ø  TeensHealth: Volunteering

http://liensppo.qc.ca

Scroll down to the “Professional Sports” section and click on “TeensHealth: Volunteering” (in the “Websites for Activities” section).

Ø  Volunteer Canada

http://volunteer.ca

In addition, many communities have volunteer bureaus that work to match potential volunteers with community organizations looking for volunteer help. You may want to investigate whether such a volunteer bureau exists in your community. For example, if you live in the Greater Montreal Area, you could visit the website of the Volunteer Bureau of Montreal at http://cabm.net.

Step 3

Contact an organization you are interested in volunteering for and arrange to do some volunteer work for them.

Step 4

Once you have done some volunteer work, reflect on your experience by answering the questions on the following page.

1)  What type of volunteer work did you do? What exactly were your responsibilities as a volunteer?

2)  Explain how you chose this experience and why. Would you repeat this experience? Why or why not?

3)  Do you feel like the volunteer work you did was helpful? Explain.

4)  Did you meet any interesting people? What did you learn? Explain.

5)  Why do you think it is important for professional athletes to give back to their communities?

Conclusion

The field of professional sports offers many career opportunities to sports enthusiasts who are not destined to become professional athletes. In fact, there are many other possibilities not covered in this guide, including physical education teacher, sports marketer, sports psychologist, sports physiotherapist, sports lawyer, agent, coach, referee, announcer, sports official, recreation attendant, sports instructor, sports equipment manager, sports product specialist and sports program coordinator. All of these trades and professions require very different training paths. Different sports may also offer different career opportunities.

Explore the world of sports—you will surely find a career path that fits your skills and passion!

Appendix A

Player contract[2]

Appendix B

Average performance results

Average Core Strength Results
Exercise / Men / Women
Push-ups / 19-34 / 11-20
Speed squats / 35-38 / 29-32
Crunches / 35-38 / 29-32
Vertical jump (cm) / 41-50 / 31-40
Aerobic step test (beats/min) / 100-105 / 109-117
Flexibility (cm) / 0-5 / 1-10

The results provided above are meant as examples only and are based on average 17- to 19-year-olds doing the tests exactly as specified. They may not be accurate if the tests are modified. Do not let this worry you, just encourage the athletes doing these tests to go at their own pace and try and improve their own scores.

1

Inventory

·  Medical measuring tape

·  Scale

·  Stopwatch

·  Floor mat

[1]. Note that these websites are intended as examples only; for the purpose of this activity, you may visit any sports team’s website.

[2]. This sample player contract is used with permission from the Canadian Football League (www.cfl.ca). It is excluded from the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada licence.