health
body
CREATING A POSITIVE BODY IMAGE:
How to talk to your athlete about their body in a healthy way By Julianne Pondelli, RG, RM, RFS
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oaches have a great responsibility to their athletes when it comes to creating a healthy and positive body image. In an aesthetic sport such as figure skating, the way coaches talk to their athletes will foster either a positive or negative experience for the skater. Our mission is to provide skaters with a positive, fun environment where they can learn and grow.
emphasis on particular weight or body type being the ideal for success. As coaches, we have to reinforce that success is possible in sports for every body type. Looking at Olympic figure skaters, there is definitely a body type that is able to rotate triples and quads easier than others. These athletes are naturally and genetically inclined. However, regardless of genetics, athletes can still strive to be the strongest, healthiest, and most successful they can be in our sport. Just because an athlete may not be built like a future Olympian, does not mean that they cannot accomplish their goals on the ice. We must take great care creating a coaching environment that will support our skater’s individual goals. These skills can be carried over later in life.
for an athletic coach to encourage healthy eating and fitness in efforts to increase athleticism and strength, as long as the information is educated. Coaches should be able to relay the basics of healthy nutrition with the knowledge they have attained from continuing education classes. The PSA typically offers courses through the annual summit and through webinars regarding nutrition for athletes. Teamusa.org is also a fantastic resource on how to fuel on training and rest days. By educating our coaches on evidence based nutrition information, coaches will be able to then relay those healthy messages to their athletes. Nutrition education should center around how food is used as fuel to help athletes rather than restricting calories, counting macros, or following the new fad diet. Old school training used to be about athletes weighing in, fitting into costumes, eating as little as possible, cutting out entire food groups, and not being allowed snacks during practices. These behaviors and requests from coaches can be triggering to athletes who are often striving for approval. The constant quest for perfection may eventually lead to disordered eating patterns, if not a fully diagnosed eating disorder.
Educate yourself: The manner in which coaches talk to
Empower Athletes: Skaters by nature are typically drawn
Celebrate their individual strengths: Certain sports place
their athletes can have an effect on the athlete’s relationship with food. It is absolutely within the scope of practice
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to the sport because they have a personality that loves structure, follows rules, and pleasing people. Understanding
