CREATING A POSITIVE BODY IMAGE: How to talk to your athlete about their body in a healthy way

By Julianne Pondelli, RG, RM, RFS

Coaches 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.

Celebrate their individual strengths: Certain sports place 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.

Educate yourself: The manner in which coaches talk to their athletes can have an effect on the athlete’s relationship with food. It is absolutely within the scope of practice 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.

Empower Athletes: Skaters by nature are typically drawn to the sport because they have a personality that loves structure, follows rules, and pleasing people. Understanding triggers are essential as a coach. Choosing words wisely to impressionable skaters, will ensure they mature and develop into healthy adults without a food complex. Damaging words or suggestions can last long after they land a double Axel for the first time. Instead of suggesting losing weight, suggest to the skater all they can gain from a healthy nutrition plan.

Gaining strength, muscle and athleticism will help progress their skating skills so much more than “losing weight” will.

They will feel hydrated, have more energy and be able to train much more efficiently when properly fueled. Changing this perspective will promote a more positive training environment.

Promote anti-perfectionism: Skating is a sport of consistency, which requires repetition and enhancement of mastered skills. Perfectionism can be viewed as a hard work ethic to coaches. However, skaters who demand perfection of themselves are often that way outside of the rink as well. This can mean that they may have the same feelings around food by trying to maintain control over what and how much they put in their bodies and the number on the scale. When dealing with athletes who are very hard on themselves, coaches should not encourage perfection. Mistakes are how a healthy skater can learn and grow. We can help them by celebrating their successes and supporting them on their progression without demanding perfection or consistent podium placements.

Loss of control is a huge factor in disordered eating patterns. The athlete may feel that they cannot control much in their life, but what they eat or weigh is something simple that they do have power over. Unfortunately, oftentimes this control is exerted in the form of restriction which can snowball and inevitably lead to a greater loss of control such as injury or illness.

Establish Personal Goals: Skating is also a sport where skaters are subjectively judged. Growing up as a competitive skater has many advantages. Being able to put themselves out there to skate in front of a panel of judges and technical specialists is a very courageous thing to do. Training to perform and compete at a high level can build a skater with the confidence that they will need later in life by teaching the athlete to put their best foot forward and going out there and giving their all.

The transition to IJS has changed the sport in a positive way. Instead of directly ranking skaters against their peers, skaters can now strive to skate their best and achieve their personal best score. Constant comparison can feel like the skater is never good enough prompting them for a greater sense of regaining control.

Using the IJS system is a way to show the skater, where their strengths lie and celebrating those, as well as where improvements can be made.

Referring to Medical Professionals: By understanding the characteristics of an athlete that may be at higher risk of developing an eating disorder, coaches can intervene by suggesting their athletes meet with a dietitian. Understanding that disordered eating is often not solely about the food, can help coaches in their dialogue with skaters. For example, skaters may be struggling mentally or emotionally which presents as an eating disorder.

It is important to stress that food is fuel and should not be labeled as good or bad. By stressing the importance of eating enough and allowing skaters snack breaks to replenish during their training, the importance of food as fuel will be a positive message to athletes.

Referring athletes to registered dietitians before negative eating habits start is another way that coaches can encourage building positive relationships with food.

Also, recognizing if the skater is struggling with disordered eating patterns and subsequently referring them to a medical professional who specializes in eating disorders will help keep athletes healthy and safe. Some physical signs to look for are dramatic weight loss, calorie or food group restriction, or purging behaviors. A change in mood or attitude can also be a red flag.

Be an Example of a Living a Healthy Lifestyle: Lead athletes by example. By practicing what you preach, an example of a healthy lifestyle will be set for the skaters. Leading by example, includes getting enough sleep, packing nutrient dense meals and snacks for long coaching days, hydrating with water, and occasionally splurging without guilt. Coaches actions will show the skaters how it is possible to be successful while having a healthy relationship with food.

Coaches have the unique opportunity to be a positive role model for their skaters. A successful positive training environment is where coaches are able to celebrate athletes’ individual strengths and goals, educate, and promote healthy life skills that will stay with that athlete long after they accomplish their skating goals.

Julianne Pondelli MS, RD, LDN is a Professional Figure Skating Coach and Registered Dietitian in the Boston area. She holds a PSA Registered Rating in Group, MITF and FS and is an AFAA Certified Athletic Trainer. She is the Head Coach of Northeastern University’s Collegiate Figure Skating Club and coaches at many clubs in the Boston Area. Instagram: @skaternutrition