The Softer Side of Sports
Taking the Grunt Out of the Game
Adam Lawless
Issue date: 3/1/07 Section: Sports
Men's sports may seem like nothing but grunts and grass stains to an outsider, but deep down there lies a softer side.
From college players to professional athletes, teams across America are using alternative training methods to help strengthen their bodies, minds, and sometimes spirits.
The Utica College baseball team is just one example. On top of eating right, the players lift weights three times a week and attend personal conditioning sessions to improve their stigma and agility.
The team's head coach Evan Buckalew also begins each season by asking his players to keep a nutritional journal for one week. During that week, the players write down what they eat, what time they eat and how much they eat. Buckalew then sits down with each player individually and discusses his personal nutrition habits based on the journal.
He said the players become more conscious of their daily eating habits once they have completed the journal. The players can then begin to balance their diets with the help of their coach.
"A balanced diet helps the players perform at a higher level and with more confidence," Buckalew said. "It translates well into the game."
Coach Buckalew is well qualified to instruct his players on their nutritional habits. He earned a bachelor's degree in exercise science and is certified in sports nutrition and personal training.
Buckalew said that his players should divide their diets into proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The three sections should be rationed off with an emphasis on protein.
Buckalew suggests that a players diet should consist of 40 percent proteins, 30 percent fats and 30 percent carbohydrates. He also recommends that each player drink a lot of water because it hydrates the body and flushes out the kidneys, which keeps the body running at its best.
Tim Nelson, a former UC lacrosse coach, found a way to balance not only his players' bodies, but minds and spirits as well.
From college players to professional athletes, teams across America are using alternative training methods to help strengthen their bodies, minds, and sometimes spirits.
The Utica College baseball team is just one example. On top of eating right, the players lift weights three times a week and attend personal conditioning sessions to improve their stigma and agility.
The team's head coach Evan Buckalew also begins each season by asking his players to keep a nutritional journal for one week. During that week, the players write down what they eat, what time they eat and how much they eat. Buckalew then sits down with each player individually and discusses his personal nutrition habits based on the journal.
He said the players become more conscious of their daily eating habits once they have completed the journal. The players can then begin to balance their diets with the help of their coach.
"A balanced diet helps the players perform at a higher level and with more confidence," Buckalew said. "It translates well into the game."
Coach Buckalew is well qualified to instruct his players on their nutritional habits. He earned a bachelor's degree in exercise science and is certified in sports nutrition and personal training.
Buckalew said that his players should divide their diets into proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The three sections should be rationed off with an emphasis on protein.
Buckalew suggests that a players diet should consist of 40 percent proteins, 30 percent fats and 30 percent carbohydrates. He also recommends that each player drink a lot of water because it hydrates the body and flushes out the kidneys, which keeps the body running at its best.
Tim Nelson, a former UC lacrosse coach, found a way to balance not only his players' bodies, but minds and spirits as well.
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