Great sports nutrition reminder from ’s Kitchen.
The nutrition advice parents hear most often isn’t the advice their athletes need.
It’s frequently the exact opposite.
General wellness messaging says cut carbs, limit snacks, eat less. A 15-year-old training 12+ hours a week needs the reverse: consistent carbohydrate, more frequent eating, and enough total energy to fuel growth and performance at the same time.
Underfueling rarely announces itself. It shows up as slower recovery, nagging injuries, mood swings, and stalled progress and it’s easy to misread as “not working hard enough.”
If you’re a parent, the better question isn’t whether your athlete is eating clean. It’s whether they’re eating enough.
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SPAN Athletics
SPAN Athletics
At SPAN, our mission is to empower young athletes to achieve their full potential. www.spanathletics.com
SPAN coaches provide nutrition and sports mindset coaching to nurture the body, and sharpen the mind, now and for the future!
08/01/2026
Frank Sinatra: 1,200 songs, 209 hits. 17%.
Babe Ruth: 8,399 ABs, 714 home runs. 8.5%.
Picasso — thousands of works, a fraction remembered.
The math of success is brutal.
Here’s what we tell the athletes we work with: you don’t get to be great without being bad at something first, publicly, for longer than feels comfortable.
The gap between the people who make it and the people who don’t usually isn’t talent. It’s tolerance for missing, for looking foolish, for showing up the next day anyway.
Failure hurts.
That’s exactly why most people stop.
Keep swinging. 💪
07/14/2026
🎉 What a way to finish the season! 🎉
SPAN Athlete, Clay Bates, saved his best for last, hitting not one but TWO home runs in his final weekend of summer play! 💪⚾
And here’s what makes it even sweeter: these weren’t just his first home runs of the season. They came after months of grinding through a tough stretch, battling back from a .100 batting average. Clay never stopped showing up, never stopped swinging, and never stopped believing.
That’s what resilience looks like. The scoreboard doesn’t always tell the story, but character does. Setbacks aren’t the end of the story; sometimes they’re the setup for the best chapter.
Mindset matters. Resilience is a life skill, and Clay just showed us all how it’s done.
Congratulations, Clay! We can’t wait to see what you do next. 🙌 Stacy Bates
06/14/2026
Want to know one of the biggest myths in sports nutrition?
👉 If an athlete isn't losing weight, they must be eating enough.
But that's not how physiology works.
The body is incredibly adaptive.
When energy availability stays low for too long, it starts making trade-offs to protect survival:
→ Metabolism slows
→ Hormones shift
→ Recovery declines
→ Performance suffers
And all of this can happen while body weight remains completely stable (or even going up a few pounds!).
In fact, some of the athletes struggling the most with REDs have:
✔️ Stable weight
✔️ A "normal" BMI
✔️ No obvious signs of underfueling
Yet they're experiencing fatigue, GI issues, poor recovery, hormonal disruption, and declining performance.
This is exactly why we need to STOP using weight as our primary marker of athlete health.
In my newest article, I explore why weight stability does NOT equal adequate fueling, the hidden adaptations that occur with REDs, and the signs providers should be looking for instead.
👇 Read the full article below and let me know: Have you seen athletes whose symptoms were missed because they didn't fit the stereotypical picture of REDs?
Lindsay Werkhoven Patrick
Stacy Bates
Kudos to McConville for this excellent post.
Why Weight Stability Does NOT Mean an Athlete Is Healthy One of the most common misconceptions in sports nutrition is that if an athlete’s weight hasn’t changed, they must be eating enough. At first glance, it seems logical.
WHOOP! 🙌 Let’s go Cammy! 👏
🏋 STOP GUESSING THIS SUMMER 🏋️
Are you training hard but still not seeing the gains or the results you want?
The problem might not be your effort. It might be that you’re guessing at your nutrition.
At SPAN Athletics, our Sports Dietitian Coaches take the guesswork out of the equation. We actually TEST your metabolism to find out exactly how many calories your body needs to hit YOUR specific goals; whether that’s building muscle, leaning out, or fueling peak performance.
No more generic calorie calculators or online meal plans. No more trial and error. Just real data and a plan built for you.
This summer, stop guessing and start progressing. 💪
📩 Message us today to book your metabolic testing and meet your coach.
This weekend remember those who gave everything so we could have the chance to chase something we love.
On the field, in the gym, on the track - every rep, every early morning, every moment we spend doing what we love is made possible because of their sacrifice. They didn’t get the luxury of quitting when it got hard. They stood firm so we could stand free. 🇺🇸
As athletes we talk about discipline, commitment, and heart; but this weekend is a reminder of what those words truly look like.
Honor them by showing up. Honor them by pushing further when you think you’ve reached your limit. Honor them by never taking these opportunities for granted.
We are able to play, compete, and dream because they gave us that right.
Freedom Is Never Free. Never forget. 🇺🇸
🚨Hydration isn’t just something you think about during the game! It starts long before the first whistle and continues well after the final play.
For athletes, performance begins the day before. Yes, I said the DAY BEFORE. Drinking water consistently throughout the day, and the night before, helps your body stay ahead. When you’re already hydrated going into a game, your muscles function better, your energy lasts longer, and your reaction time stays sharp. Waiting until you’re thirsty on game day is already too late.
Parents, this is where you play a key role. Encourage your athlete to sip water regularly the day before competition, not just chug a bottle at dinner. Hydration should be steady, not rushed. A well-hydrated athlete wakes up ready; not trying to catch up.
During the game, fluids matter. Sports drink are crucial in heat and heavy sweating after 45 minutes of play, but rehydration after is just as important! When athletes sweat, they lose not only water but also essential electrolytes. Replenishing those fluids after activity helps prevent cramps, speeds up recovery, and prepares the body for the next practice or game.
‼️Stay ahead. Hydrate early, hydrate often, and don’t forget to refuel after the work is done. That’s how athletes stay strong, safe, and ready to compete.
No caption needed. Just Him. 🙏
I’m incredibly happy to see the coaching staff at Rowe Middle School in Cypress, TX recognized for the outstanding work they’re doing. It was a privilege to have several of them join me on the podcast, where they shared powerful insight on coaching within a Title I environment. Their perspective, intentionality, and commitment to their athletes truly makes a difference.
Congratulations to the entire staff on the success of your program—both on and off the field! The impact you’re making goes far beyond the game, shaping young men of character, discipline, and purpose. That kind of work always comes from the heart and is rooted in dedication and the belief that it is about more than the game itself.
I also had the opportunity to sit down with CyPark High School Athletic Director, Coach Lawrence, for a podcast episode. His vision as Athletic Director at Cy Park is both clear and compelling. His intentional approach to building a strong, values-driven athletic program is evident in everything he does and in every practice and component of his program. There’s no doubt that the foundation being laid will lead to incredible growth and continued success in the future.
Great leadership, dedicated and intentional coaches, and the success of student athletes goes hand in hand. Check out the podcasts that are linked in the comments below and show some support to these programs!
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