Young players need energy for football and for growth, school, recovery and everyday life.
A coach can support healthy habits without becoming a nutritionist or monitoring a player's body size.
Helpful messages
Encourage players to:
- eat regularly
- bring enough food for long match or tournament days
- drink regularly
- recover and sleep
- tell an adult if they often feel unwell, dizzy or exhausted
Avoid body and weight comments
Do not suggest that a young player needs to become thinner to be faster, fitter or more successful.
Comments about weight, shape and food can be particularly difficult during puberty when bodies are already changing.
Signs that deserve adult follow-up
Encourage a conversation with a parent/carer and healthcare professional if a player is repeatedly:
- unusually tired or dizzy
- getting recurrent injuries
- worried or restrictive around food
- distressed about weight or body shape
- experiencing significant changes in established periods
These signs can have many causes. Coaches should notice and signpost, not diagnose.
Helpful LTM links
Keep in mind: Coaches support, protect privacy and signpost. They do not diagnose. Severe pain, fainting or significant illness should follow club first-aid procedures and be passed to a parent, carer or healthcare professional.
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