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Your Young Athlete’s Best Season Yet

Late sunsets and tulips aren’t the only things approaching this spring.  Get ready for more grass stains, team breakfasts, bags of orange slices, and the best part of spring sports… carpooling sweaty athletes.

Jessica VanSciver, Director of Health & Fitness at at the Darien YMCA.

Jessica VanSciver, Director of Health & Fitness at at the Darien YMCA.

Photo Credit: Contributed

The rush of spring sports is just around the corner. As a parent, your schedule may change to embrace the many aspects of creating a great season, but the absolute best part is witnessing your kids’ passion for their sport. The excitement as they score a goal, bat a homerun, or cheer their teammates from the sideline is, without a doubt, priceless and memorable.

Of course, you want to make sure your child has a strong and safe season, especially if they’ll be swinging a bat. Below are three great tips to follow for an outstanding season.

1. Know Your Defense. Using the right protective gear for your child’s sport is critical for preventing serious injuries or reducing the potential severity of an injury. Make sure to go through the defense checklist: 

  • Protective eyewear
  • Helmets
  • Mouth guards
  • Safety pads
  • Proper footwear, clothing, and athletic wear
  • Sunscreen!

2. Proper Fuel. Your car can’t run without it and neither can your kid. The rate at which your child burns energy is substantial, even more so during an hour of practice or in a game. It’s important to get the right nutrients to your young athlete, not only for energy, but to aid mental focus and muscle performance too. Make sure to go through the checklist:

  • Before: Pre-hydrate and consume complex carbs (Ex. fruit and whole grains) for energy 
  • During: Drink the essential electrolytes (Ex. sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium) and H2O during practice or a game. Try Sportwater, it has five times the electrolytes of other waters without unnecessary additives. 
  • After: Re-hydrate, consume healthy fats (Ex. nuts and seeds, plant oils, avocado), complex carbs (Ex. fruit, sweet potatoes and Whole grains) and protein (Ex. poultry, fish, eggs, lean beef) to help replenish energy stores and support muscle recovery 

3. Pre-Conditioning. Our muscular systems are phenomenal in multiple skills such as endurance, coordination, stability, power, range of motion and agility. These skills however, mean nothing without the proper training. This pre-spring season, let the Darien YMCA go through the pre-conditioning checklist for you. Here we offer a specific Team Training program to prepare your athlete for their season, along with their entire team.  Our professional Strength and Conditioning Coaches train in sports specific regimens, and create an engaging team atmosphere. We even have Sports Conditioning for the solo athlete looking to learn or improve on functional movements. For more information and to explore what the Y can offer your Athlete, click here.

In the end, we hope to make your athlete’s season one to remember and don’t forget to be safe, fuel properly, and sign up for a pre-conditioning program here at the Darien Y.

This article is part of a paid Content Partnership with the advertiser, Darien YMCA. Daily Voice has no involvement in the writing of the article and the statements and opinions contained in it are solely those of the advertiser.

To learn more about Content Partnerships, click here.

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