Food for Peak Performance

When you are out, engaging in your favourite sport, one of the first thing you want to make sure is that you are properly equipped. For soccer, you want to make sure you are wearing your soccer boots and shin pads. For badminton and tennis, you need your racket. But what about what goes on inside your body. Don't you think they need some prepping too. As the saying goes, "You are what you eat". By eating right, you can better your performance as an athlete.

The amount and type of food you eat is very important in order to perform at your peak. For a sportsperson, this is crucial as their energy requirements are greater, needing sufficient energy levels to not only perform their sport or exercise but also to recover. This often mean that on top of their three meals a day, they are required to snacks in between. But there are many out there who are unsure of what kind of meal and snacks they should eat. Professional athletes know this is true. In fact, many professional teams employ dietitians and nutritionists to help players choose the best foods. I've summarise below some of the important tips to ensure that your child eats like a pro. And for some great, delicious recipes that is especially catered for athlete, I recommend you Athlete Recipes. This is a fantastic book with over 150 great recipes for peak performance and sport endurance.

Getting the Basic

The three main food types are Carbohydrates, Fats and Proteins. It is important that there is a balance of these food types in every one's daily food intake. For young athletes, the balance would be around 60 per cent carbohydrate, 25-30 per cent from fats and around 15 per cent from proteins.

Protein: (found in meat, eggs, and dairy foods)
Carbohydrates: (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are the best sources)
Fat: (found in meats, cheeses, nuts, oils, and butter, just to name a few)

Two essential nutrients for kids-especially athletes are
Minerals like calcium: (found in dairy products)
Calcium builds strong bones, which are less likely to break under the stress and strain of heavy activity
Iron: (meat, dried beans, and fortified cereals)
Without enough iron, kids might get tired more easily.

Calories Counting

Athletes might need more food as they burn more calories by taking part in physical activities.
School-age kids (ages 6 to 12) generally need between 1,600 and 2,500 calories a day depending on the physical activities they engage in. An athlete who is more active than a typical active kid might need to eat more. But each kid is different. It's important to consider how much time you actually spend being active and training for your sport. Attending a soccer practice can be an intense or light workout, depending on a variety of factors. Do you practice 2 hours a week or 12? It will make a difference.

Liquid, liquid, liquid

Well, need I say more. Athletes need water before, during, and after exercise. When people sweat, they lose water through their skin. Sweating cools the body down, but if you lose too much water this way, you could get dehydrated. If you get dehydrated you won't feel well or perform well. Serious dehydration can make you sick enough that you'd need to go to the emergency department for treatment.

Drinking before, during, and after exercising (or an event) is the best way to stay hydrated. Don't wait until you're thirsty. Water is the best choice. Fruit juice mixed with water is another refreshing drink. But avoid sodas, especially caffeinated ones as these will dehydrate you.

A sports drink is OK once in a while, but remember that these drinks have a lot of sugar and calories. Water is still the best drink for your body and it contains no calories. You may want to choose a sports drink if you are exercising for more than 90 minutes or in really hot weather.

Is there a future in soccer

In the last article, we address the issue of the declining number of Chinese and Indian boys joining our local soccer scene. And one of the reason we highlight is the lack of parental support. So far, we have only one comment on the article and he/she seems to share the same view(by the way, thanks for your comment).
So how true is it. And if it is true, how do we aim to change that perception and gain parent's support. Come on parents. Hands up all of you who do believe there is no future in the soccer industry. I'm sure there's a number of you out there. Do you seriously doubt the future of the soccer industry? Have you done enough research to support that belief?
Hey, I'm a parent myself and believe me. My boy has just only turn 5 and I'm already envisioning all kinds of future possibilities for him. But will I be worried and try to dissuade him if one day he comes up to me and tell me he wants to play soccer or any other sports professionally? Hell no. Instead, I will support him, motivate him and most importantly guide him. It is only with proper guidance that our child will flourish in whatever industry they choose to follow. And yes, even soccer. Unlike in the past where a soccer players' career will begin and ends in the field, depending on his age, endurance and physical abilities. Now, they can build a career that expands beyond the playing field and the physical aspect of the game. There are many options to choose from: being a coach, physiotherapist, life coach, nutritionist and many more. And this is only the beginning. God knows what other position they'll come up with in the future. Our child will be spoilt for choice. So parents, fret not. The future in soccer is bright and opportunities are a plenty.
With all that being said, I'm not here to say that parents should ignore their child academic achievements or take it lightly. We believe the physical developments of a child will attribute well to their mental developments thus shaping the child into one successful individual.

Start Them Young

Few years back, there's been a lot of issues in the papers, being discussed about kids in Singapore starting too late, lacking basic skills and exposure. Without all this, they can hardly compete and perform against their competitors.

One article that came to mind was an interview with our ex-national soccer coach and our ex Goal 2010 project director, Jan Poulsen, back in March 2002. In it, he said: "We do badly against other countries not because they're bigger or they're from a different race, but because we start too late and play too little. we got to start early. We need to establish an environment which gives boys and girls the possibility to play and train up to three times a week on a regular basis between the age of 7 to 8. As I've said before, it takes 10 years to develop a good player."

The other article that came to mind was an interview with our own Fandi Ahmad, back in September 2003, where he commented on the German and Dutch philosophies to football. He said: "In Germany, it's all about the basics. It's not all about the technical abilities. It's also about a player knowing his specific role as an individual as well as a team member. I learned from the Ajax way that youth development is the most important part football. We really need to build up a players' strength from his younger days."

So here, at Dreamz Soccer Club, we emphasizes on the same philosophies, and that is to start them when they are young and most eager to learn. Our aim for the future is to have a regular training sessions, competitions and more soccer enrichment programs. We hope to be on par or even better than the existing soccer clubs in Singapore.

What makes a Good Coach?

When setting up this club, one of the most frequent question I received was,'So which team did you play for?' It seems like an honest and innocent enough question. Being the head coach of a soccer academy, naturally people are interested. So when they found out that I've never played professionally, they were skeptical. It seems there are still a number of people out there with the misguided thinking that to be a good soccer coach, you need to first have a background as a professional soccer player. It's totally absurb. Players may have experience playing, but not all former professional players make good coaches. Hey, even the legendary Pele agrees. Read it here...

Take Sir Bobby Charlton for example. He has a flying career in the professional soccer scene, but sadly, the same can't be said about his short stint as a coach. He lasted only one season as a player-manager for Preston North End and even admitted that managemant was not for him.

On the other hand, we have Jose Mourinho. He has never played soccer professionally, but I can safely say that he's one of the best coaches there is. Why? Because he's an astute learner, with great people management skill, is highly motivated and has a deep passion for the game. One of his memorable achievement was when his team, Porto, an underdog team beat the mighty Man Utd in the champions league semi final back in 2004. They even went on to take home the Champions League trophy.

So what exactly makes a good coach. This article answers it all...