Food as trophies in community sports

As a mum in the community sports sector and qualified health coach giving kids lollies in a sport environment baffled me. Do professional sports players eat candy after a game? How do we role model good sports nutrition for kids if we give them candy at 9am on a Sunday. Where did this idea come from? Who marketed this to kids?

Kids and parents alike invest around 5-10+ hours a week into their community sports like soccer, basketball, netball, football etc across the country entering their community sports week. The hustle is real, between training, games and club events then comes the washing and making sure our kids health is in top shape. On top of that mending injuries or other life events. 

As a team manager of a girls soccer team I wanted to experiment by banning candy after games. We had copious amounts of left over fruit from half time so I would put that out for kids. Most kids enjoyed fruit over lollies, getting a hit of glucose their cells need. Unfortunately, the change was much harder than anticipated for parents. A parent bought two packets of candy onto the ground after a match for everyone to share as she protested in the candy ban. Things started to get real. It was then decided that parents could give their candy to their children off the field on the sidelines. Many parents wanted to exercise their free will, and saw it as an unfair rule. So they shared it between them leaving us out. Candy easily and quickly created division over sportsmanship. In addition to refusing candy because of the chemicals – I truly wanted us to role model what sports nutrition is to take them into their adulthood with all the tools they need to thrive with a strong mind, body and soul! I cringe at pieces of carcinogenic artificial substances hitting the kids intestines creating havoc for future years. I can’t help but picture their livers having to kick in and remove toxic substance from that piece of candy and teeth & bones becoming acidic from the wrong type of sugar. 

In addition to the physical affects, providing any specific routine of food for performance creates dangerous emotional eating habits and addictions. Research has shown that children, boys in particular are more likely to eat diets that are high in fat and carbohydrates when food is used as a reward for good behaviour because these foods become associated with positive feeling and experiences. Research also shows that eating patterns and food preferences children develop in their early years remain long into their teen and adult years. What you teach them about food and healthy eating right now will stick with them for life.

How and where did these unhealthy lollies become the fabric of community sports in Australia? I’m not saying don’t ever eat them if you wish, but they should definitely be ‘sometimes food’ not linked to reward or performance.

Which professional athlete is using candy as recovery food? In Europe where soccer is currently played by millions of kids they only get choice of water during the game, maybe fruit and an energy bar during or after.

My child would get home after the game, get out of the dirty clothes and enjoy a nice home Sunday “break-fast” refuelling vital glucose levels after physical activity. Somehow there seems to have been a misunderstanding as to what kind of glucose can be restored. 

My goal is to give the best fuel for our kids to grow, develop and thrive and smash their potential. 

Professional sports players like Ronaldo recently pushed aside a bottle of Coca-Cola in a press conference protesting against it’s advertisement in soccer. If Ronaldo was drinking this there is no way he would be as healthy as he is. 

In addition the greatest tennis player of all time Novak Djokovic has talked about the importance of nutrition, with his routine consisting of morning lemon water, celery juice, information from Anthony William the Medical Medium and a green smoothie with different algae and superfoods. All containing vital minerals and glucose to prepare and restore his vessel.  This is why Novak Djokovic is so healthy and successful. 

Are we letting our children down? How will they learn how to look after themselves if they don’t have strong role models? 

There is a lot of misinformation when it comes to athelete’s nutrition. A huge piece to the puzzle is how the liver detoxifies generational and new industrial chemicals and maintains good health. Good health is the single most powerful element to becoming successful in anything we do, so how do we teach kids health lifestyle habits? I believe role modelling it is the most effective method! We remove the candy roster and replace it with extra fruit that most likely gets thrown out after games! We show kids that their participation  in community sports is a reward in it’s self, it is not further rewarded with unhealthy, highly addictive patterns creating future trauma. Every little bit we do will help our kids survive the super bugs around town. 

So many kids are chronically dehydrated I have even heard parent’s say don’t drink too much you will need to go toilet but it’s acceptable to give out candy. Somewhere along the lines candy has been engrained and accepted as an important social food. It’s ok if they want water and listen to their body but dead water won’t hydrate you. Putting lemon or lime in their water will make a huge difference. Some may even need some raw organic honey for additional glucose, repairing their adrenals and brain throughout the game.

When you offer an unhealthy treat after a match it’s promoting a ‘reward’ whereas a food like fruit is refuel. An article written by the Michigan State University found rewarding children with sweets is a plausible contributing factor to obesity. Food rewards can also teach children to ignore their natural hunger and fullness cues encouraging them to eat when they are not hungry. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics “when children are rewarded with “special treats” they may decide that these foods are better or more valuable than healthier foods.” 

Research shows that eating patterns and food preferences children develop in their early years remain long into their teen and adult years.

Sure it’s fun for you to include sweets and candy in their sometimes food without reward. Alternative rewards may include positive words of encouragement and praise. I always like to check in with my daughter – ask her how she is feeling and use phrases I’ve learnt from Janet Lansbury like “You must be really proud of yourself” they really foster an inner direction; and this is precious, this innate knowing is an intuitive ability that can guide them through life.  Teaching them to preserver through frustration and struggle and then be acknowledged for their effort is the real route to happiness and self-confidence. 

Interfere with intrinsic motivation. The widely known educator Alfie Kohn had a book he wrote several years ago called Punished by Rewards. It talked about the issue of using rewards to control behavior and how it not only doesn’t work, but it interferes with our children’s intrinsic motivation. I think a lot us can relate to this; if we have to do something is different to when you only like doing something. So really we want to preserve what they are born with; intrinsic motivation. 

Australia’s lack of regulation of unhealthy food marketing to children is always going to be there, the real issue is how we as parents support it with our money.

Evidence Hub states that there is no Australian Government regulation to specifically protect children from unhealthy food marketing. 

However as marketing was my uni trade, the deeply embedded culture to even have lolly rosters in clubs by the adults for childrens is the best marketing these international firms can ever have. Owners of Nestle are also the largest shareholders in pharmaceutical companies. 

Instead of viewing soccer snacks as a reward at the end of the game I encourage you to consider items below that provide energy, hydration, and key nutrients for active kids. These become even more important when kids are picky eaters or play in difficult conditions. Wholefood options: 

Oranges quartered up these nostalgic half time snack provide… easy to eat being careful not to cross germs. 

Bananas easy to peel without washing hands, 76% water, packed with vitamins. Bananas are an excellent food for athletes as they can help replenish energy and revitalize the body instantly.

Watermelon or other melons; attractive to most kids, its an excellent fruit that hydrates, and cleanses the entire body quickly.

Clean health bars or date balls made with raw fruits and dried fruits like dates. Check out the Raspberry Crumble Bars recipe. You can find clean medjool date and coconut rolls at supermarkets.

Honey sticks raw honey provides a quick source of critical clean glucose to our cells and brain, repairs and rejuvenates with more than 200,000 undiscovered phytochemical compounds and agents. Plus, raw honey helps repairs DNA and is extremely high in minerals such as calcium, potassium, zinc, selenium, phosphorus, chromium, molybdenum, and manganese and kids love it.

Pure Maple syrup candy or products often make a healthy and fun choice too!

Coconut water is incredible after sports quickly replacing hydration. It is one of the highest sources of electrolytes known. It’s a natural isotonic beverage with the same level of electrolytic balance that we have in our blood.

Apples are a satisfying crunchy and sweet snack, go further and pair it with dates and celery sticks to give a nice adrenal healing snack! Adrenal glands take a beating in competitive sports this is just one way to restore and heal them! Taking specific herbs can also be beneficial. Apples have the ability to quench both an immediate and cellular-level thirst. Apples are also an amazing detoxifier and contain both malic and tartaric acids that help remove impurities from the liver and gallbladder.

Mangoes are an amazing exercise food because it provides your muscles with traces of sodium, much needed glucose and magnesium, feeling less of the burn.

I hope we get back to a healthy community sports culture. While I haven’t targeted the canteens yet I see this as an option you can use your dollar to vote with however promoting candy for reward clearly does more harm than good.

Candy has been used to lure kids for generations and I believe it’s time to raise our standards. Let’s stop using food as trophies in sports; and team sports nutrition early. For those that wish to see a change in their clubs please share this article with your club managers, committees, parents and coaches.

__