Eating, Sleeping and Training Tips for Youth Athletes

Ben Eaves discusses how sleep, nutrition and training can all work together or against each other. Learning and following a few simple but fundamental rules will help athletes get the most out of their training whether it is off of the ice, on the ice, or in the classroom.

In the 2 videos below, Coach Eaves discusses 3 easy to follow sleep and nutrition tips to implement into your daily life.

Good sleep is foundational for everyone, especially a growing student athlete. Youth hockey players should aim for 8, 9 or 10 hours of sleep each night to allow their brain to encode and store new information (from practice, training or the classroom). Proper sleep will also allow a youth athlete to help their body repair and recover, which will help to reduce the chance of injury.

In this video, Coach Eaves gives 3 easy to follow sleep tips:

1. No screens (phones, tablets, computers, TVs) 30 minutes before bed.
2. Stay away from sugar & caffeine after dinner.
3. Develop a nightly routine so you can go to sleep at a consistent time.

In this video, Coach Eaves gives 3 easy to follow nutritional tips that youth athletes should follow to make the most out of their training:

1. Hydrate properly. Drink water before you are thirsty. If you wait too long you will be dehydrated and your performance will be impacted.
2. Eat natural foods like vegetables, meats, fruits, seeds, nuts, and grains.
3. Stay away from processed foods like soda, candy bars and other packaged items that do not grow naturally.

Good sleeping, and nutrition habits will help student athletes make the most of their training, whether it is on the ice, off the ice or in the classroom.

Visit our off-ice workout page & on ice skill development page to start training, or visit the coach education page to learn more coaching tips.

If you have any questions, or suggestions, please contact us here.