New program helps young athletes

Young athletes are challenged to constantly push their limits and strive for peak performance.

To help them, their parents and coaches, Texas Beef Council (TBC) has launched the Sports Nutrition Game Plan, a power-packed beef nutrition resource for high school and college athletes.

The program is a transformative guide that redefines how athletes fuel their bodies for optimal everyday living, training, performance, and recovery.

It places beef at the forefront of high-quality protein sources and provides coaches with a nutrition regimen that’s easy to implement. In this way, TBC can help equip athletes with the science-backed tools they need to excel on and off the field.

Amy Foster, manager of health and nutrition at TBC, set out to engage with educators and coaches on beef’s role in a healthy lifestyle. She realized there was a missing link when it came to sports— nutrition.

“A lot of high schools can’t afford to hire a sports dietitian, so I set out to think of an all-encompassing tool to serve coaches, athletes and parents,” Foster said.

Recognizing that beef should be a part of the conversation, Foster distributed a survey to coaches, athletic trainers, strength coaches, and team support staff asking about their needs for nutritional guidelines. Once she better understood their perspectives, Foster partnered with Amy Goodson, a Texas-based dietitian with more than 20 years of experience in sports nutrition ranging from Little League baseball to the NFL. Together, they developed the Sports Nutrition Game Plan with credible materials and resources like videos, recipes, meal plans and tips for fueling and hydration.

This year, TBC officially put the Sports Nutrition Game Plan into action, with more than 260 coaches, athletic directors, and trainers signing up to access this tool for their programs. Since launching, participants have provided TBC with very positive feedback.

“Our participants can’t believe this program is available and complimentary,” Foster said. “They really need resources like this, and they appreciate how TBC is addressing the importance of nutrition. Our goal is to make beef’s powerful nutrition part of sports culture, and we’re off to an amazing start.”

The Sports Nutrition Game Plan will expose the next generation of athletes to the benefits of beef’s nutrition for their workouts and overall wellness.

Learn more about the Sports Nutrition Game Plan at beeflovingtexans. com/nutrition/ sports-nutrition-program.

For more information about Texas Beef Council and Beef Checkoff programs, visit TexasBeefCheckoff .com.