Fuel for Football

As the Club matures we see greater numbers of our players at an age where proper preparation for the physical activity ahead. Is never too early to get into good habits but becomes absolutely essential as the players get older and play longer games on bigger pitches.

This article offers some insight into what it takes for a player to be nutritional prepared to play a match and addresses both pre and post match eating strategies.

NUTRITION

This information is taken from the FA Website and offers guidance for players on what and when to eat in order to be best 'fueled' for performance. Please note the last section on after the game. This is a very important activity which must take place within the first hour of finishing a physical session in order to allow muscles to recover, repair and build. A personal favourite of mine to offer as an excellent source of complex carbs and fluids for this reparation is the low-fat milk drink - Yazoo.

Some good information links;-

• Football Nutrition at The FA Website
  
• The highly recommend Lucozade Sport Science Academy
• A comprehensive recovery snack list
  

QUALITY

Relates to the proportion of carbohydrate, fat and protein, which you consume. Carbohydrate rich foods must be the main source of your diet. Table 1 lists foods, which contain a lot of carbohydrate. You should aim to consume the main bulk of your diet from complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates should not be consumed in large quantities and are more useful as snacks between workouts, or to top up your energy intake. The carbohydrate you consume should be balanced with a healthy intake of protein, low fat and plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Table 1 Carbohydrate-Rich Foods

Complex Carbohydrates	Simple Carbohydrates	Mixture of Complex and Simple Carbohydrates
Bread	Sugar	Cakes
Pasta	Jam	Biscuits
Rice	Honey	Puddings
Noodles	Yoghurt	Sweet pastries
Oats	Fromage frais	Cheesecake
Breakfast Cereals(unsweetened)	Ice cream	Breakfast Cereals(sweetened)
Pulses (beans, lentils, peas)	Jelly	Bananas
Baked beans	Raisins	Grapes
Apricots, peaches	Full sugar cordials	Oranges
Potatoes	Jelly sweets
Parsnips, sweetcorn	Soft drinks (lucozade,coke, sprite, energy drinks)

TIMING OF MEALS

The timing of the meals you consume is also important. On the day of a match the intake of fat and protein should be restricted, as these nutrients require a relatively long time to be digested. Plan to have your pre-competition meal 3-4 hours before the match. Your pre-competition meal should be: high in carbohydrate, low in fat, low in protein, low in fibre, not too bulky, and easy to digest. You should consume foods such as: breakfast cereal with low fat milk, toast or bread with jam/honey, sandwiches with banana/honey/jam, pasta/rice with low fat sauce, muffins, baked potato, fruit, energy bars, and orange juice.

A snack high in carbohydrate may be eaten about 2 hours before the match, however the time reference is only a guideline as there are great individual differences in the ability to digest food. It is a good idea for you to experiment with a variation of foods at different times before training sessions. Foods such as toast, bread or crumpets with jam/honey, sweetened cereal and low fat milk, muffins, orange juice and jelly sweets could be consumed.

AFTER THE GAME

Once the game is over, fluids should be replaced and carbohydrate should be consumed as soon as possible to promote recovery of glycogen stores. During the cool down you should consume fluids and small snacks, such as jelly sweets, jaffa cakes and jammy dodgers. As soon as possible you should aim to consume a meal which is high in carbohydrates. Foods such as pasta, spaghetti, rice, noodles, low fat pasta sauce, bread, potatoes, and baked beans should be consumed during this period.

Persil Helps DHUFC

Derry Hill United has been fortunate to encourage Persil to support our activity by providing us with 100 family coaching kits for distribution within the Club.

The Persil ‘Be my Coach’ campaign is completely unique in recognising that there are more than simple health benefits to playing sport. Its aim is to get parents more involved with playing sport with their kids by explaining the learning and development benefits for children when their parents take an active role in their sporting experience.

The kit includes skill cards, developed by an expert panel, featuring a variety of simple games which are not only fun to play but help children’s development; a skills ball for all the family to play with; a stopwatch and a DVD. Kelly Holmes and Stephen Gerrard are both backing the ‘Be My Coach Campaign’ as both believe that the life skills learnt through sport are essential when bringing up well rounded healthy children.

The packs will be available for collection at both Bowood Sports Ground and Springfields School on Saturday 14th October. Arrive early to claim yours.

See the fastest game on the planet!!!

DHUFC has once again arranged to see the Swindon npower Wildcats play Ice Hockey at the Swindon Link Centre in an English Premier League game.

Ice Hockey is quick, loud and great entertainment. Don't let the chance slip by to watch a fast and furious game with your mates from the Club.

This is a special event arranged between the Wildcats Kidzone and DHUFC.

Ticket prices are adults £4 and children £2.50. That's a massive saving of £13.50 on the regular admission price for a family of four.

Some come, get your skates on and join DHUFC at the Swindon Link Centre on Saturday 11th November. It's a great spectator game, highly recommended to those who have not experienced it before.

Reserve your tickets before Saturday 24th September. Simply email me your requirements. You are welcome to book tickets for your family and friends for this event.

Note: Transport not provided, you'll have to make your own way to the Link Centre - doors open at 4.30pm for a 5.45 face-off.

League Schedules and Tables

Well it's been a hectic couple of weeks here at the Club. With the season about to start there has been a flurry of last minute activity from the two Leagues to which we are registered; Mid-Wilts Youth and Minor League (MWYML), and The Wiltshire Womens and Girls League (WWGL).

All the fixtures have now been published, along with rule books, reporting forms and procedure lists. This information is all being consolidated and reviewed by Wendy and myself prior to it being distributed, along with detail and explanation to those within your squad who facilitate football for your child; the Coaches and Team Secretary. All the information should be with them by the end of next week, in the meantime please remember their job is both important and time consuming, and one for which they do without financial reward. I ask that you support them by promptly responding to requests on availability, selection etc.

For those of you keen to see your fixture list and league progress you can go to the following sites;-

• Boys and Mixed
• Girls

For ease of access I have coded these locations within our website, through your child's squad page, and for your convenience pointed directly to the information relating to the named squad. To access these links go to;-

• www.dhufc.org/oursquads.html
  {select your desired squad in the table and click the link}

Currently the Mid-Wilts Youth and Minor League only has League tables available and does not provide an on-line or electronic copy of it's fixtures, however if these ever appear I will add an access facility from your squad's page. So keep looking back.

For those of you that have been with us for more than a season you will notice that the MWYML has now got a new sponsor, and they in turn have bequeathed their name to the League. So the Mid-Wilts Youth and Minor League is no more and in it's place is The Wiltshire Times & Chippenham News Youth and Minor League (phew, that's even longer than the original). From now on it will be referred to by me as YML!

Enjoy your first session tomorrow (and bring a rain-coat)!