Last year, sports medicine suppliers at University of Alabama in Birmingham In partnership with Bama Wellness Advocacy to launch a revolutionary nutrition program For athletes from schools in the city of Birmingham. The program emphasizes the importance of good nutrition, as well as the importance of self-use factors such as sleep and mental health, ultimately to improve the overall performance and well-being of student-athletes. While the pilot program initially started with basketball programs at Ramsey high school and Huffman High School, it was extended to serve four of the city’s football programs, six of its basketball programs and some of the Springs sports teams in the schools of the city of Birmingham.
Led by James Jones, chief sports coach for the UAB Orthopedic surgery department and the schools of Birmingham City, and Jacquie Fazekas, founder of Bama Wellness AdvocacyThe Wenonah high school program has expanded to include a peer health and well-being club and collaboration with the school’s culinary arts program. The club provides nutrition education to students athletes, their classmates, coaches and parents.
With this expansion, Jones and Fazekas have teamed up with local caterers and Birmingham municipal councilor, Clinton Woods, to develop the program at the Huffman High School to provide nutritional education, snacks, day breakfast and pre-match meals for all sports.
“With the new peer health and well-being club, we were able to develop our ability to teach coaches, parents and athletes how they can prioritize a healthy diet in their daily life,” said Fazekas. “As the program develops, we hope to be able to build our well-being groups between peers in each school to facilitate conversations on diet and healthy behavior among these students and their peers.”
An improved advantage that UAB Sports medicine and exercise Added to the program includes access to a registered dietitian who can provide advice on subjects such as weight loss and weight gain, education on food disorders and food recommendations for sports performance.
“These young athletes are catalysts for change in their communities, especially when it comes to prioritizing their health,” said Jones. “Their momentum for change has already influenced their family members and community members to protect their health, and we hope that the impact will continue to develop as we increase this program. We continue to continue additional partnerships to help support our expansion, so that we can achieve our goal