Pop Warner is just as committed to helping athletes develop healthy habits as we are to instilling the values of scholarship and sportsmanship. Coaches and parents can make 3 simple calls that will help players perform their best, on-and-off the field:

Move More, Drink Right, and Snack Smart.

• Coaching Healthy Habits Overview
• Coaching Healthy Habits at Pop Warner (Football)
• Coaching Healthy Habits at Pop Warner (Cheer & Dance)
• 5 Ways Water Wins
• Healthy Fuel for Healthy Athletes
• 3 Plays for a Healthy Team
• 3 Steps to a Healthier Concession Stand

Tips from Dr. Julian Bailes, M.D., Chair of the Pop Warner Medical Advisory Committee, Co-Director of the NorthShore Neurological Institute and former NCAA and NFL physician

Proper nutrition for growing athletes is important for fueling the body and mind, so muscles recover quickly and the brain is able to do the same, while also making good decisions on and off the field.

As a physician and chairman of the Pop Warner Medical Advisory Committee, Dr. Bailes has several tips for families looking to incorporate the “Eat Smart and Play Safe” mentality into their daily lives.

• Consider giving your little athlete a multivitamin made for children. Supplementation, such as a daily vitamin, is a safe and effective way to ensure kids get the proper nutrients their bodies need to grow and take on the physical challenges of sports. Common supplements include vitamin D, vitamin C and calcium. Check with your child’s pediatrician before beginning a supplementation regimen.
• The brain is one of the most vital organs in a child’s body. When playing youth sports, brain health must always be top-of-mind. A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acid DHA is important in supporting brain development in children and young adults, and may also improve memory and cognitive function. Likewise, DHA can be a key factor in sports safety, because it has several neuroprotective effects in the brain. DHA is found in algae and fish, and children should consume at least 200 mg of DHA a day in fatty fish, fortified foods and beverages or with a daily DHA supplement. Remember to check with your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet.
• Vitamin D, along with calcium, is essential for healthy bone development in children and adolescents. It also plays a role in maintaining normal mineral metabolism. Adolescents are the most susceptible to developing vitamin D deficiency, so ensure they eat plenty of vitamin-D-rich foods such as oily fish, egg yolks and mushrooms, and get at least 15 minutes a day of sunlight. Vitamin D is also available in an easy-to-take supplement. I recommend school-age children and adolescents take a supplement with about 600 IU daily.
• Remain physically and mentally active in new and challenging ways. This includes activities like joining a sports team or club, or just dedicating time to play with friends in the neighborhood. Pop Warner Little Scholars presents a wonderful opportunity for athletes to engage their minds both on and off the field.
• Stay hydrated. Even on chilly fall and spring training days, drinking plenty of water throughout a sports practice, game or workout is incredibly important. Pack an extra water bottle in your child’s sports bag and have supplies ready in the car to ensure they are getting enough fluid.
• Always wear a helmet and proper safety gear. Whether you are going on a family bike outing or your child is playing youth sports, appropriate safety gear is essential. Be a role model for your children and always practice safety methods like buckling your seat belt, putting on sunscreen and doing a gear check before starting any sports activities.

About the Eat Smart, Play Safe Campaign:

The Eat Smart, Play Safe program is an educational campaign focused on promoting healthy nutrition and sports safety for active kids, on and off the field. DSM Nutritional Products and Pop Warner have partnered to bring valuable nutrition and safety information to young athletes, parents and coaches.

This program targets building awareness for families about the important nutrients children should have in their everyday diets, for example, the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, vitamins D and E, calcium and iron.

Advice from Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., and author of “Eat Your Way to Happiness” and “Food & Mood”

Feeding your children right might seem to be one of life's greatest challenges, but the trick is to prepare and offer a wide variety of nutritious foods and let the child help decide how much of what is on their plate.

• Adopt the philosophy that it is your job to supply your child with a wide variety of nutritious foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk products and protein-rich meats or beans. It is your child's responsibility to help choose what and how much of those foods he or she eats. This eliminates the food wars and takes the pressure off both the parent and the child.
• Model the behavior you want to nurture in your child. You must eat and love vegetables if you want your child to do the same.
• Stock the kitchen with nutritious foods and limit or remove the candy, potato chips, soda and low-quality items. Left with only nutritious foods, your child is more likely to eat a nutritious diet.
• Your child doesn't need to eat perfectly at every meal. It's the overall quality of the diet that is most important and, in that case, even finicky eaters can succeed. That is, as long as they are choosing from only nutritious foods.

Elizabeth Somer offers up these tips to parents of picky eaters:

• If your battles are getting a finicky eater to sit at the table for a major meal, throw out the three-square-meal plan and instead offer your child nutritious mini-meals and snacks throughout the day that include fresh fruit, cheese cubes, fat-free crackers, low-fat yogurt, soup (try adding extra vegetables to canned soup) or low-sugar cereals.
• Get kids involved in the purchasing and preparation of food. A reluctant eater is much more likely to eat something he prepared himself.
• If your child won't eat vegetables, try fruit. They are both from the same food group. If your child won't eat either vegetables or fruit, you have two options: 1) add vegetables to familiar foods, such as adding finely chopped vegetables to spaghetti sauce or hiding dried fruit in muffins. 2) Ask your pediatrician about the best multivitamin and mineral supplement for your child.
• Give your child a choice. Rather than ask "What do you want to eat?" ask, "Do you want a banana or orange slices with your sandwich?"

To fill in the gaps when your child doesn’t eat perfectly, a multivitamin and mineral supplement may be offered. If your child doesn’t eat fatty fish, such as salmon, at least twice a week, then supplement that multi with a DHA supplement, an omega-3 fatty acid essential for brain development and brain health. A calcium-vitamin D supplement may be necessary if your child doesn’t consume daily at least two glasses of calcium-rich milk or soymilk and lots of magnesium-rich whole grains, nuts, dark green leaves and legumes.

About the Eat Smart, Play Safe Campaign:

The Eat Smart, Play Safe program is an educational campaign focused on promoting healthy nutrition and sports safety for active kids, on and off the field. DSM Nutritional Products and Pop Warner have partnered to bring valuable nutrition and safety information to young athletes, parents and coaches.

This program targets building awareness for families about the important nutrients children should have in their everyday diets, for example, the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, vitamins D and E, calcium and iron.

The Pop Warner Medical Advisory Committee was formed in 2010 to ensure Pop Warner remains proactive on medical issues affecting football and cheerleading.

The Committee is focused on prevention and proper identification and treatment of concussions, hydration awareness, proper nutrition guidelines, and general health and safety issues.

Led by physicians and researchers with expertise in neuromedicine and sports safety, the Pop Warner Advisory Committee meets annually to discuss new research, advise on policy and rule changes and provide expert advice to the Pop Warner organization to benefit the health & safety of our members on an ongoing basis.

Current members include:

• Julian Bailes (CHAIRMAN), MD, Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery and Co-Director of the NorthShore Neurological Institute.
• Michael Bergeron, Ph.D., FACSM is the President and CEO of Youth Sports of the Americas.
• R. Dawn Comstock, Ph.D., Professor of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health.
• Arthur Day, MD, Professor and Residency Program Director, Department of Neurological Surgery, Misher Neurologic Institute, University of Texas Houston College of Medicine.
• Stefan Duma, Ph.D., Harry C. Wyatt Professor and Department Head, Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences.
• Stanley A. Herring, MD, Clinical Professor University of Washington, Director UW Medicine Sports Health and Safety Institute and Consultant Seattle Seahawks.
• Barry Jordan, MD, Assistant Medical Director, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital.
• Cynthia LaBella, MD, Medical director, Institute for Sports Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
• Lawrence Lemak, MD, founder of Lemak Sports Medicine, The Alabama Sports Foundation and the National Center for Sports Safety. He is the Chief Medical Officer for Major League Soccer and Chairman of the Board of Youth Sports of the Americas.
• Michael D. Lewis, MD, MPH, MBA, FACPM, FACN, Colonel (Retired), U.S. Army, is the Founder of the Brain Health Education and Research Institute and BrainCARE, an integrative concussion management practice.
• Tony L. Strickland, M.S., Ph.D., founder and Chairman of the Sports Concussion Institute, and Program Director of the Memory Disorders and Concussion Management Clinics.