Simple Habits That Stick: Teaching Athletes to REFUEL
#26 - Strength & Speed Coaching – Pursuing Your Best ⚡
If you’ve ever tried to teach high school athletes about nutrition, you know how it usually goes:
“I forgot breakfast.”
“Didn’t have time.”
“I’m not hungry in the morning.”
“I’ll eat later…”
But later turns into 1 p.m., and now you’ve got athletes dragging into the weight room under-fueled, under-recovered, and under-performing.
That’s why we don’t teach everything at once. We start with the basics. We anchor to simple, repeatable habits that create momentum over time.
In this issue, we’ll break down the first half of our REFUEL framework:
Remember Breakfast
Eat Often
Frequently Hydrate
Plus, I’ll give you a sample athlete routine and a downloadable checklist you can use in class, practice, or training.
Let’s build some habits that stick.
Why Habits Beat Information
Most athletes know they should eat and drink more. The real challenge?
Remembering to do it—consistently—on a busy, overstimulated school day.
So instead of overloading them with food rules, we give them small, clear wins they can repeat daily.
When athletes feel better, they perform better.
And once they feel the difference, they start to own the habit.
The First 3 REFUEL Habits: How to Coach Them
1. Remember Breakfast
Why it matters:
Breakfast jumpstarts metabolism, brain function, and energy. It’s the foundation of fueling for both school and sport.
How to teach it:
Eat within 30–60 minutes of waking up.
Start simple: a banana and Greek yogurt is better than nothing.
Prep it the night before if you’re short on time.
Examples that work:
Peanut butter sandwich + banana
Eggs + toast + water
Protein shake + piece of fruit
Leftover dinner (yes, that counts)
Coach it like this:
Your body’s been fasting all night. Eat something early or you’ll be running on fumes by second period.
Discussion Questions:
1. What’s your current breakfast routine—and how does it affect how you feel at school or practice?
Purpose: This helps athletes reflect on the connection between their morning habits and daily performance, both mentally and physically.
2. What’s your biggest obstacle to eating breakfast consistently—time, appetite, or something else?
Purpose: Helps identify personal barriers so you can coach around them with practical solutions.
3. If you had to create a go-to breakfast that takes less than 2 minutes to make, what would you include?
Purpose: Encourages athletes to take ownership and find simple, realistic options that work for their routine.
2. Eat Often
Why it matters:
Spacing meals and snacks every 3–4 hours keeps energy levels stable and supports muscle repair throughout the day.
How to teach it:
Never go more than 3–4 hours without fuel.
Pack portable snacks you can eat between classes or after school.
Use pre- and post-practice nutrition as anchors.
Examples that work:
Trail mix or jerky in the backpack
Peanut butter sandwich before practice
Protein bar or shake right after lifting
Coach it like this:
Fuel before you feel empty. If you’re lightheaded or dragging, you waited too long.
Discussion Questions:
1. When during the day do you usually feel the most tired or low on energy—and what have (or haven’t) you eaten before that?
Purpose: Helps athletes connect energy dips with their fueling patterns.
2. What are 2 portable snacks you could pack that don’t need to be refrigerated and could fit in your backpack?
Purpose: Gets athletes thinking about realistic, go-to options that work with a busy school schedule.
3. What’s one time of day you could add a small snack or shake to help you feel better at practice or recovery afterward?
Purpose: Encourages athletes to identify and plug a fueling gap with a simple, strategic habit.
3. Frequently Hydrate
Why it matters:
Hydration is one of the simplest and most immediate performance boosters. Dehydrated athletes fatigue faster, recover slower, and increase injury risk.
How to teach it:
Carry a water bottle at school—sip all day, not just at practice.
Use the pee test. If it’s dark yellow, you’re behind.
Start your morning with 16–24 oz of water.
Examples that work:
20 oz water bottle in their backpack
Drink before and after each class
Add fruit or flavor drops to encourage sipping
Coach it like this:
If you only drink water at practice, it’s already too late.
Discussion Questions:
1. When during the school day do you drink the least water—and what could help you build a habit at that time?
Purpose: Helps athletes identify hydration gaps and troubleshoot with specific strategies.
2. How can you tell if you’re actually hydrated—and what’s one easy way to check during the day?
Purpose: Builds athlete awareness of hydration cues without needing to mention urine color directly. Still encourages self-monitoring.
3. What’s one way you can make water more appealing or easier to drink during the day?
Purpose: Encourages athletes to personalize hydration habits (like flavor drops, cold water, or visible bottles).
A Sample Athlete Routine (Weekday School Schedule)
Want to make it stick? Give them an example they can picture.
Sample Routine:
What’s Next?
In the next newsletter, we’ll cover the second half of REFUEL:
Utilize Recovery Methods
Eat Fruits & Veggies
Lean Protein
We’ll walk through what young athletes really need to recover well, build lean muscle, and show up stronger day after day.
You’ll get practical tools for teaching protein timing, building recovery awareness, and addressing common nutrition myths—like “I don’t need to eat after practice” or “I’ll just sleep when I’m done playing.”
Stay tuned.
Want Help Teaching Nutrition in Your Program?
If you’d like help bringing REFUEL into your Strength & Speed program, I offer consulting for PE teachers and coaches. We’ll build tools and systems that actually work in your setting.
Just hit reply or shoot me a message.
Until next time—keep pursuing excellence.
— Preston ⚡️
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