Resources for Coaches and Mentors
Did you know that athletes are about 3x more likely to develop an eating disorder than non-athletes? With societal pressure, strength and endurance-based activities, and an environment where being lean is encouraged, it’s no wonder why!
Luckily, you are in a perfect position to change these odds. Even though you aren’t raising the children you work with, they admire you and what you say contributes to their self-perception. That’s why we created a 5-week Coaches Challenge, to help you create a healthy environment to build up kids.
The 5-Week Coaches Challenge
By signing up for the Coaches Challenge, you’ll receive emails from the What to Say team that will help you think about new ways to talk to the kids you coach about food and body.
FAQs from Coaches and Mentors
Below we’ve listed some common questions from coaches and mentors about creating a world free of diet and weight talk.
How do I talk about staying in shape without using triggering or potentially harmful language?
Athletes *do* need to be in healthy shape to play sports! As a coach, it’s likely that you’ll want to promote healthy habits such as exercise, mindful eating, and self-care in your athletes. This is a positive message, and we suggest you keep it that way by not including diet and weight talk. Focus on movement, joy, and personal growth instead.
I’m worried a child I know has an eating disorder? What do I do?
Eating disorders are serious. If you’re concerned, trust your gut but do not bring it up to the child before talking to their parents. Visit our Get Help page for specifics on how to handle this situation.
How can I promote a healthy world for all athletes and kids?
The first step is getting other adults involved. The more adults who know to focus on health–not size, shape, or weight– the better!
We’ve made this easy for you. You can share our pledge, share our website, or download social media templates to share on your pages. You are our biggest advocate; thank you for bringing others on board!
Blogs for Coaches
What America’s Top Athletes Know about Health & Performance with Olympic Skiers Jessie Diggins & Gus Schumacher
What America's Top Athletes Know about Health & Performance with
How do I share What to Say with other adults in my kid’s life?
How do I share What to Say with other
But there are certain foods that are better for us, right? Shouldn’t we be helping kids to understand and make good food choices?
But there are certain foods that are better for
What is Diet Talk and Why is it harmful?
What is Diet Talk and Why is it Harmful?
Aren’t we all just being a bit too sensitive? Shouldn’t we instead be helping our kids to not take everything so personally?
Aren't we all just being a bit too sensitive?
Isn’t it healthy to be mindful of your weight and to help your kids do so?
Isn't it healthy to be mindful of your weight and
Why is it so important to not talk about weight with judgment?
Why is it so important to not talk about
What is Weight talk?
What is Weight Talk? “Weight talk" is any mention
Tips for Not Singling a Kid Out About Food and Body
One Way to Not Single Out Kids About Food and
3 Things Teens Wish Adults Knew about Body Image & Diet Culture
3 Things Teens Wish Adults Knew about Diet Culture