Kim was an extremely talented and energetic athlete at her middle school. In the fall, she was a starter on the girls' volleyball team and, along with her teammates, brought a winning trophy to her school. Kim had high hopes for the winter basketball season, basketball being her real love. During the first game of the season, she tore a ligament in her right knee. The pain of the tear was almost unbearable, but the real reason she was crying after the accident was that she knew she would not be able to play for the rest of the season. Kim found herself on the sidelines during practices handing her teammates water bottles and words of encouragement. However, she wanted to do more.
One day, Coach Jennings, frustrated with the number of candy wrappers and pop cans littered on the gym floor by his team shouted, "Doesn't anyone on this team eat right? Do you realize that what you eat can affect how well you perform?"
Kim was a bit startled by her coach's outburst, but she realized that there was a lot of truth to what he said. For years she had heard her older brother talk about what he needed to eat and avoid eating before he ran in his track meets. "Coach Jennings, I have a new job for me! Could I be our Team Nutritionist? I want to make sure the team knows how to eat healthy so they perform at their personal best on game day."
In this WebQuest, you will help Kim find out what and when her teammates should be eating on game day. The candy wrappers on the gym floor mean that she might also need to advise them on foods they should be avoiding.
As you discover the answers to the following questions, record them on your worksheet.
1. Like her coach, Kim has also noticed lots of different kinds of foods which her teammates brought to games: candy bars, carbonated beverages, raw veggies, crackers, potato chips, yogurt, popcorn, etc. Kim wondered why her coach got so excited about the pop and candy bars being eaten.
Go to: Sports and Nutrition (http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/hsnut/hsathletes2.html).
Help Kim find out what her teammates should avoid eating and why.
2. Now that she knows which foods to tell her team to avoid, Kim needs to find out if there are any special supplements, which would help their performance.
- Go to: FAQ's in Sports Nutrition (http://www.umass.edu/cnshp/faq.html) and
- Kid's Health.org for Teens (http://kidshealth.org/teen/nutrition/eatnrun.html).
Should Kim advise her teammates to use sports drinks, protein bars, and/or other food supplements?
3. The day of the next game is rapidly approaching. Since school lets out at 2:50 and the game doesn't begin until 5:00, her teammates will have plenty of nervous time on their hands. She wants to help them eat and drink right to play well.
- Go to: Kid's Health.org. for Teens (http://kidshealth.org/teen/nutrition/eatnrun.html) and
- YSN Superstore (http://www.ysn.com/health/nut_gameday2.html).
Find out what young athletes should eat and drink during a game, and from 1 to 3 or more hours before a game.
Is there anything special athletes should eat after the game event?
To the SCENARIO | To the TASK | To the PRODUCT
Make a timeline of pre-game, game time, and post-game foods which Kim, the team nutritionist, will recommend to her team. Think about how Kim will inform her teammates: a poster, a handout to post in their locker, etc. Design your product so that Kim could use it.
