#9 (Part 2) - Fitness and Nutrition for Children’s Football (Soccer) with Terry Anderson

The Inner Huddle #9 (part 2) Fitness and Nutrition for Children's Football (Soccer) with Terry Anderson.

Welcome to the second part of our fitness and nutrition special with special guest Terry Anderson. In these shows we hope to give parents and coaches a better understanding of a variety of topics to do with fitness and nutrition for children, and offer some expert advice to help get things right for your own child. The list of questions in this episode, along with their timings, can be found below.

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Q6 (01:15) What are your thoughts on sports drinks?

Q7 (06:18) Have you any advice for pre-match meals? My child is 8 and his kick offs can be as early as 9am on Sunday mornings so it’s usually a banana and cereal bar in the car.

Q8 (08:11) I’ve noticed a lot of the children at my training sessions (U12s) are snacking during breaks. Is this a good idea, and, if so, what advice can I give them as to the best types of snack?

Q9 (10:00) My daughter is an under 11 and has played football for many years. She’s very good but really struggles with a lack of pace which I think really holds her back. I’ve been told that either you’re born fast or you’re not! Is this true and is there any way I can help her improve?

Q10 (13:15) At what age does it become important to warm up and to cool down before/after matches and training...?

Q11 (01:15) Is water the best drink I should be sending my child to football with?

Q12 (15:05) I’m pretty careful about my own diet but much less so with my nine year old son. He pretty much gets away with eating what he likes and never puts on any weight at all. Should I be more careful or is it ok to continue whilst he’s young enough to get away with it?

Q13 (20:05) At what age do children start losing their “natural” fitness and when should coaches start implementing fitness training into their sessions?

Q14 (25:10) At what age is it safe for children to start strength & conditioning training and what sort of things should they be doing at what age?

Q15 (28:15) Do you have any golden rules that children and parents can follow with regards to their diet?

Q16 (29:48) When I was a child we used to play all day every day during the holidays and until it got dark after school. There are now some pretty strict rules from the FA on how much children can play. I know that it’s competitive football that it relates to but just wondered what your thoughts are on the amount of hours children should be able to exercise for?