A vulnerable, yet common, theme in sports is diet. Athletes either bulk or cut based on the goals they want to achieve. And in high school, where insecurity tends to spike, having strict goals for trying to reach a body or health goal is even more common. But what happens when your coach pushes their own ideal diet on athletes?
Recently, after a teammate brought Crumbl Cookies to practice, to share with her teammates, cross country Coach Kellie Redmond made an Instagram post to the cross country account about how what you eat during race season will affect a runner’s race time. The photo posted was the box of Crumbl with a drawing of a general prohibition sign on it with the caption “Keep in mind what you eat through the season will impact your races and workouts! Make smart decisions people!!”
Captain Annie Sun, the teammate who brought the cookies, did not do so with ill intentions, simply hoping to share some leftover cookies with her teammates. When Redmond made the post, she commented jokingly, viewing the post as a good reminder. “I think that Coach Redmond’s post was necessary especially since we had a lot of important meets coming up as the season was ending. Making sure that we all knew that we needed to be strict with what we ate would help us be in the best shape for the races,” Sun said.
While at first the team showed frustration toward the post, they became more understanding of the intentions Redmond had. “I feel that she really motivates me to perform my best in meets, which is really impacted by what you eat leading up to the meet. She encourages us to get a good healthy breakfast and drink a lot of water. Her influence helps me feel more energized during race days and regular days,” captain Maggie Hennessy said.
Although being mindful of what they eat is important to them, athletes say they still feel that a sweet treat here or there throughout the season is not a bad idea. “I think that having a sweet treat once in a while does not hurt and can be rewarding after a hard workout or a good race,” Sun said.
Runners say they see the post as a humorous way for Redmond to keep them aware of their food habitats. “I think that the post was a funny way to make sure that we made good food choices and I encourage others to make sure they continue healthy eating habits,” Sun said.
While Redmond’s post may have come across to some as an attempt to control her runners’ diets, team members said they have no thought that their coach has bad intentions for their health or relationship with food. “I don’t think the post was necessary but it was a good reminder to be mindful of what I eat,” senior Mia Silbert said.
This reporter did attempt to speak to Coach Redmond, but she was not available for an interview.
