Introducing Our Guest Blogger: Stefanie Rock – Fueling Youth Hockey Excellence!
Meet Stefanie Rock, a certified sports nutritionist with a keen focus on the distinct nutritional requirements of youth and teen athletes. With over a decade of experience supporting her own kids through the world of travel baseball and hockey, including junior hockey, Stefanie is no stranger to the fast-paced, demanding world of youth sports. 
Youth hockey demands more than just skill; it requires the right nutrition to perform at the highest level. Stefanie Rock is here to share her expertise and practical insights on optimizing nutrition for young hockey players. Whether you’re a dedicated parent seeking advice to support your aspiring hockey star or a young athlete aiming to enhance your on-ice performance, Stefanie’s wealth of knowledge and experience will be your trusted guide. Stay tuned for her forthcoming articles, providing valuable tips and inspiration to help you and your young athletes excel in the world of youth hockey.
7 Tips for Playing Your Best at Tournaments
There’s no doubt that tournaments are a great opportunity for team building, exciting travel, and competing against new teams… but they can also be exhausting! They’re also another example of why “eat like the pros” doesn’t work for youth and teen athletes- pros don’t play 4, 5, or 6 games in a weekend.
Fortunately, focusing on a few essential fueling and foundation ideas before and during the tournament can help athletes stay energized and recovered from game one to the final championship game.
On your way to your next tournament?
Try these 7 tips for playing your best games:
Although they’re definitely high-activity, tournaments should also be a fun, memorable experience… not one that leaves you sore and exhausted for days to follow. Practicing these 7 tips will help athletes sustain energy and support recovery to thrive through the long weekend.
- Focus on fueling! Energy and endurance are built on more than one pre-game meal. Build the habit of eating frequently (every 2-3 hours) before you arrive at the tournament. Remember, the digestion of protein and fats for usable energy generally takes about 4 hours. So, opt for larger meals whenever you have the most digestion time before/after practices & games.
- Hydrate! Maintaining at least minimum hydration is essential for energy, focus, endurance, and recovery. How much do you need? Start with 1/2 your body weight (lbs) as ounces. For example: 120 lbs = 60 ounces of water. Your body will need more to compensate for sweat, but focus on consistently reaching minimum hydration throughout the day first!
- Post-workout snack! To help the body recover from exertion and to help prepare for the next game/workout, have a small carbohydrate snack within 30-45 minutes post-workout. Fruit, bagel, pasta, 1/2 a sandwich, or rice are great options. Chocolate milk is another good option if your stomach can tolerate more during that short window.
- Prepare for delays! Between travel and games, you’re bound to have delays. Pack extra fueling snacks (fruit, granola, trail mix, sandwiches, or pretzels) to maintain energy consistency.
- Water for the road! Airplanes are incredibly dehydrating. Minimize or avoid caffeine and drink extra water on the flight. Driving? Bathroom breaks may seem inconvenient, but hydrating en route will better prepare your body for the first game.
- Fuel between games! Only a few hours between games? Carbohydrates are your champion fuel! Yes, protein is important, but it’s also slow to digest. With only 2 hours between games, focus on carbs first with a little lean protein: rice with chicken or edamame, French toast with a scrambled egg, pasta with a little meat sauce, or a wrap sandwich with chicken or turkey.
- Get sleep! Tournaments can feel like a weekend sleepover party with friends, but sleep is when the body repairs and recovers. Try to meet your 7-9 hours of recommended sleep so your body is best prepared for the next game. Early morning game? Use naps to your advantage to help meet sleep needs.
Need more fueling and nutritional ideas for your youth athlete? Concerned that your athlete isn’t meeting their nutritional needs for the game or growth? Stephanie of Rock Performance is happy to answer your questions and help elevate your athlete to be ready from a healthy age-appropriate nutritional level. Visit rockperformance.net
Stefanie Rock joins us quarterly to share her knowledge, wisdom, and experience on nutrition for youth and teen athletes. Thank you for joining us in our mission of positivity in youth hockey. Here’s her previous blog with us Fueling for Tournament Success– Follow us on social media to know when Stephanie’s next blog will be shared with us.
A big thank you goes out to our guest blogger, Stephanie Rock! She is a great resource for fueling your hockey player. Please check out all of her amazing fueling tips on Instagram.
Want more tips on having a great hockey tournament experience, follow us on Social Media. We post about our attendees and our tournament experiences, plus useful hockey tips daily.