Successful development of an athlete is rooted in proper nutrition and health, both mentally and physically. Proper nutrition is key to both academic and athletic success. Eating the right foods at the right time can enhance mental focus and improve learning and the ability to concentrate on academic and skill related tasks. Well-designed pre and post exercise snacks will enhance recovery and improve the rate of improvement seen in all conditioning activities.
Typically between the ages of 8 and 14 children rely on their parents to make their meals and snacks. At Peak Centre Academy we believe in teaching responsibility and part of this is learning to be responsible for all aspects of your performance, including nutrition. The students are taught what types of foods to eat and when to eat them. We encourage parents to let the student participate in the nutrition process by letting them make and pack some of their snacks and lunches including actively participating in the grocery shopping process.
Most parents are aware of the importance of good nutrition for their children, but the subtle changes in eating and the timing of eating that are necessary for high performance are not common knowledge. To help parents and our young athletes make wise decisions about lunches and snacks for kids, Peak Centre Academy provides families with a set of nutrition guidelines at the beginning of the school term which outlines nutritious options for lunches and snacks. We will also be offering our students with various tools that will be helpful with their food choices. For example; diet analysis software which is now commonly found online or via various apps can be extremely beneficial and guide you towards optimal nutrition.
Helping young athletes reach their potential requires teaching skills that give children the ability to focus mentally, and to understand proper training techniques and how their bodies respond to training. These aspects of physical education are all included in our curriculum and are given special attention in order to encourage enhanced athletic development not only during development at a young age, but throughout their lifetimes.