The Sports Nutrition Playbook · Amy Goodson

Ep. 72 Providing Pro Services to Youth Athletes

·38 min·2 clips

A five-star football recruit showed up to a state semifinal having eaten only two donuts all day.

1. The Sports Nutrition Playbook episode focuses on providing pro-level services to youth and teen athletes. 2. Host Amy Goodson, a veteran sports dietitian, and guest Dr. Sean Garth, a sports medicine physician in DFW and founder of SportMed Connect, lead the conversation. 3. The episode asks how clubs, parents, and coaches can treat 14- and 15-year-old athletes like professionals in nutrition, hydration, warmup, and recovery. 4. Garth says the biggest challenges are knowing what to eat, when to eat it, and how much to eat. 5. He names real food choices that show the problem, including Chick-fil-A, Takis, energy drinks, and a bag of Cheez-Its for lunch. 6. Goodson says she has worked as a sports dietitian for 20 years and still sees athletes making the same fueling mistakes. 7. The pair argues that good nutrition can make a good athlete great, while bad nutrition can make a great athlete merely good. 8. Garth says the most effective message for young athletes is to treat themselves like a professional. 9. He compares pro routines to youth habits by pointing out that pros do not wake up and start training without preparation or fuel. 10. He recalls team fueling huts at a Division I university that stocked high-quality, high-protein snacks for athletes. 11. One of the most memorable stories is his five-star recruit at a state semifinal who arrived at halftime cramping after eating only two donuts all day. 12. That story is used to show that elite talent does not protect an athlete from poor fueling or dehydration. 13. Garth says SportMed Connect was built because club athletes often face a gap in knowledge and access to care. 14. He contrasts high school rules with the less regulated club world, where athletes may practice four days a week, take private lessons, and travel constantly. 15. The service offers a 24-7 injury hotline, access to sports medicine physicians, sports nutrition content, and one-on-one counseling. 16. Garth says 80% of calls are triaged and treated over the phone without a doctor visit. 17. He says uncertainty is one of the biggest problems for parents, coaches, and club directors when an injury happens. 18. The tone is practical and conversational, with Amy and Sean trading examples, parent concerns, and repeated calls for earlier intervention. 19. Coaches, parents, and club directors who want clear sports medicine and nutrition support would benefit most. 20. Readers looking for a purely entertainment-driven sports chat probably would not.

As heard by us

Youth sports support works best when nutrition, injury care, and parent guidance are treated as one system.

The Sports Nutrition Playbook treats youth sports support as more than advice about food. Amy Goodson and Dr. Sean Garth keep the focus on practical basics that families and teams can actually use: warmup habits, hydration, nutrition, sports medicine access, and what to do when…

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Why you'd press play

For parents who want a clearer answer than guesswork when a teen athlete gets hurt.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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