Preparing for a Tournament

I went to the site you recommended and saw no real disagreement. I agree completely with what the site recommends about fluids, with one exception. Research has shown that sports drinks aren't as valuable as water until a player has exercised several hours and has expended nutrients. There were some early studies, funded by sports-drink companies, that seemed to show that sports drinks were helpful throughout the exercise, but those studes have since been refuted. Water is the best liquid for those first 2 or 3 hours.

The site also stresses eating carbohydrates. Again, I agree completely. The best carbohydrates for hot days are fruits, which contain a lot of water and potassium (especially bananas). But not all carbohydrates are created equal. A sweet pastry is technically a carbohydrate, but it is mostly refined sugar and empty calories and is not a decent breakfast for a ballplayer.

For pregame meals, the site says "don't skip breakfast or you'll start your day at a deficit" and "a little fat and protein are fine" for pregame meals (if you allow time to digest). I agree completely. The site also recommends avoiding very fatty, greasy meals. Again, I agree. That's why I say stay away from the burger joints.

The post was asking about day-long competition. If you want your players to be mentally sharp for a late-afternoon or evening game, you had better let them have some protein in the morning.

I don't see anything on the sportshuddle site about swimming. Where is your authority on that topic? I can't imagine what harm 20 or 30 minutes in a pool could do to a bunch of overheated kids. It's certainly not going to soften their muscles or sap their strength. Yes, I have read that there is some evidence that overhand swimming strokes may possibly be harmful to pitchers. But this research, as I recall, was based on swimming at training intensity, and had nothing to do with a few minutes of splashing around and doing cannonballs off the side.

A couple of years ago, I assisted an excellent coach who believed in this prohibition against swimming. It was something a coach had told him 25 years ago, and he believed it without question. I don't. It was torture for our kids to go back to the motel after a hot game and see players for the other teams cooling down and having fun. This rule certainly did not help us win. In fact, we tended to play worse than the other teams late in the day.

The next year, the coach changed his policy, and the kids have been playing better and having more fun. Neither of us would allow them to do much real swimming. But most kids just want to play in the water, anyway. They aren't usually keen on swimming laps. We just give them enough pool time to cool down and relax, and they're happy.