Dietitians’ Work Gives Ole Miss Athletes a Boost (The Clarion-Ledger)
Story taken from The Clarion-Ledger by Daniel Paulling
OXFORD – Frank Newell considers “stalking” — in a good way — an important part of his job.
The Ole Miss sports dietitian walks around the Manning Center each day and asks athletes what they’ve eaten, a question he has no idea how many times he’s posed. He asked at least twice during 15 minutes on a recent Wednesday afternoon at the Grill at 1810, the athletes’ dining hall.
The point of asking is to force his athletes — in his role as a sports registered dietitian, Newell works with the football, baseball and track and field teams — to pick up on anything problematic. If an athlete’s schedule keeps him from eating lunch on a certain day, they find a way for him to grab some snacks quickly.
Newell’s vigilance pays off in ways both big and small.
One football player walked past him standing in the entryway to the Grill, grabbed a drink and began walking out. Newell stopped him and persuaded him to turn around and eat lunch, an important thing with the player needing energy for a summer workout about four hours later.
Other players, however, require more work.