It Takes a Village
Have you ever found yourself wondering about the people behind the players of your favorite sports? Collegiate sports are back, and it takes a village to make sure these players have what they need to succeed on the field.
I sat down with Jensen Skinner, a registered dietician working in the performance nutrition department for Gatorade SNIP (Sports Nutrition Immersion Program) at the University of Michigan to see just what it takes to keep the players on track to greatness.
Q: How did you get your start in this field?
A: “I first got my Bachelor of Science degree at UW-Madison in Nutritional Science and Dietetics, after I obtained that degree, I then went on to get my master’s at Arizona State University which allowed me to become a Registered Dietician. I’ve always been interested in performance nutrition, so once I learned about the Gatorade project, I thought I’d give it a go. I was one of 10 RD’s to make it into the program.
Q: You are one of four registered dieticians in the department, how does the work get split up for each of you?
A: “Well, we each have a set number of teams for each different sports seasons. Some of mine include swimming, water polo, and gymnastics. I have been in the program for about a year, so my teams are a bit smaller. We have about the same number of teams we take care of, but some teams are bigger, and some are smaller.”
Q: What does a typical day for you look like?
A: “Usually I visit the teams at practice, make them snack bags and go over meal plans for the week. About every other week I meet one-on-one with players where we go over a more in-depth, personalized meal plan. I make sure they are keeping up with their health goals and talk to them about anything else they feel needs to be addressed.”
Q: What are some of the best parts about your job?
A: “Honestly, I can’t choose! It’s obviously cool to meet players and be they’re behind the scenes help. I love to help people on their health journey. It is such a rewarding job and I can honestly say that there is not one part I dislike.”
Q: Where will your performance nutrition path take you next?
A: “Oh, I have a couple ideas! I’m so grateful to be a part of the SNIP program, and it’s a great opportunity to have when you want to go further in performance nutrition. I would love to work with a professional football team one day, it has been my career goal since the beginning of time in college.”
It’s no secret that behind every great player, is a skilled team putting in the time and effort to help them succeed. Performance nutrition is a very important part of every team and every player.