HEATHER IS GIVING DRAGONS FOOD FOR THOUGHT
HEATHER Frost has honed her skills as a nutritionist in sports as diverse as baseball and water polo.
Now she is taking those enriching experiences into football for the first time – and giving her services for free as well.
Basingstoke Town of the Southern League Division One South are the lucky recipients after she answered a call for volunteers.
It is quite a coup for the club given that Heather worked for eight months at Major League Baseball team Pittsburgh Pirates and two years with ASA Swim England.
She is delighted to be on board as performance nutritionist working with, and advising, the parttime first team and the full-time Academy. The junior sides down to under 9s will also benefit.
“It is another step in my career and should be an amazing experience,” Heather told The NLP. “I have been involved in sports nutrition for about seven-to-eight years now and it is quite a competitive environment.
“Joining a football club like this with a number of teams of different age groups is ideal for me. Not only will I be passing on my advice to the first team but youngsters as well. That is important for me, whatever the sport.
“Even if we can get just an extra one per cent out of a player, it will have been worth it. It’s trying to get them to embrace a healthier lifestyle.”
Vice-chairman Kevin White added: “Hopefully Heather’s meal plans will make the players better. We were very happy she wanted to work with us. The problem might be enforcing it and getting them to embrace a different diet. Even if only half the squad take it on board, it would be a good result.”
Former Academy player Kieran Rodgers has been named as head of performance analysis and White added: “We are trying to build a solid structure, not one on egg shells as it was in the past.”