Courting Nutrition for Young Athletes

Inside and outside some of the basketball courts in North Portland, youth are getting instruction on more than just expanding their athletic skills. They’re learning how nutrition plays an important role in their development and physical functions.

MIKE partnered with Rosemary Anderson High School/POIC Community Healing Initiative (RAHS-CHI) over the summer to provide youth with activities that helped them understand how nutrition and certain foods can play a big part in how they feel. MIKE presented various activities and lessons for the youth to give them a broader basis for deciding what foods and beverages best support their health and strength.

RAHS teacher and basketball coach Arthur Moore, Jr., prepares his team for some drills at the Jefferson High School gym during a summer school session for RAHS CHI.

One of the foods that were most popular were protein-enriched beverages. That’s where MIKE’s partnership with the Oregon Dairy Council (ODC) came in. The Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) recognized milk as the “Official Recovery Beverage” of the OSAA. MIKE and the ODC teamed up to build curriculum that focused on the nutrition facts and benefits of milk for student athletes. Dairy provides a good source of calcium, which helps muscles contract, regulates normal heart rhythms and supports healthy bones and teeth.

MIKE's Anastasia Underwood, programs coordinator, guides youth through an analysis of protein as part of a nutrient-rich diet for young athletes. The lesson was provided at Argay Park as part of the RAHS CHI basketball summer program.

Mark Lewis, the Nutrition Director at ODC, with the ODC Communications Team, created an engaging video for MIKE youth to learn about the nutritional importance of dairy. Along with the video, which MIKE will also feature for other students throughout the year, MIKE hosted a tasting opportunity for the youth. They were able to test out regular chocolate milk and some protein-enriched beverages after their basketball practice. The lesson provided youth with a delicious way to determine what they like and why dairy can support their muscles before and after a workout or game.

Youth with the RAHS CHI program play a short game at Argay Park in North Portland as part of MIKE's summer program.

MIKE’s partnerships with Rosemary Anderson High School/POIC and the Oregon Dairy Council illustrate how our combined efforts can leverage greater advantages for youth and the community.