Members of the GNOC Medical and Anti-Doping Commission (GMADC) wrapped up three days presenting to 6^th -8^th grade student athletes, at Jose Rios Middle School in Piti.

The presentations were led by GMDAC members Ryan Claros, Paul Claros and Lenora Makela.

Roughly eighty student athletes from all ISA sports participated in the 60-minute sessions. During the presentations the Spirit of Sport, Anti-Doping, Fueling the Athlete (Hydration and Nutrition), and movement patterns were discussed.

Physical Therapist Ryan Claros presented on the values synonymous with sport: Respect, Equity and Inclusion. He talked about how these values not only make you a better teammate, but also a better person which makes for a better community. He also discussed the value of being a “Clean Athlete” leads to a “Clean Sport” and reminded athletes that they ultimately are responsible for what they put into their bodies.

Dietician/Nutritionist Lenora Makela talked about the principles of hydration and proper nourishment to support your sport goals. She demonstrated how much sugar an athlete can consume by just “sugary” drinks alone and how that can affect sporting performance. She concluded her presentation with the key point – drinking water is a skill that needs to be mastered by young athletes.

Strength Coach Paul Claros closed each session going over movement patterns to include the squat, bend, lunge, push, pull and carry principles. Paul also discussed properly progressing athletes with workload and overall work capacity. He also reminded them that outside stressors and lack of sleep can contribute to decreased performance.

The GMDAC presenters would like to thank Physical Education and Health Teachers Jesse Baza, Colleen Flores and Charisse Bolabola, from Jose Rios Middle School for facilitating the presentations.

‍