Sports Nutrition Game Plan Benefits Youth Athletes with Beef

Student-athletes face the daily struggles that come with reaching peak performance while juggling busy lives and demanding schedules. Despite the countless hours spent on practice and training, one key element remains essential to their success: proper nutrition.

Understanding the critical role of nutrition, especially protein like beef, in a high-performance diet, TBC created the Sports Nutrition Game Plan to provide athletes what they need to excel. The premier sports nutrition program was designed specifically for Texas high schools to offer power-packed beef nutrition resources for athletes and their coaches.

After launching less than two years ago, more than 600 coaches, athletic directors, and trainers have signed up to harness the power of beef for their athletes. The program is also reaching the next generation outside the Lone Star State, with 19 other state beef councils actively using the content and assets developed by TBC.

Fueling From the Football Field to the Ranch 

Passionate about his health and athletic career, Luke Vyvlecka is a current participant in the Sports Nutrition Game Plan program.

“The meal plans have been the most beneficial part of the program for me. Like pre-game or post-game meals, but especially customizable meals that are going to help me reach my personal physical goals,” said Vyvlecka. 

Although an active football player at Jourdanton High School, Vyvlecka is not your typical student-athlete. At home on the ranch, he is also a cattle producer alongside his parents and sister. Growing up so close to the beef industry his entire life, he never imagined the impact it would have on his success as an athlete.

“Having beef as a main component in these meals offers more variety and ends up helping me feel more full during practice or a game,” said Vyvlecka. 

In addition to directly impacting student-athletes, the program has created an additional outlet to help coaches and trainers continue showing their dedication to making sure their athletes are happy and healthy as game time approaches. 

A person who has devoted his life to helping athletes is Karl Bielfeldt, who is commonly known as “Coach Beef.” Biefeldt recently joined the Marble Falls High School athletic staff as the strength and conditioning coordinator. His introduction to Sports Nutrition Game plan started during his previous time coaching at Leander High School, where he used the program to encourage his athletes to reach their full potential. 

“It's nice to have information from a registered sports dietitian,” said Biefeldt. “It really gives us a nice avenue of credibility to tell parents that we are using information from a credentialed professional to help their kid achieve the goals they have established.”

Putting Beef in the Center of the Plate

With many schools unable to hire a sports dietitian, this program bridges the gap by providing free tools like videos, recipes, meal plans, and tips that are easily accessible online. The program equips athletes of all sports with science-backed tools while simultaneously positioning beef as an optimal high-quality protein to fuel training, performance, and recovery. 

Amy Foster, the nutrition and health manager for TBC, set out to create the program after recognizing the needs of Texas coaches and how beef could lead the conversation. 

“The goal is to make beef’s powerful nutrition part of sports culture, and we’re off to an amazing start,” said Foster. “Resources like this are so needed, and participants appreciated that TBC is addressing the importance of nutrition on behalf of Texas beef producers.”

To help formulate the diet aspect of the program, TBC enlisted Amy Goodson, a registered dietitian with an emphasis on sports nutrition and a 20-year long-standing history ranging from Little League to the NFL. 

“We are really trying to show how beef plays a role in a nutrient-rich diet that includes all foods - providing the nutrients and protein that athletes need to perform their best,” said Goodson.

A Full Circle Program

Kara Dudley, a rancher originally from Marble Falls, is excited to see how the program can benefit her high school alma mater through Coach Bielfeldt. She also serves on the TBC Board of Directors and is a member of the Texas Beef Team, which strives to encourage Texans to live a healthier lifestyle with beef on their plate.

“As someone who sells cattle and pays into the Beef Checkoff, I can say with confidence this is a well-thought-out program that is impacting the next generation,” said Dudley.

According to Dudley, preparing the beef meals featured in Sports Nutrition Game Plan helps her feel fueled for races and ready to provide her family the adequate nutrition needed to thrive in their daily routines.

Producers can explore these resources at SportsNutritionGamePlan.com and get involved by encouraging the athletes or coaches in their life to sign up and be powered by beef.