Soccer Athletes Focus on Nutrition

Nutrition and hydration were a key component of Duchesne Soccer’s success this season.

Head coach Lauren Aliano Mueller A’00 asked Daena Thalken, a nutritionist and Duchesne soccer parent, to teach the girls about fueling their bodies for peak athletic performance.

“It’s something we don’t talk about enough,” Mueller explained. “It resonated with the girls and gave them tangible takeaways.”

Payton Ward A’24 said her pre-game anxiety has made it challenging to fuel her body. She said having a dietician explain what to eat 90, 60, and 30 minutes before a game has helped take the edge off.

“I think it really has impacted my play,” she explained. “I can be more demanding of my body because I’m eating the right things at the right time.”

June Mullen A’24 is one of the lead scorers for the Cardinals. She will be playing soccer at Western Michigan University after graduation. She said she feels like practices have been easier since changing her mindset with nutrition.

“We’ve been talking about our bodies and visualization,” Mullen explained. “It’s about taking care of your body to be better on the field.”

Mueller said she hopes this dialogue can help the female athletes feel healthier both physically and mentally.

“I feel like every message they get is, ‘you’re not good enough, you’re not skinny enough, you’re not tall enough, whatever,” she said. “You are an athlete. Be proud of how strong your legs are. This is why you need to eat more than someone else not playing soccer that day.”