Dein erstes Forum » Yost ranked 47th in coaching last year

Shes never thrown a 45-yard pass, tried to block a blitzing linebacker or drawn up the Xs and Os of zone pass coverage, yet Jennifer Gibson is right there on the Chicago Bears sideline for every practice and game. Tucked among the behemoth linemen, coaches and training staff is a fit, 36-year-old Canadian with long, blonde hair dressed in Bears colors whos in her second season as the teams sport science coordinator and sport dietitian. Her goal: to help every athlete on the roster perform at his highest level.Gibson came to the Bears after several years working with the U.S. and Canadian Olympic programs, guiding many athletes to the medal stand. Shes also worked with teams and athletes in professional soccer, tennis and the NBA. She has a degree in nutrition, is a registered dietitian, has a masters in exercise science and is a graduate of the International Olympic Committees sport nutrition program. Seeing a sport dietitian at a leadership conference piqued her interest. The combination of liking science and growing up in an Italian family played a factor, too. I liked food, Gibson says. I was trying to find a career path that blended the two, and there it was.She works with coaches and training staff to develop fueling and recovery plans for every player on the Bears roster. Over her career shes helped athletes lose weight and gain weight.A former standout high school three-sport athlete (cross country, volleyball and softball) in Toronto, Gibson continues to stay active. She runs or cycles every day and also does yoga three to five times per week. She works daily at the Bears facility in Lake Forest, Illinois. She and her husband live in the Chicago area with their two dogs.Here is Gibsons story, in her words:Feeding the BearsAs sport dietitian, Im responsible for anything involving food for the guys. All their nutrition needs from handling the cafeteria here -- where we feed them twice a day -- to all our food on the road: hotel meals, plane meals, postgame meals, pregame meals, locker room food and individual plans for the guys. Also, individual strategies for hydration and recovery.Whats on the menu?What youre trying to do is satisfy the needs of a delegation of up to 130 to 150 people. You want to make sure theres something for everybody. Plus, guys have routines and habits, especially for pregame meals. You just want to make sure everyone has what he needs. We also accommodate food allergies or intolerances. We had a player last season for a short period who was a vegan. Our scoops in our cafeteria are pre-measured to make it easy. Theres a whole lot of science that goes behind their (individual meal) plans, but when it gets to the players level its about, three scoops of this and two scoops of that.Counting caloriesIt was an interesting transition for me here, because I came in from Olympic combat sports. I was dealing with wrestlers cutting weight. So youre managing really small calorie budgets and then, coming to football, youre sometimes on the opposite of that for bigger guys. So when youre doing meal plans for 6,000 calories, youre kind of going, Wow, this is crazy. As you can imagine, we go through a lot of food here.Individual plansIts not mandatory that our guys have an individual meal plan. But like all teams in the league, we have mandatory weight targets the guys have to meet. So that lends itself to making sure I touch base with almost every single one of our players. You get to know each other pretty quickly. For sure, there are guys with 100 percent buy-in and guys that are 5 percent in. But there are few guys that are 0 percent in.This isnt TimbuktuArranging team meals on the road isnt that difficult. I used to travel around the world with the Olympic teams. Id try to set up food in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, China and remote villages in Europe, with language barriers and crazy things. So this is pretty easy. Were in the United States.Helping them healWe have a big emphasis here on anti-inflammatory foods because the players bodies are getting beat up all the time. So we have lots of fruits and vegetables, we have a juice bar, we have healthy, fatty fishes and nuts as snacks. We try to incorporate all those anti-inflammatory foods and have them available as snacks and in the cafeteria all day.Following her own adviceI have this joke that no one trusts an out-of-shape or overweight sport dietitian. I do eat a healthy diet. Its not that Im a food [stickler], either. Definitely theres 5 percent of my diet that I just enjoy whatever I want. But the bulk of it is absolutely what I preach.Science and techOur general manager, Ryan Pace, wanted to build our sport-performance department out a bit. My job as sport science coordinator is to investigate areas that are a bit non-traditional to improve performance. For example, we brought on a sports psychologist. And were using GPS technology. My job is to be aware of the research and trends so we can take a progressive approach.Tracking movement, sleepThe GPS trackers give us a sense of what theyre doing day to day on the field. How many yards theyre covering in practice, their speed, direction. Players are tracked during the game as well so you get a sense of what the load is on the body. That can influence practice tempos and reps and the stresses were putting on guys through the week. Were also educating players about sleep and looking at ways that can be optimized. We know sleep can be a valuable asset in recovery.Adapting to different athletesYou have to learn about the physiological demands and competition demands of different sports and adapt your nutrition interventions. Olympians and pro tennis players do a lot of global travel, so optimal eating on the road is an emphasis. Football has a lot of physical trauma and impact, so recovery strategies are important. Plus you have to understand the culture of each sport. Each sport and team has a different way they go about their business, chains of command and how you need to work. You really have to spend time learning the system to achieve your goals.PioneerOne of the things that makes this a really cool job is I know with the Bears, Im the first female staff on the football operations side. Last year there were six to seven of us in the league in football operations and this year theres 12. Its neat to see, to be on the forefront.Catalyst for changeIts been a little bizarre being the first woman on this side of the building. Like, where do we put you to change? What do we get you for apparel? Are you allowed to go here? Even on the sidelines Ill be stopped sometimes and told I cant enter because they think Im media, or not being allowed in the locker room until you show them your credentials. But its neat, because you feel youre at the beginning of something.Golden momentsAt the 2012 Olympic Games in London, I worked very closely with the combat sport athletes, because they have to make weight. To be a trusted member of an athletes journey to an Olympic medal, the highest sporting achievement on the planet, is an indescribable feeling. Dillon Brooks Jersey . LeBron James and Chris Bosh didnt need any more. Williams scored 11 points in 10 minutes, Alan Anderson scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets finished the exhibition season with a 108-87 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night. Marc Gasol Jersey . "I was fortunate to play many years at this level with a great organization and unbelievable teammates," said Hejduk in a statement. http://www.grizzliesbasketballpro.info/ . -- When the Florida Panthers fell behind by two goals in the first period to the top team in the NHL, it appeared they were on their way to yet another loss. Kyle Anderson Grizzlies Jersey . McPhee said that Ovechkins father Mikhail is in stable condition after having the surgery this week and is no longer in intensive care. "Weve told him to stay as long as necessary with your dad," he said. Ovechkin and his Russian national team were eliminated from the mens hockey tournament in Sochi on Wednesday with a 3-1 quarter-final loss to Finland. Bryant Reeves Grizzlies Jersey . -- The Sacramento Kings are set to become the first major professional sports franchise to accept Bitcoin virtual currency for ticket and merchandise purchases. This story is part of ESPN The Magazines Oct. 31 NBA Preview Issue. Subscribe today!Kansas City RoyalsOverall: 9 Title track: 1 Ownership: 37 Coaching: 54 Players: 16 Fan relations: 10 Affordability: 10 Stadium experience: 6 Bang for the buck: 24 Change from last year: +6The Royals had the second-biggest leap in last years Ultimate Standings, and now, after winning the World Series last fall, they climb into the top 10 as the highest-ranked MLB team. Key injuries to Mike Moustakas and Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordons bad year wrecked the teams playoff hopes, but Kansas City remained baseball-crazy, with the highest local TV ratings in the sport.Whats goodThe Royals scored high once again in the ballpark experience (sixth overall) and fan relations, and the team received the best affordability score in MLB (both 10th overall). In fact, ticket prices didnt increase after a World Series title. Its worth noting, though, that per-game attendance decreased from 2015, which is unusual for a World Series winner. It seems like the teams postseason attendance high actually came after the Royals first World Series trip in 2014. After all, fans of sports top-ranked title track team (up 46 spots from last year!) can get spoiled.Whatss badNed Yost ranked 47th in coaching last year -- remember, the polling was done just before the Royals won the World Series -- and fell a few spots to 54th this year.dddddddddddd Even with a ring, Royals fans remain unconvinced that Yost is one of the games top managers. Apparently, even the year after a title, its easier to blame the manager than the offense that finished near the bottom in runs scored.Whats newThe Royals climbed 23 spots in bang for the buck, which is a good sign that fans are leaving the ballpark happy. Next season will be interesting, as the Royals have already announced an increase in ticket prices to counter expected arbitration raises for Moustakas, Cain, Eric Hosmer, Danny Duffy and Alcides Escobar, all free agents after 2017. This is all about trying to keep this thing going as long as we possibly can on the field, Royals VP Toby Cook told the Kansas City Star in explaining the price hike. The coming season might be the final stand for this group of players, as the Royals are unlikely to be able to retain all those free agents.Next: Texas Rangers?| Full rankings ' ' '