It is important that you prepare for exercise such as training sessions or matches by eating a suitable meal, a reasonable time before the event. You should also ensure that you carry a high energy drink (Lucozade Sport or similar). If you have prescribed medication, such as an inhaler, you should ensure that you carry it and make the team officials aware that you may require it. It is also advisable that you should have had a reasonable amount of sleep, which is an average of 7-8 hours within a 24hour period.

As you are already athletes, a great many of you may have ambitions to take up sport as a profession, so you will need to lead a healthy lifestyle. It may be that you just play for the enjoyment of the game, which is great because that is what the game is all about. The Club encourages a healthy lifestyle whatever your ambitions are, as this will give you a better quality of life in general.

Check out the really good advice link about achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This gives advice about exercise, lifestyle, nutrition and the way you go about living your everyday life. This is an important issue for everybody so you should all have a look.

If you have any concerns about your health, you should let your parents know and speak to your doctor if necessary. They or you should then advise the club of any concerns immediately. We advise all players that a routine health check should be carried out at your doctors. You do not need to be unwell to make an appointment. Professional opinion now suggests that such checks should be made as routine, no matter what your age.

As a parent, you are responsible for many aspects of your child's involvement in sport. Give them encouragement, but don't pressure them to play sport.

Here's a handy guide to helping your child through the ups and downs of their sporting life.

If your child starts to lose interest, find out why and think of ways you can get their interest back. Maybe they need a new challenge. By encouraging your kids to have a go at other sports you'll make them feel in control. There's loads of sports on offer out there, so if football's not their thing, athletics could well be the one. The whole point of playing sport is having fun, as well as picking up new skills.

The more involved your child gets in sport, the more they'll need your support. If your kids take sport seriously, they'll become stressed at times. This is when they'll need your help. Sport can provoke extreme emotions, like having to deal with losing, or the adrenalin rush you feel when you win. It may be the first time your child has experienced these feelings, but it won't be the last - sport is a good place to start. Give them as much support as possible by going to as many of their games and competitions as possible - they'll appreciate you being there.

If your child needs your support, make yourself accessible to them. Or better still, get involved by volunteering your services or take up coaching, then you'll be in a much better position to help them out.

Once your children start playing sport, there's the extra stresses to add like preparing for trials, winning and losing, getting on with the coach and other team-mates. Make sure you know what's going on.

This can be a difficult time for kids - and you. If your child starts worrying about what the coach thinks of them, comparing their performance to their team-mates, they can become intimidated. Remind them to focus on themselves. Set goals for them and talk about the ways to reach them. Remind your kids that if they don't succeed at a particular trial, it doesn't mean they won't succeed at another.

While nobody likes to lose, children should be reminded it's also how you play that matters. Questions such as "did you win?" or "did you score?" can make your kids feel as if they've failed. Focus on maintaining your child's confidence. Ask them if they enjoyed the game and how they could have done better. Most importantly, ask your child if they had fun.

It may be the first time your child has been part of a team. Encourage them to get to know their team-mates. The same goes for your relationship with the coach and other parents. You all have different goals. You're concerned with your kids' performance, the other parents with theirs and the coach with the team as a whole. If the coach makes a decision that you're not happy with, try not to cause trouble with them as this will invariably cause more headaches for your child. Or you could give coaching a shot yourself.

Growth Spurts

Growth spurts can be a big issue for some children. They have a disorientating affect on their sporting activities and make them more susceptible to injury.

When do they strike?

Boys typically experience growth spurts from 10 to 14. But every child is unique and develops at a different rate.

What's happening?

During a growth spurt a child's bones grow first and fast and their muscles and tendons become inflexible as they get stretched tight until they catch up. The child's longer limbs, bigger feet and lack of muscular structure can often lead to a loss in co-ordination. And there's a greater tendency to be injury-prone.

Useful precautions

· Make sure your child stretches before and after sport (it's a better stretch and improves flexibility quickly)

· Ease your child into new seasons or sports

· Keep ability levels as closely matched as possible

· Avoid explosive sports!

Where injuries hit

In particular watch out for nagging heel or knee injuries and inflammations.

Late developers

Some kids may be at a disadvantage physically if they are late maturers. But keep up the words of encouragement. Late developers can still go on to have excellent sporting experiences.

What Is Burnout

Burnout basically means physical or emotional exhaustion caused by long-term stress. Children just starting out in sport are unlikely to be affected. If they get seriously involved, it could then become a factor. The symptoms of burnout can be physical, mental and/or emotional.

What are the causes

Burnout can happen if excessively high expectations are placed on a child by parents or coaches and they are pushed too hard too quickly. Children who go all out in their sport and neglect other areas of their life, like schoolwork, may also fall foul. The symptoms can be confusing for parents but being aware of them is important because the severe cases can lead to clinical depression.

What to watch for in your child:

· Constantly feeling tired

· Easily frustrated

· Not wanting to go to practice or training

· Increased irritability

· Headaches or minor body aches

· Worrying about failure and adult expectation

Watch out for the development of these symptoms. And act quickly when you spot them.

The road to recovery

Rest and relaxation is the best cure and talking about any problems is also a good way of improving things. You won't have all the answers but just understanding the problems will be a help. Don't expect too much from your child. Make sure you know what their aspirations are and try to help them achieve those goals rather than pushing them.