Jun 30, 2020UNLV Dietitian Playing Key Role For Rebels During Pandemic
Now, more than ever, an athletic program’s dietitian is one of the most important specialists a team can have.
The Runnin’ Rebels of the University of Las Vegas know that more than most. With student-athletes scattered across the country due to COVID-19 quarantines, UNLV dietitian Nicole Kiley’s job has changed in many ways, but the reason remains the same.
In a recent article from the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Kiley relayed how she’s been keeping the Rebels’ student-athletes healthy via telecommunication — providing nuanced, detailed guidelines tailored to the needs of her 500-plus student-athletes at UNLV.
“All of our athletes get that fundamental education on how to fuel themselves properly for the sport,” she told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “My goal is always, how do I equip the athlete with the knowledge and skillset to not only be successful now but long after sport? As a normal human, too.”
Going the extra mile, Kiley has even virtually sifted through student-athletes’ fridges to not only ensure they are eating correctly but also offer advice on what to eat.
The head football coach at UNLV, Marcus Arroyo, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that Kiley has been one of their players’ main points of contact through the pandemic to establish and reinforce healthy habits.
» ALSO SEE: 5 Strategies for Student-Athletes to Stay Fueled
“We can control that right off the bat in a different way,” Arroyo told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “Eating right, sleeping right, and not putting stuff in your body that’s going to (mitigate) some of these gains is really important. That’s hard. That’s a big one, I’m sure, for everyone in the country.”
To read the full story from the Las Vegas Review-Journal on UNLV athletics leaning on its dietitian during the pandemic, click here.
