What Pressure and Peer Pressure Can Feel Like

Pressure to prioritize the team’s success over your own health
Pushing yourself to “overcome” symptoms rather than take care of them

Tips

Avoiding overexertion

Figuring out your routine: Staying hydrated, taking snack and water breaks that are healthy for your body
Making sure you are getting enough nutrition and nutrients
Physical stress adds to other stress (academic, mental, etc.)
Prioritize health and school over additional stress from sports

Advocating for yourself in team situations

How to talk to coaches or athletic teachers - Get doctor’s note
Communication - Do not be afraid to speak up
Eating with your team - Team dinners or provided snacks at games
- Make sure to know in advance what they have vs what you want to bring for yourself

Athletics and IBD

Competitive Athletics: Perspective from Kathleen Baker - Olympic Swimmer with Crohn's

Source: Kathleen Baker's Official Twitter Page

Her practice plan:

"They designed a unique practice plan that cut against everything Baker had come to believe. She would practice once a day, not twice. She would go home on weekends and be with her family and see friends — all those normal things. After treatments, she took more time away from the pool. Marsh would watch her very closely to see if Crohn’s was crushing her, and on those days he would tell her to stop."

Her mother, Kimberly said, "She had been raised to believe that hard work is what gets you places in life. And now we were telling her that hard work doesn’t work for her. And it doesn’t – in her case, it’s the opposite. She has to work smarter. She has worked on her technique, on perfecting her turn, on things like that."

Source: NBC Story on Kathleen Baker