Sports RD Snippets

The “30 for 30” Episode! I’m hitting rewind and taking you back to the beginning. There have been 30 interviews on the podcast so far and in this episode I highlight 1-2 takeaways from each Sports RD guest to close out the season. Each episode has been packed with so much advice and inspo that you won't want to forget! I’ll be back in June for the start of Season 3 with another Sports RD guest! Thank you so much for listening and spreading the word about Sports RD Snippets. I appreciate you all! 

If you could tell your younger RD self one thing, what would you say? 

The final interview of Season 2! Jessica Isaacs has an incredible journey to becoming a sports dietitian. Jessica shares advice for up- and-coming Sports RD's and takes us behind the scenes of her social media! 

Jessica Isaacs is a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, a Performance Dietitian at UCLA, and also operates a virtual private practice. She completed undergrad at Purdue University where she also interned under the Director of Sports Nutrition, Lauren Link.

Jessica’s professional career as a Sports Dietitian began at Kobe Bryant’s MAMBA Sports Academy, where she worked with hundreds of athletes from youth to pro, providing 1-1 performance nutrition counseling, group education opportunities. She also supported MAMBA’s NFL pre-combine and NBA pre-draft programs, and had the opportunity to support Kobe’s MAMBA Pro Invitational Camp which hosted several top NBA players. Jessica now works with the Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams at UCLA, operating as an integral part of the performance team.

She also recently partnered with All Access Dietetics to launch the Real World Sports Nutrition Toolkit where she shares advice that helped fast track her sports dietetics career and is packed with resources for aspiring sports dietitians.

Jessica believes in cutting through the B.S. of nutrition misinformation and diet culture, and uses social media as a creative way to share her performance nutrition messages, making educational content, graphics, and lots of TikToks and Reels.

Follow Jessica on social media @jessicathesportsrd 

Know your worth and know your value! Julia Zalewski talks about her mentors in the field, the pros and cons to working at a Power 5 institution vs outside the Power 5, as well as the key lessons learned when transitioning into a new role! We recorded this episode while Julia was still at Tulsa, before starting her new role at Arkansas! 

Julia Zalewski started last week as the Football Dietitian for the University of Arkansas. Previously she was Director of Sports Nutrition for The University of Tulsa athletics department for 2+ years working under the Athletic Performance staff. She came to Tulsa following one season as the Director of Sports Nutrition at New Mexico State University. Zalewski was the first dietitian at NMSU, where she was responsible for developing and implementing the sports nutrition program for all 15 intercollegiate teams.

Pro Football Sports Dietitian!

Jordan Mazur is currently the Director of Performance Nutrition and Sports Dietitian for the San Francisco 49ers. He obtained his bachelor's of science degree in nutritional science from the University of Connecticut and master's of science in exercise science with a concentration in sports nutrition from the Florida State University where he also completed his dietetic internship.

Jordan also work as an advisor and ambassador to many nutrition and health brands to elevate and create education around their brands from a nutrition and human performance perspective.Additionally Jordan writes and contributes to many media publication including Men’s Journal. His passion is sports and his drive is to make athletes the very best that they can be - helping people become efficient running machines.

Every Connection Matters! Christina Chu has been an RD for 1 full year! Christina talks all about what it’s like to be a new RD in a pandemic, how to gain sports nutrition experience during this time, and the importance of having a mentor.

Christina Chu is a performance dietitian consultant based out of Chicago, IL. She works with athletes from youth to professional to optimize their nutrition to fuel their lifestyle. She became a dietitian in February 2020, shortly before the start of a global pandemic. During this time, Christina was able to develop and implement sports nutrition programs in Chicago-area performance centers and clinics to best support high-level athletes in the Windy City.

Christina is a double terrier, having completed her Bachelor's and Master's Degree at Boston University. She conducted her dietetic internship at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Needham, and has had past performance nutrition experiences at Boston University Athletics Fueling Station and an elective rotation at the UFC Performance Institute. In addition to being a dietitian, Christina also teaches cycling classes at Equinox and conducts corporate wellness seminars. She is a former personal trainer, tennis instructor, and writer. You can find her at @ChristinaYChu on Instagram.

Combat and Weight Class Sports Nutrition! 

Clint Wattenberg is a veteran Sports RD that has an incredible journey to becoming a sports dietitian. Clint talks all about his experience as a student athlete and sports dietitian at the collegiate level, eating disorders in sport, and his experience working with combat and weight class sports athletes at the UFC Performance Institute.

Clint Wattenberg is the Director of Performance Nutrition at the UFC Performance Institute. Since starting at the UFC PI in 2017 at the program’s creation, Clint has helped guide the nutrition program to include (soon-to-be) four full-time sports dietitians and a vibrant internship program focused on building the next generation of combat and weight class sports nutrition. Contributing to the growth of the field has been a focus of Clint’s career seen through the development of the Combat & Weight Class Sports Summit, the publication of his eBook Performance Nutrition for Wrestlers and his commitment to professional mentorship of emerging sports dietitians. Clint is also responsible for managing the expansion and coordination of the UFC PI Nutrition Team to include the UFC PI Shanghai and support service expansion that includes comprehensive culinary integration and nutrition team support of all UFC events.

Prior to joining the UFC, Clint served as the Coordinator of Sports Nutrition at his alma mater Cornell University.  In addition to supporting the Big Red’s 37 teams, Clint worked as part of the Cornell Healthy Eating Program (CHEP) as an eating disorder nutrition specialist and helped to found Body Positive Cornell (BPC), an eating disorder prevention and campus-wide wellness initiative. Clint was a student athlete (wrestling) at Cornell where he was an All-American and was on the US Freestyle Wrestling National Team as a post-grad.  Other relevant experiences include serving as an assistant coach at Cornell, Director of the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club (developmental through elite senior level), President of New York Wrestling Association for Youth (NYWAY) and competing in Mixed Martial Arts.

Go Heels! Kelsee Gomes has an incredible journey to becoming a sports dietitian. Kelsee was also my SNIP mentor almost 5 years ago! We talk all about the SNIP experience, what I learned during that time and what would have both done differently. Kelsee shares the value fellowship positions have on athletic departments and how these roles can help sports dietitians get to the next level in their career! 

Kelsee Gomes joined the UNC Sports Medicine staff in February 2015 as Director of Sports Nutrition. She works closely with UNC's varsity athletic teams, providing sports nutrition education, nutrition counseling and meal planning assistance.

More information below on the Gatorade Sports Nutrition Immersion Program! (SNIP) through CPSDA 

https://sportsrd.org/career-development/gatorade-internships/

The Gatorade Sports Nutrition Immersion Program (SNIP) matches full-time sports dietitians with CPSDA members interested in getting more practical hands-on experience working with athletes and sports programs.

Each fellow will focus on career development under the mentorship of a host sports dietitian. Fellows will receive a monthly stipend. Working in cooperation with Gatorade, SNIP Program Managers match fellows through an in-depth application and review process. Mentor/Host-Sites also participate in an in-depth selection process conducted by a committee.

Take Action! Matt R. Frakes has an inspiring journey to becoming a sports dietitian. Matt shares his unique path to earning his PhD, the value of the CSCS credential, and diversity, equity and inclusion in the dietetics field. Matt talks all about how we can take action, make a lasting impact and create change.

Matthew R. Frakes, PhD, RD, CSCS is a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified strength and conditioning specialist. Mr. Frakes is a former Division I collegiate student-athlete who completed his undergraduate and Master's degree at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, and his Doctorate degree at the University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS. He has a wide range of experiences in sports nutrition, strength and conditioning, private practice, and healthcare settings. His passion includes enhancing athletic performance through both evidence-based research and practice-based evidence. Building upon a sports nutrition and clinical nutrition background, his research interest focuses on the impact of nutrition and dietary intake on the recovery rate of sports-related concussions. Currently, Mr. Frakes works as a Sports Nutritionist at the University of Louisville.

CPSDA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee #CPSDATakesAction

https://sportsrd.org/diversity-inclusion-equity/

Check out Diversity Dietetics and the resources they have to offer! 

https://www.diversifydietetics.org/donate

Be Authentically You! 

Emily Danckers has an incredible message to stay true to who you are! In this episode we talk all about how to gain experience in undergrad without a full-time sports RD on campus, advice on starting a private practice during COVID, and the importance of being yourself at home and in the workplace! 

Emily Danckers studied nutrition and exercise science at Syracuse University before attending the Ohio State University MS/DI program with an emphasis in sports. After becoming an RD in 2017, she started her career as a sports dietitian working with athletes at Ohio State University, the Chicago Cubs, and University of Illinois. In 2020, she stepped away from sports nutrition to start her private practice, Emily RD Nutrition Coaching. She now meets with clients (virtually) to help them create lifelong healthy habits and break away from the dieting cycle. You can learn more about her at www.emilyzorn.com or on Instagram @emily_rd_.

Leading with passion & a vision! Amy Culp is a veteran sports dietitian with incredible insight and advice on her career path to becoming a sports dietitian. Amy will remind you to follow your passion, stick to your values and the take your time to build your skill set as a dietitian.

Amy Culp, RD, CSSD, LD, CEDRD is a skilled nutrition expert with a passion for promoting nutrition and wellness. She is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian, is Board Certified in Sports Dietetics, and is a Certified Eating Disorders RD.  Amy specializes in sports nutrition, eating disorders and weight management.  Since 2012, Amy has had the honor of developing and leading the performance nutrition program at the University of Texas.  Prior to joining UT full-time, Amy served there as a consultant sports dietitian, while working in her private nutrition practice in Austin, TX.

Serving as the Assistant Athletics Director for Performance Nutrition and Clinical Wellness at UT, Amy cast the vision and developed the program from the ground up, starting with just herself to serve all 550 student-athletes, to now a team of 6 full-time Sports Dietitians.

Armed with her wealth of nutrition knowledge, public speaking abilities, and true passion for healthy living, Amy feels she is doing her life’s work when she educates the public on strategies of living a healthy lifestyle.  She particularly enjoys utilizing a non-diet approach to help clients make peace with food and assisting athletes in getting an edge on the competition through proper fueling techniques.