Coaching youth baseball is one of life’s little joys. Ask any athlete, amateur or professional, and no matter what their pursuit is, they’ll tell you that one of the toughest achievements in sports is to hit a baseball. When you can teach young hopefuls how to put good wood (or aluminum) on the ball, it’s a thrill.
Of course, there’s more to coaching baseball than developing athletic talent. Youth sports should also teach life lessons and build more complete people. And in between all that personal growth, there’s ample time for snacks. Here are some snacks you should get for your baseball team to keep your players well-fed between at-bats.
Dried Fruit
Easy to keep and always good for a quick burst of energy in the on-deck circle, dried fruit assortments are perfect for your team. Dried pineapple, apricot, dates, and berries provide the nutrients of fresh fruit with greater stability. When your team is playing on the road and you don’t have space for all your coolers, dried fruit can make the trip. Home and away, this snack is a better source of quick carbs than any processed junk food.
Yogurt on the Go
When you do have a way to keep it cool deep into extra innings, another one of the snacks you should get for your baseball team is some squeezable yogurt. It’s a healthy snack, which is always important, but it’s a versatile one, too. In advance of those unseasonably warm fall days, you can freeze your yogurt tubes and give your players a cool treat—creamy popsicles.
Sunflower Seeds
Baseball’s lore spans beyond the foul lines. The book of baseball has a whole chapter on its signature foods. From the peanuts and Cracker Jack of the seventh-inning stretch to the countless variations on the classic hot dog, perhaps no sport has a greater legacy in its stands. Down in the dugouts, however, major leaguers and farmhands alike aren’t chowing down on Dodger Dogs—they’re munching on sunflower seeds, another classic and iconic baseball food. Your youngsters won’t just feel like ballplayers with sunflower seeds to snack on, they’ll also enjoy the benefits of this healthy snack, from high protein and vitamin E to stress-reducing magnesium—just what young players need as they’re stepping up to the plate.