The Script: EXNS grad one of 10 in nation selected for fellowship
Janel Shoun-Smith |
Samantha Partida, a May graduate of the exercise and nutrition master’s program, was one of only 10 dietitians nationwide selected for the 8-month Gatorade Sports Nutrition Immersion Program. Partida is working at North Carolina State University, providing sports nutrition for the Wolfpack women’s basketball, volleyball, softball and gymnastics.
Partida, from New Braunfels, Texas, will help student athletes with game day fueling, healthy injury recovery and nutrition education through one-on-one consultations and fun cooking classes and grocery store tours. NC State is an NCAA Division I school competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“The reality is that most collegiate athletes will not be professional athletes after they graduate, so getting them used to the real world where you have to cook for yourself and shop for yourself, that’s my real area of interest,” Partida said.
The Gatorade Sports Nutrition Immersion Program matches full-time sports dietitians who are interested in getting more practical hands-on experience working with athletes and sports programs. Dietitians in the program must be student or associate members of the Collegiate & Professional Sports Dietitians Association.
Each participant focuses on career development under the mentorship of a host sports dietitian and receives a stipend to assist with travel, housing and out-of-pocket expenses.
Partida came to Lipscomb to earn her master’s after working as a dietitian for three years. She worked primarily with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, so she has a strong clinical background to bring to sports nutrition.
“I picked Lipscomb’s program because of its emphasis on exercise science. I had nutrition down, but I realized I could get more education on exercise science. I loved being able to focus on that, because I knew I wanted to get into sports nutrition,” she said.
“What’s going to be big for me is education and counseling,” said Partida, noting that most university athletes are living away from home for the first time. “Mom was probably cooking for them before and now they have a new, rigorous school and practice schedule, and they have to worry about fueling themselves as well.”
Before the fall placements began, Gatorade sent the 10 SNIP fellows out to the new Gatorade Sports Science Institute, housed in Dallas, Texas, with the Dallas Cowboys. The institute is committed to helping athletes optimize their health and performance through research and education in hydration and nutrition science.
“A lot of the more recent work done in sports nutrition has to do with preventing injury, making sure athletes don’t fall out halfway through a game, making sure they can prepare for a game in order to perform at optimum level, helping with weight loss or weight gain,” Partida said. “An athlete recovering from an injury needs to keep muscle mass on. Really coaches are interested in anything nutrition can do to help bring a win, but I also want to teach students life skills.”