# 9 yr olds pre-game butterflies - suggestions on how to calm stomuch



## MOXJO7282 (Oct 2, 2009)

My 9 yr old son is quite the football player, if I do say so myself.  However one problem he has is with pre-game butterflies. It's to a point where he has thrown up before games. 

We try to feed him bread and cereal thinking it willl absorb the acids that are being created, but we haven't found the right thing yet. Last week we gave him a small egg sandwich 3 hours before and that didn't sit well at all, and he threw it up. He proceeded to play a great game in a win, so right after he threw up he was fine, but I'd like to reduce his stomuch discomfort as much as possible.

Any suggestions? He's 9 and a picky eater, so its hard to think he would eat oatmeal. Any other thoughts, experiences?

Thanks in advance for any help that can be offered.


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## geekette (Oct 2, 2009)

the food isn't teh problem, it's the nerves.  until he is able to approach game time with composure, it's not going to matter what you try to feed him.  address the source, not the symptom.


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## optimist (Oct 2, 2009)

Deep breathing helps a lot.  When you are nervous, you take shallow quick breaths and that is not what the brain needs. 
Have him take very slow and deep breaths. Count to  ten to breath in and to  ten to breath out. To do it as slowly as possible is key. He has to think about the breathing, so it takes his mind off his nervousness.


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## Talent312 (Oct 2, 2009)

You could try giving him an anti-nausia (motion sickness) OTC medication, but I'd suggest that you take him to doc first.

I wonder if his body isn't telling you something that maybe you and he do not want to hear... that he should not be playing football, that its a risky game and potentially traumatizing for a kid of that age, both emotionally and physically. Even mild concussions, if repeated enuff times, can result in L-T neuological damage, not to mention the risk of serious injury.  The human body is simply not designed to take the pounding that's involved.  [Just my 2 cents]


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## BevL (Oct 2, 2009)

I personally would be worried if my nine year old regularly threw up before games.  Sounds like too much pressure.  I'm not saying that's coming from you but I wouldn't be worrying about what he ate, rather how he's feeling and coping with the stress.


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## SueDonJ (Oct 2, 2009)

Steve was an awesome Little League player when he was young - pitched and caught - man, he ran those bases like Speedy Gonzalez and stole home four times that last year in the younger age group.  But then he hit 11 or 12 and moved up to where ALL of the kids were bigger than him, and the nerves started.  Oh my goodness, I felt so bad for him.  All he wanted to do was play but the two hours before the games started were torture.

We started walking to the field to burn off some of the nervous energy, adjusted his eating schedule so that he ate a good hearty sandwich by 3 in the afternoon and then a healthy meal after the games, brought bags of veggies and water to the games that his coaches let all of the kids have while on the bench, practiced the breathing exercises that *optimist* mentioned above (it is AMAZING how often what's learned in Lamaze classes can be applied in life!), and his team began a regimen of calisthenics because the coach thought that most of the kids had jitters but wouldn't admit to it.  Most of the other teams joined in.  Some of the most fun for parents at the games was screaming encouragement to both teams during the pre-game jumping jacks.  

The one thing that really made a difference?  Swapping the juice boxes and Capri Suns and Gatorades for water.  Save the extra electrolytes for after the games - regular healthy meals are more important and give better results.  Water is plenty good for hydration before and during, and it doesn't add extra sugar to the mix.

Even with all that he still gave up baseball for golf when he was 15, and he still suffers from pre-game jitters.  He's 24 now though, so sometimes the "game" is an important day at work or a formal occasion date.  Some folks are just like that.


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## SueDonJ (Oct 2, 2009)

I didn't mention that Steve never threw up before a game.  But having said all that about what we went through and reading everyone else's concerns, does your son suffer jitters just as much before a practice (or any other event) as he does before a game?  If so, then I wouldn't worry too much about the psychological aspect but I would make sure his diet was accommodated to prevent the actual throwing up.

If it's only before games, then I'd think twice about continuing with that sport.  Big league ballplayers use sports psychologists, sure, but a 9-year-old shouldn't need one if he loves the game that much.  If he's stressing out to the point where he's throwing up despite good meals and a healthy team attitude, he is just too young to take chances with his psyche.

One final thought that nobody ever wants to think about - does the team meet in the locker room before games, away from the eyes of parents?  Is there something going on as a pre-game ritual that your son does not like?


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## MOXJO7282 (Oct 2, 2009)

I appreciate all the comments but I don't think its anything underlying other than common pre-game butterflies. He loves football more than anything, and has a good atitude about it, so I'm not worried there is anything else at play.  He wants to play everyday, and be the first there and last to leave.  As soon as the game starts he's absolutely fine and afterwards is a normal 9 yr old who doesn't care if he won or lost. So there isn't anything to suggest unhealthy anxiety 

For some athletes and performers butteflies can be more severe so they have to eat the right foods at the right times to reduce the butterflies. I know I always got butterflies when I played sports when I was young all the way through college and after. I also threw up once or times. 

This is also just a morning event. If he has an afternoon game and thereby 2 meals in him, he has no problem. Its just morning games where he usually eats cereal, a bagel or something like that. I'm thinking no OJ, or dairy, just toast with a little jelly and gatorade.


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## SueDonJ (Oct 2, 2009)

That doesn't sound too bad, Joe.  In that case I'd try to make sure that he gets as good a night's sleep as possible before a morning game, and maybe wake him up at 5 for a quick piece of toast, let him go back to sleep for a couple hours, and then give him a better healthy breakfast at least an hour before you leave for the field.  Sounds crazy, doesn't it - "hey, wake up, eat this toast, good, go back to sleep" - but it might work because his body will perform as if he's getting two meals in before the game.  And really, try giving up the Gatorade until the game's over.

Oh, and you better start preparing yourself now for the proms.  If you think football anxiety at 9 is bad ... :rofl:


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## jamstew (Oct 2, 2009)

I threw up before every dance recital all the way through high school and quit piano to avoid the performance aspect. I loved both, but my stage fright was devastating. I'd get better once the performance started, but was still never thrilled about performing. I'd be sure that he's well hydrated and possibly have him get up early enough that he can eat a high carb breakfast at least two hours before game time. My daughter is a college athletic trainer, and that was her suggestion.


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## AKE (Oct 2, 2009)

In my opinion I would lay off the football (or any other sport or activity) that causes anxiety more than normal and try to get to the root of the problem.  Is it your expectations that he is afraid of not meeting (and this may be something that he himself has conjured up, not anything that you have done or said).  A lot of the time kids will tell you what they think you want to hear, not what is really on their mind. Yes having more food in his stomach (i.e. for afternoon games) probably absorbs the excess acid etc and thus he doesn't throw up but this doesn't get to the root of the problem. As well, if you don't get to the root of the problem now, it can transfer to other stressful situations down the road  (e.g. exams at school).


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## jbrunson (Oct 2, 2009)

I played with two excellent players who regularly threw up before a game, and I remember there was an NFL player who did (can't remember who).  It seemed to be something their system had to do with those boiling nerves.  I myself was terrified until after the first play.  Then everything settled down.  I don't have any idea how to stop it, but in the cases mentioned, I don't know of any ill effects from it.   I know the coaches were big on making sure we had plenty of water, but not too much (whatever that means).


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## Floridaski (Oct 3, 2009)

*He may just need more games*

My son is a competitive swimmer, he started swimming at USA swim meets last year.  He had just turned 10 at his first swim meet, he always felt sick to his stomach at the swim meets.  One of his Coach's has a Doctorate in Psychology, so I deferred to his advice - let him throw up if he needs to, just keep it very low key, keep it positive regardless of the outcome and try to keep it fun at this very young age.  This Coach has taken numerous swimmers all the way to the Olympics, and certainly has coached many young athletes.  So, we were always supportive and positive - even if our son made mistakes that he should not have made.  He felt very nervous most of last year and even had to step off the blocks once because he thought he might throw up in the water.  In that instance the deck judge gave him grace and let him swim in the last heat of the event.

So, we got through his first full season and this year he is much more composed and has the self confidence needed to handle his nerves much better.  Just be supportive of your son, I know how it is to have a kid who only wants to do one sport and will do anything to continue in that sport.  Our son swims 2 hours a day - he is in 5th grade and has been doing this since 4th grade.  I am always concerned that he will burn out - but I defer to the Coaches, they have trained many young athletes.  

I would ask myself - do I fully and completely trust the Coaches judgment?

If the answer is yes, then just give your young son the gift of time, if he throws up, do not make a big deal out of it.  It will just embarrass him and make it worst.  Let him throw up, make sure he really wants to continue to play the game and act like nothing happened.  We have a young man on our Swim team who is 16 and still occasionally still has to throw up due to his nerves, so it is not always related to age.

Good luck and enjoy these wonderful years with your son - just be careful.


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## laurac260 (Oct 3, 2009)

*wtf??*

Anti-nausea meds?  Don't let the kid play football??  Are we all that paranoid and over protective of our kids?

Some people (me and my brothers, my daughter included), when we get nervous, it goes right to our stomach.  My brother (who is 41 now) ran track all thru middle school and high school.  He was awesome, went all state, broke records dating back to the 1960's.  EVERY meet, right before he was to line up, his coach was looking for him.  Where was he?  In the porta john, going #2.  Some people bite their nails, twirl their hair, talk nonstop, whatever, when they are nervous.  Some people get butterflies to the point that their digestive system goes into hyperdrive.  Yet, he was the best runner on his team.  

Today my almost 9 yr old daughter ran in her first competitive race.  She had butterflies racing thru her stomach.  Yet she finished in the top 10 for her age group.

Let the boy play.  He'll work thru it.  If he has a nervous stomach, he will his whole life.  I know I do.  Help him figure out how to deal with it in a way that works for him but don't limit him because of it.


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## pedro47 (Oct 3, 2009)

Try this suggestion tell you son you will not be able to attend this game and see what happen?  Have a good friend to observe your son before the game starts.  Sound like your son is uptight because of some pressure from an outside source.


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## Patri (Oct 3, 2009)

I've never heard of a kid throwing up before a team sport. It makes sense for individual performances, like a piano recital or when you are out there being judged separately, ie track.
Football takes everyone working together. One player shouldn't be absorbing all the stress. Sure hope it is not anything serious, but I agree, there could be more to this than you think. No one kid should be carrying responsibility (real or imagined) to win a game that takes 11 players on the field at a time.


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