Manchester United Soccer Schools incorporates nutrition into programme

Coaches at Manchester United Soccer Schools (MUSS) in the capital are drumming home to youngsters that knowing what food to eat, and what to avoid, is just as important as being able to pass and shoot accurately.

The advice is particularly relevant for those enrolling in the next MUSS programme starting on 9th April, which focuses on the skills required by modern strikers, using Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov as model examples.

To help ensure the message is repeated at home, parents of children taking part in the current MUSS programme were invited to take part in their own special two-part coaching session.

MUSS coaches Andy Dixon and Chris Rosimus delivered intensive advice on how to identify the warning signs on food labels, and pick out the healthiest food options, in the second in a series of parents' educational sessions on nutrition.

"Children generally pay more attention to brand names than food labels which can you tell you so much more," said MUSS nutritionist Chris Rosimus. "All the youngsters who enrol in our programmes receive regular advice on how to eat healthier. Understanding food labels is part of the education, and we're extending this to parents so that they can take part in the process as well."

The group of parents who participated in the MUSS session, held in the new Clubhouse at the Dome@Rawdhat on Airport Road, Abu Dhabi, were later put through their paces in a 45-minute football coaching session.

MUSS Head Coach Andy Dixon said, "The idea is to give them a taste of what their children experience when they come here. It's a learning experience for them in a number of ways, and it is all part of the MUSS philosophy to build a close relationship with the parents."

Running for ten weeks, the next MUSS programme offers those enrolling the chance to win two tickets, and air travel, to Manchester United's final Premiership game of the season against Blackpool at Old Trafford on 22nd May. The prize does not include hotel expenses.

The new course encourages children to display a positive attitude on and off the pitch, build and maintain confidence in their own ability and develop composure in front of goal.