Three between-season nutrition errors I see weekly: a too-thick shake, weekend whiplash, and the missing post-lift carb.

The shake that turns into pudding in your locker

I keep seeing the same thing after winter lifting blocks: the athlete swears they "do shakes," but what they really do is make one heroic, ultra-thick sludge in a BlenderBottle at 7 a.m., toss it in a backpack, and then wonder why their stomach is off by 3rd period. It is not a willpower issue. It is physics. If you build the shake like a cement mix (oats, peanut butter, banana, whey, Greek yogurt, then a splash of milk), it separates, warms up, and becomes a slow spoon project. Nobody finishes it. Or they chug it and feel gross, so the next day they skip it.

Between seasons, you want repeatable fuel, not one perfect Instagram blend. My fix is boring, and it works: make it thinner than you think you need to. Liquid first, powder second, thicker stuff last. If you need calories, add them with things that stay drinkable: milk instead of water, a banana instead of a cup of oats, and a drizzle of honey instead of two tablespoons of nut butter. I also tell kids to stop pretending the shaker ball can beat a spoonful of peanut butter. If you love that flavor, use powdered peanut butter, or stir the real stuff into the liquid with a spoon before you screw the lid on.

Two real-life details that matter: (1) put ice in the cup last so it is sitting on top and melting down, not turning the bottom into cold paste, and (2) if the shake contains dairy or another perishable ingredient, keep it at 40°F or below with an insulated lunch bag and ice packs rather than leaving it in a locker for hours. A lunchbox with an ice pack can be the difference between having a usable shake later and having one that should not be consumed. You can’t out-train that.

The weekend bulk-cut whiplash nobody admits to

If you work with teenagers long enough, you learn to ask what Saturday looks like. Not in a gotcha way. Just because the between-season nutrition mistake that keeps showing up is weekend whiplash: five structured days, then two days that swing from I earned it to I messed up. The body doesn’t care what day it is. Irregular eating, inadequate overall energy intake, poor hydration, or disrupted sleep over the weekend can all affect how an athlete feels in Monday training.

Here’s how it plays out in real life. Friday after school, they’re starving because lunch was a granola bar and a sports drink. They crush a huge dinner, snack late, sleep in, skip breakfast, then try to make up for it with a light lunch. By Sunday night, they’re grazing in front of a screen, and the only thing that resembles a plan is a protein bar in the glove box. Then Monday morning can bring low energy, extra fatigue, and a lift that feels flat. That can make it harder to settle back into a consistent fueling routine.

I’m not pushing tracking apps on every kid, but I’ve had athletes keep a simple one-week note of meal timing and training energy, without tracking calories or weight, just to spot gaps in their routine. The fix is simpler than the drama: keep one anchor meal on weekends that looks like a weekday meal: same time-ish, same basics. For most families, that’s breakfast or a mid-day meal. Eggs and toast, a bagel with cream cheese and fruit, oatmeal with milk, a turkey sandwich plus pretzels, whatever fits. The point is to stop the long fast that turns the evening into a free-for-all.

If you want a sports-specific check that doesn’t feel like a diet, look at Monday’s training. If your first two warm-up sets feel heavy for no reason and you’re gassed early, don’t immediately blame the program. Look at the whole weekend: meal timing, overall food intake, hydration, sleep, and training load can all contribute to a flat Monday session.

You lift hard, then you only replace protein

This one is everywhere in the off-season because the sports schedule isn’t forcing a routine anymore. A kid finishes a serious strength session, hits 40 grams of whey because they’ve heard protein a thousand times, and then… nothing. No real carbs. No actual meal. Sometimes they even brag about it as if it were discipline. That can leave recovery nutrition incomplete, particularly if the athlete has another demanding session soon or has not eaten enough carbohydrate across the day.

After a demanding training session, pairing protein with carbohydrates can support muscle recovery and replenish glycogen stores, especially when another workout is coming soon. The practical part is choosing something the athlete will actually eat or drink on the way home. This isn’t a fancy supplement conversation. It’s a "what can you keep in the bag" conversation.

Three combinations I’ve watched athletes stick with during between-season training blocks:

• Chocolate milk plus a banana. It’s not magic, it’s just easy to get down. If dairy doesn’t sit well, swap to a lactose-free version.
• A shaker with whey plus a carb you can drink, like orange juice or a sports drink. If you’re going to use a Gatorade anyway, pair it with the protein rather than treating it as a separate thing later.
• Something chewable on the drive: a bagel, fig bars, pretzels, or a Rice Krispies treat, paired with a ready-to-drink protein shake. It looks like junk to parents sometimes, but it beats the post-workout gap that turns into midnight cereal.

One small detail that changes compliance: decide before you train. If you wait until after the last set, you’ll default to whatever is nearby. When I’m prepping for a week of sessions, I put the post-lift stuff in the same spot as my straps and tape. If it’s not with the gear, it doesn’t happen.