jack bannister

Health & wellbeing
Keep your eye on the baLL
Alcohol awareness workshop
The long-term eFFects of alcohol are often cited in
the press and for good reason, alcohol is capaBLe of
damaging nearly every organ and system in the body.
The list of illnesses associated
with alcohol consumption are
wide ranging from liver disease,
to the increased risk of numerous
cancers and heart disease. A recent
reduction in the Government
intake guidelines has to been seen
to reflect the growing evidence
about the link between alcohol and
health harms.
As professional cricketers’ general
awareness of issues such as alcohol
consumption is likely to be above
the norm and stats seen may be
simply dismissed as not relevant
to the sporting population. Hence,
when I was approached by Charlie
Mulraine, PCA Development
Manager, to deliver an alcohol
awareness session to the counties,
I knew I needed to ensure the
messages were relevant, practical
and appropriate. As a Nutrition
and Performance Coach, alcohol is
a topic I discuss daily in so many
different contexts, it’s important that
these multi-faceted health issues are
understood but more importantly
conveyed in an entertaining,
inspiring and creative way.
Keep your eye on the ball, is a
two-hour interactive workshop
designed specifically for the PCA
and has so far been successfully
delivered in three counties
(Leicestershire, Derbyshire and
Glamorgan) with some great
feedback from players and coaching
staff. The objective is to increase
awareness about how alcohol may
effect sports performance, our
health and to highlight some of
the lesser understood and more
immediate effects of alcohol, such
as anxiety, reduced metabolism,
diminished muscle building,
impaired recovery, disrupted sleep
and low immunity. Not to mention
Some great apps for
IOS and Android:
www.Drinkaware.com
general awareness, facts
and unit calculator.
www.morning-after.org.uk
it calculates how long
it takes for alcohol to pass
through the body.
the fact it is making us fat - did you
know that a single pint of cider
contained almost as much sugar
as the World Health Organisation
(WHO) recommends should be
an average person’s daily limit. In
addition to debunk some of the
myths about drinking too!
The session is action based,
including activities such as pouring
drinks to understand different units,
beer goggles, a quiz and reflection
on how this awareness can influence
our actions. Even for the nondrinkers
the session has proved
a hit, enabling the players to be
more mindful when out with others
drinking alcohol and increasing
awareness within their own family
and friend groups.
It definitely isn’t a lecture to say
do NOT drink alcohol, but instead
as role models and ambitious
young men - the intention is to
equip you with the awareness and
the facts so you can make a more
informed choice!
Want to know more get in touch
Colette@optimumliving.co.uk and
ensure you attend the session at
your club coming soon.
38 BtB issue 18 / thepca.co.uk