As a college athlete we would eat 3 to four hours before a game to be sure our food had been digested. Boy that was good but foolish! Now that I know better, I encourage young athletes to hydrate like crazy and I mean water perhaps infused with lemon hours before a game, particularly in hot weather. Stay away from products that don't digest rapidly in your stomach such as nuts and meats. Eat plenty of bananas and oranges which are full of potassium because it will keep you from getting cramps that will lock you up and keep you from playing.
