The Default Order, and When It Flips
- Athlete first, athletic trainer same day, then the parent by phone.
- An emergency, self-harm, or risk at home does not run this order.
Aspire Coach System
The Referral Chain
Who you tell, in what order, and what never gets written down.
You do not decide what is wrong, only that somebody qualified has to look.
Bottom line
Notice, describe, hand off — athletic trainer same day, then the parent.
When a coach worries, here is who they tell
- If you are hurting or worn down for weeks, an adult has to look.
- Your coach tells you first, then the athletic trainer, then your family.
- Nobody writes down your body, your plate, or your teammates.
Do this:
- If you feel worn down for weeks, tell your coach.
- Worried about a teammate? Tell an adult, not the group chat.
- Ask your coach what happens next. You are allowed to know.
Try this week: Find out who your athletic trainer or school nurse is, and where their office is.
Not true: being seen by a trainer costs you your spot. Hiding it costs more.
Familiar products to recognize
Start with the food category. Tap a package for one recognizable brand example, then swap within the category for access, tolerance, culture, budget, and allergens.
Put it into practice
Six Fields in the Note, and a Never-List
- Date, what you saw, how long, what you changed, who knows, the ask.
- Never write a diagnosis, a body, a plate, a cycle, or a teammate.
Reduce on Your Own Authority, Never Clear
- Cutting volume or pulling a race needs nobody else's permission.
- No news is not clearance, and only a clinician ever gives it.
When a Parent Pushes Back, or Is the Pressure
- Describe what you saw, ask only for an appointment, argue nothing.
- A parent who is the pressure goes to a counsellor, not a confrontation.
Referral Pathway
The Referral
Chain
The move
The detail
Order
The Default Order, and When It Flips
Athlete first, athletic trainer same day, then the parent by phone.
Write It
Six Fields in the Note, and a Never-List
Date, what you saw, how long, what you changed, who knows, the ask.
Meanwhile
Reduce on Your Own Authority, Never Clear
Cutting volume or pulling a race needs nobody else's permission.
Parents
When a Parent Pushes Back, or Is the Pressure
Describe what you saw, ask only for an appointment, argue nothing.
Cheese crackers: Goldfish Cheddar crackersYou do not decide what is wrong, only that somebody qualified has to look.
*Notice, describe, hand off — athletic trainer same day, then the parent.
@AspirePerformanceRD
The Referral Chain
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You do not decide what is wrong, only that somebody qualified has to look. Notice, describe, hand off — athletic trainer same day, then the parent.
Real product examples
Familiar packages, easier choices
Start with the food category. Brands are recognizable examples, not required choices; swap within the category for access, tolerance, culture, budget, and allergens.
Cheese crackers
Packaged fig bars
Bottled water
Packages are examples, not endorsements. Image sources and rights notice.
Use this when
1
You know what you saw, and you do not know who to tell first.
2
A parent is defensive, or is the source of the pressure, and the next call decides whether anything happens.
3
An athlete has told you they are afraid that being seen will cost them their spot.
Cheese crackers: Goldfish Cheddar crackers
Packaged fig bars: Nature's Bakery fig bars
Bottled water: smartwater Original
Applesauce pouch: GoGo squeeZ applesauce
String cheese: Sargento Light String Cheese
Granola bar: Nature Valley granola bars
Carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink: Gatorade Thirst Quencher
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich: Uncrustables PB&J
Athlete, AT, Parent
Default Order
Reduce, Never Clear
Your Authority
Body, Plate, Cycle
Never Recorded
Coach Prompt
Is your athletic trainer's number in your phone, and the AD's answer in writing?
QUICK START PLAN
Order
The Default Order, and When It Flips
Athlete first, athletic trainer same day, then the parent by phone · An emergency, self-harm, or risk at home does not run this order
Write It
Six Fields in the Note, and a Never-List
Date, what you saw, how long, what you changed, who knows, the ask · Never write a diagnosis, a body, a plate, a cycle, or a teammate
Meanwhile
Reduce on Your Own Authority, Never Clear
Cutting volume or pulling a race needs nobody else's permission · No news is not clearance, and only a clinician ever gives it
Parents
When a Parent Pushes Back, or Is the Pressure
Describe what you saw, ask only for an appointment, argue nothing · A parent who is the pressure goes to a counsellor, not a confrontation
COACH REFERENCE
The Chain, by What You Saw
| What You Saw | First | Then | What You Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collapse, chest pain, heat emergency | 911 and athletic trainer | Parent immediately, then athletic director | Incident, per school policy |
| Disclosure of self-harm or purging | District reporting procedure, same day | Athletic trainer or nurse, and a counsellor | Fact, date, who you notified |
| Signs that home is the risk or the pressure | District reporting procedure | Counsellor or nurse, then athletic director. | Fact, date, who you notified |
| Fuelling behaviour, no safety disclosure | Athlete, briefly | Athletic trainer same day, then parent | Observation, dates, load change |
Who Does What with the Handoff
Athletic Trainer
Evaluates, says what the athlete can do meanwhile, and holds the referral list.
School Nurse
Often the only licensed clinician in the building, and your step 2 without an AT.
Athletic Director
Policy, authority, the reporting answer, and the reason a concern outlives you.
Physician
Decides what to check, what it means, and whether the athlete runs again.
Built by an RD who coaches · Luke Rodriguez, MS, RDN · Palmer Ridge HS XC
The lesson · one sheet, three readers
The Referral Chain
Page 3 of 3Runner, family, and coach read the same idea at their own level. Reviewed · Luke Rodriguez, MS, RDN
For the runner
When a coach worries, here is who they tell
- If you are hurting or worn down for weeks, an adult has to look.
- Your coach tells you first, then the athletic trainer, then your family.
- Nobody writes down your body, your plate, or your teammates.
- 1If you feel worn down for weeks, tell your coach.
- 2Worried about a teammate? Tell an adult, not the group chat.
- 3Ask your coach what happens next. You are allowed to know.
Try this week: Find out who your athletic trainer or school nurse is, and where their office is.
Not true: being seen by a trainer costs you your spot. Hiding it costs more.
Coach: say this
- If I am worried about you, you hear it from me first, privately. Then the athletic trainer, then a call home. Nobody else.
- I do not decide what is wrong. I decide that somebody qualified has to look. That is the whole job.
- Cutting your volume or pulling you from a race is my call. Clearing you back is never mine. That is a clinician's.
- You stay on this team while it gets sorted. You will have a real job on meet day.
Why it works
The order protects trust: the athlete hears it first, the athletic trainer evaluates the same day and holds the referral list, and the parent hears a description, not a verdict.
The note holds six fields: date, what you saw, how long, what changed, who knows, the ask. Never a diagnosis, a body, a plate, a cycle, or a teammate.
A shared note is no longer private, and reporting duties differ by district, so the athletic director, not this sheet, answers whether you are a mandated reporter.
Don't say
- “I will keep an eye on it a few more weeks.” Waiting is a decision; the athletic trainer sees them the day you act.
- “It is an eating problem.” Naming a cause to a parent starts an argument; describe what you saw and ask for the appointment.
- “Has anyone else noticed her eating?” Teammates are never a source or a monitor, and the group chat is never in the chain.
Refer whenCollapse, chest pain, heat emergency, or cannot bear weight: 911 and the athletic trainer per the emergency action plan, then the parent. Self-harm, purging, or risk at home: district reporting procedure the same day, not the parent first. Everything else: athletic trainer today, parent this week.
Ask themWho is the first adult you would tell if a teammate seemed worn down for weeks?
For families
What the coach will tell you, and when
- If the coach sees a pattern, you get a call that week. You hear what they saw, for how long, and what changed in training.
- The coach asks for one thing: an appointment with your physician. The coach will not name a cause and will not argue about one.
- The coach can cut volume or pull a race on their own. Only a clinician clears an athlete back, and silence is not clearance.
- Nothing about your child's body, plate, or cycle goes in a school note. What your child tells you goes to the physician, not the group chat.
Watch for · The coach's call is itself the signal: book the visit that week and tell the coach you are handling it. Fainting, chest pain, or a leg that cannot bear weight skips the chain and is emergency care today.
Built by an RD who coaches · Luke Rodriguez, MS, RDN · Palmer Ridge HS XCBuilt forCoachParentCoach-led discussion
When to use this
The hour after you decide to act — and again in August, when the chain should be built before anybody needs it.
- You know what you saw, and you do not know who to tell first.
- A parent is defensive, or is the source of the pressure, and the next call decides whether anything happens.
- An athlete has told you they are afraid that being seen will cost them their spot.
Finish before you close this page
Turn the sheet into one physical commitment.
Name the adult who receives the private concern first and the approved channel you will use.
Done looks like: The contact and channel are confirmed before an athlete needs the handoff.
Where to go next
From one handout to a repeatable team system
You can use this handout today. Program Access installs it into your season.
Free
- Print this handout
- Share it with athletes or families
- Use the coach prompt and written commitment
Program Access adds
- The exact week to use it
- A parent email already written
- A two-minute team talk
- A staff-owner checklist
- The matching planning tool
- Family portal access
Coach: Open the matching week, deliver the team talk, assign the staff owner, and verify the written action.
Family: Send the editable family message, share the handout, and keep the same next action visible in the family portal.
Content version: 2026.08.26Content pass: August 26, 2026Next source review due: February 26, 2027Emergency links checked: August 26, 2026
Immediate danger or a medical emergency: call 911. Mental-health crisis support: call or text 988. Eating-disorder screening, treatment search, and support options: current NEDA Get Help center.