Sport Dietitian Jeoffroy enhances health of SLU student-athletes | Sports

HAMMOND — Through its partnership with North Oaks Health System, Southeastern Louisiana University Athletics welcomed full-time sport dietitian Rachel Jeoffroy for the fall semester to continue to enhance the health and well-being of SLU student-athletes.

Jeoffroy, who is on staff at North Oaks Health System, joined to offer full-time dietetic services to Southeastern student-athletes in September. Upon her hire, Southeastern became one of two Southland Conference institutions to employ a full-time sport dietitian.

“Rachel’s addition was another way to provide our student-athletes with a holistic experience,” Southeastern Director of Athletics Jay Artigues commented. “We expect excellence in the classroom, in the community and in competition from our student-athletes and our job as a department is to provide the resources to help our teams meet those standards. Having Rachel provide a plan to our student-athletes for a healthy lifestyle has and will continue to be a key to our student-athletes’ success on and off the playing field.”

Jeoffroy, who came to Hammond after previous stops at UL Lafayette, Utah State and Oklahoma, oversees the North Oaks Nutrition Centers, located in the Naquin Strength and Conditioning Center and the University Center. Jeoffroy’s program involves much more than just providing student-athletes with dietary do’s and don’t’s.

“What and what not to eat is just a small part of nutrition,” Jeoffroy said. “It’s not just the food we intake, but what we’re doing between those meals – how much sleep we’re getting and how are we managing our stress. Our program helps our teams learn how to be an adult. We educate them on how to budget for groceries, how what they do on the weekend matters and on proper hydration.”

Jeoffroy meets with each team, then is available to student-athletes for individual counseling.

“Each sport and each position have specific needs,” Jeoffroy commented. “The most important thing is consistency. Once we’ve set our goals to achieve, how can we come up with a plan that we can follow. It’s easier to do when we’re in season and there’s more structure. But many of our student-athletes are about to leave campus for the holidays. We provide them with the road map to be able to continue their nutritional habits at home, so when they return to campus in January, they’re physically ready to perform at a high level.”

Jeoffroy’s influence has already had positive effects on many of Southeastern’s programs. Southeastern head softball coach Rick Fremin has been impressed with the nutritional plans Jeoffroy has passed on to his reigning SLC Tournament champion Lady Lions.

“We’re blessed to have access to Rachel’s expertise,” Fremin said. “She’s helped us with making the right decisions from a nutrition and diet stand point during the holidays and offseason. Rachel has given us a travel plan for the entire spring and also some tips to help cut down on inflammation, so we can get through the season healthy and be at our best at the end of the season. Rachel has a great attitude and having her at our student-athletes’ disposal is a home run for Southeastern Athletics.”

Jeoffroy has seen great buy in from Southeastern student-athletes and coaches to the nutritional program.

“My goal with all of the student-athletes that I work with is to have imparted my knowledge and love for nutrition into them by the time they’ve left Southeastern,” Jeoffroy commented. “I want them to leave here with the tools to be happy and healthy adults.”