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The 30-second answer
A coach, school program, or Aspire team resource should not recommend, sell, distribute, dose, or endorse a performance supplement for a minor. Most young athletes can meet protein needs with regular food. Labels and contents are not always reliable, and pre-workout or energy products may combine caffeine with other stimulants. Iron is never a guess-and-try supplement.
What to do next
- 1
Have the family photograph the front label, Supplement Facts panel, ingredient list, lot number, and promised outcome.
- 2
Write down medications, medical conditions, and every other caffeine or supplement source for the qualified professional reviewing the product.
- 3
Take medical-use questions to the pediatrician or sports-medicine clinician, interaction questions to a pharmacist, and food questions to an RDN with adolescent sports-nutrition expertise.
Product-by-product boundary
- Protein powder may be a convenience product, but it is not a performance requirement when meals and snacks cover the day.
- Aspire and the team do not recommend creatine as a high-school performance product.
- Pre-workout and energy drinks are not team fuel or hydration, and stimulant content may interact with medications or health conditions.
- Third-party certification may reduce contamination risk, but does not prove a product is needed, effective, or appropriate for a minor.
What a coach can say
“I cannot recommend or approve that product for an individual athlete. Send the exact label to your parent or guardian and review it with a qualified health professional. Our team will provide food, water access, recovery logistics, and education—not supplement prescriptions.”
What to avoid
- Do not give a brand list, discount code, sample, amount, or timing plan.
- Do not promise that natural means safe.
- Do not interpret a lab result or suggest an iron regimen.
When general guidance stops
A family considering a supplement should review the exact product, medical history, medications, and total stimulant exposure with the appropriate qualified professional. Clinician-directed treatment for a diagnosed health need is separate from performance-supplement use.
Use the matching resource
These open the complete public handout or released tool. There is no email gate.
Sources
For the whole school season
Want this built into the week? See Program Access.
Open the week, review the parent message, send it through your school channel, give the two-minute team talk, and share the matching resource. Families join privately with your program code; Aspire never messages families for you.
Individualized assessment, diagnosis, and 1:1 treatment are separate from Program Access.
See exactly what the school gets