50–70%
Carbs
The fuel. Go simple to complex.
Pasta, rice, potatoes, cereals, breads
2 to 4 g per pound of body weight a day
Coach KP's
Corner
KP
KP
Meet Coach KP!
Kapanga "Coach KP" Mchombo leads the Boys Pre-Academy at Allstars SC in Saratoga, California, co-managing the program with Conor McGoldrick. He was instrumental in starting the Pre-Academy, and it now spans 9 age groups, 2011/12 through 2019/20, with multiple teams in each. He and Conor oversee development and management across all of them, keeping one consistent approach so players can move freely between teams as their needs change.
KP holds a US Soccer B License and a degree in Kinesiology - Athletic Training, Sports Medicine, and Personal Training. He played more than 15 years of competitive soccer at Mavericks Soccer Club, De Anza College, and San Jose State after having played 4 years of Varsity soccer coming into college. He started with Allstars as the Assistant Director of Program Development with their partner, ProUSA Soccer. He's from Berkeley, California, and credits his father for putting him on the coaching path.
Nutrition is where KP goes deepest. Every guideline in Coach KP's Corner is his. Find him on Instagram at @coachkp.
Coaching
B License
US Soccer
Degree
Kinesiology
Athletic Training, Sports Medicine, and Personal Training
Played
15+ years
Mavericks Soccer Club, De Anza College, San Jose State University, after 4 years of Varsity
Started at Allstars
ProUSA Soccer
Assistant Director of Program Development
It's KP's training, oversight, and focus on nutrition that kicked us up to the next level!
Our Rowdies started eating the way he taught them this summer, and it showed in every race. That's why this corner exists; everything below comes from his food-range sheet.
Tap the food.
The plate
20–30%
Protein
The rebuild. Foods over powders.
Chicken, steak, salmon, tuna, crab, shrimp, eggs, yogurt, black beans, lentils, edamame
0.8 g per pound a day, about 20 to 35 g a meal
15–25%
Fats
A little goes a long way.
Avocado, extra virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds, cheese, fish oil
2 to 3 tablespoons a day
Every day
Bananas
1 to 2
Every morning. Every single morning!
Fruits and vegetables
5 a day
About a quarter of the plate. Spinach and dark leafy greens, raw or cooked, in soups or smoothies.
Water
Pre-load
5 to 7 ml per kilogram of body weight, at least 4 hours before training. Then 1 to 2 cups 15 to 30 minutes before you start.
Game day clock
4 hr
Pre-load
Drink 5 to 7 ml of water per kilogram of body weight. Your numbers are below.
60 min
Eat
Light and familiar. A smoothie, greens, the foods your stomach already knows.
15 min
Top off
1 to 2 cups of water, 15 to 30 minutes before the start.
Hard training days
- Hydration comes first
- Carbs high
- Protein and fat moderate
Rest days
- High quality protein, fat and fiber
- Ease off the carbs
- Eat familiar foods
Snacks that work
- Brown rice and black beans
- Whole wheat with peanut, seed or nut butter
- Cereal with soy milk
- Pita and hummus, add olives
Season it
- Himalayan pink salt and black pepper
- Herbs and spices
- Vinegar
- Salsa and guacamole
Your numbers
Put in body weight. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere; it all runs on your screen.
Carbs a day–2 to 4 g per pound
Protein a day–about 20 to 35 g a meal
Water, 4 hours out–5 to 7 ml per kg
Water, 15 to 30 min out1 to 2 cupsevery time
Good fats a day2 to 3 tbspavocado, olive oil, nuts
Bananas1 to 2every morning
What that looks like on a plate
Example day for a 100 lb athlete. Put in your weight and it resizes.
Amounts are close estimates from standard food values, not exact. Swap in any food from the plate above; rice for pasta, chicken for salmon, whatever your family eats.
Nutrition guidelines by Coach KP. General guidelines for training athletes, not a medical or weight plan. Food is fuel here, never a diet. For your athlete's own plan, talk with your pediatrician or a registered sports dietitian.
“We talking about practice. Not a game. Not a game. Not a game. We talking about practice.”
ALLEN IVERSON, MAY 7, 2002
Soccer health conditions: Cal North heat, air quality (AQI) and concussion protocols.