What is Spring Forward?

What is SPRING Forward?

Educating teen athletes about body confidence and nutrition is critically important.

Research shows many female athletes develop patterns of disordered eating before adulthood, and some experience Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), a condition caused by inadequate energy intake to meet training and daily demands.

While these issues affect the broader population, they disproportionately impact female athletes. Encouragingly, early intervention and targeted education significantly reduce risk.

Female athletes are at increased risk for disordered eating patterns, poor body image satisfaction, and ultimately, negative sport performance and health outcomes.

SPRING Forward is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to empowering adolescent female athletes by transforming the culture and narrative surrounding eating, exercise, and body image in sport. Through education, community engagement, and access to evidence-based resources, SPRING Forward aims to promote long-term athlete health, performance, and well-being.

By addressing the unique challenges female athletes face—including limited access to specialized care and persistent misconceptions about nutrition and training—we aim to foster a supportive environment that prioritizes health over harmful performance pressures ensuring athletes thrive both on and off the field.

At its core, SPRING Forward is a single-session, two-hour educational program held with youth female athletes with the goal of preventing disordered eating, exercise, and body image within adolescent sport.

To date, several similar programs have been led and had success at the collegiate level. Studies suggest adolescent athletes are at increased risk for long term consequences of malnutrition in sport compared to adult athletes given the additional energy demands for growth and development required during this time.

For this reason, SPRING Forward is specifically targeted towards adolescent female athletes to promote lifelong, balanced health behaviors.

In addition to guiding youth female athletes through our educational program, SPRING Forward also provides additional resources through our social media platforms, online fact sheet database, research endeavors, and informational book.