Crystal Palace’s Academy nutrition programme is designed to support far more than matchday performance, with Lead Academy Performance Nutritionist Sarah Lawson Tilley working across the club’s age groups from the Under-9s to the Under-21s.
Seven months into her Palace role, Lawson Tilley’s responsibilities include coordinating with the Academy restaurant and medical team, monitoring hydration, organising training-day snacks and recovery drinks, and speaking with players and parents about individual nutritional needs. Her central priority is making sure every young player has access to the food required for training, recovery, health and growth.
The Academy’s players develop at different rates and arrive with varied experiences, meaning nutrition has to be adapted rather than treated as a one-size-fits-all process. Lawson Tilley has stressed that sufficient energy intake can help reduce health risks, support physical maturation and improve concentration during matches, when players must make repeated decisions under pressure.
Palace is also placing emphasis on building habits at an early age. A new education programme includes monthly workshops for players from the Under-9s to Under-16s, with additional sessions for the Under-18s and Under-21s. The teaching is intended to be practical, including product taste tests and opportunities for players to understand which fuelling options suit them before matchday.
Recovery forms another important part of the programme. Players are taught how carbohydrates help restore energy, how protein supports muscle repair and why fluids are important after exertion. Chocolate milk is among the recovery options available across the Academy, while the wider approach encourages players to understand the role of food rather than simply follow instructions.
Lawson Tilley’s work also extends beyond football. Palace wants its Academy players to leave with useful skills such as reading food labels, managing costs, creating balanced meals and making sensible choices while travelling. Whether or not a player ultimately reaches the professional game, the aim is for their time at the Academy to provide knowledge they can continue using throughout their lives.
