Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Director, Sports Nutrition Alyson Onyon confirmed on Monday that Carly Harris will join the Athletic Performance staff as Associate Director of Sports Nutrition, Football. Harris, who holds bachelor degrees in Foods & Nutrition as well as Sport Management has spent the past year as a professional sport nutrition fellow at the University of Illinois providing nutrition care for the Fighting Illini football program as well as the swim and dive teams.
"We are thrilled to have Carly join our Sports Nutrition staff," Onyon said of Harris. She is coming to us from The University of Illinois where she gained valuable football-specific sports nutrition experience as one of their Registered Dietitians. Carly is a great fit for Virginia Tech and will provide excellent nutrition services to our Hokie student-athletes."
While at Illinois, Harris was responsible for counseling student athletes on optimal nutrition for training, competition, recovery, weight management, hydration, disordered eating, travel, and supplementation as well as coordinating body composition assessments using GE Lunar iDXA and InBody. She would also Assess and analyze dietary practices, body composition, and energy balance of student athletes in the context of athletic performance and health.
On the football field Harris would manage the fueling station including volunteers, inventory, and ordering of product as well as the production of pre-fueling nutraceuticals and individualized recovery shakes post practice.
Harris' other duties were to execute the coordination of postgame meals for both home and away games as well as develop programmatic nutrition education materials, presentations, and events.
Prior to her involvement with Illinois' football program, Harris served as a volunteer with the New Jersey Devils assisting the medical staff with athletic testing during development camp and attending team education sessions.
"I am both excited and humbled to have the opportunity to work with such a respected and historic program," Harris said. "I am thrilled to join the Hokie family that has established itself as a leader through hard work, dedication, and teamwork. I am looking forward to getting to know the players and staff and getting started in preparation for the 2020 season."
Harris fills the vacancy in the associate director, nutrition, football, previously held by Peter Ritz who departed Blacksburg to accept a position as assistant sports dietician for football at Northwestern.