By NFL Player Engagement
Jeff Kearney is the Head of Gatorade Sports Marketing and he is passionate about sports. Jeff received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Iowa and a Master’s of Science in Sports Management from Western Illinois University. After graduating from Iowa, Jeff took a job working in a bank, but quickly realized that was not the career path for him. A self-described gym rat, Jeff loves sports and had always wanted to work in sports, with the ultimate goal to work in the NFL. Jeff keyed in on the NFL because, of all the professional leagues, the NFL seemed to have the best opportunity for a “normal” schedule, since games were only on Sundays.
Jeff had done some research on Masters programs and found that Western Illinois University had one of the most established Sports Management programs in the country. He had applied for several Graduate Assistant programs upon arriving at Western Illinois and was offered a position in the Sports Information Department. The Sports Information Department is the Public Relations arm of the Athletic Department. Jeff prepared Fun Facts, Player Bios, developed Game Day Program content and kept stats for various WIU teams while he worked to complete his degree.
Ultimately, Jeff’s post-graduate career led him to Gatorade 10 years ago where he has held positions in Public Relations managing the Gatorade Player of the Year program, Influencer Marketing developing Coach and Athletic Trainer communication, and Brand Marketing launching the Gatorade Prime and Gatorade Recover products. Jeff now leads all of Sports Marketing and is responsible for all of Gatorade’s league, team and University partnerships and activation.
Jeff and the entire Gatorade team are committed to helping educate athletes about hydration and sports nutrition. Football athletes, in particular, spend several hours each day training or competing, sometimes twice a day and often in the sun. Therefore, for both safety and performance paying attention to hydration is important. Athletes should be sure to drink enough fluid to prevent dehydration without over-drinking. At a certain point, dehydration can increase your risk of heat illness and decrease your performance by affecting muscle function and taking you off the field. Stay safe, stay in the game, stay hydrated with these tips:
- Drink fluids throughout the day and watch your urine color. Light color like lemonade (not clear) is your goal.
- Try to limit drinks with high amounts of caffeine and sugar, like soda and energy drinks (a little is OK, a lot is not!)
- Drink regularly throughout practices and games. Take advantage of all the breaks your coach gives you.