Sports nutritionists advocate that volleyball players at all-day tournaments graze on foods containing protein and carbohydrates. As well, the athletes are reminded to stay hydrated, i.e. drink plenty of water, stay off their feet, and rest if possible.
A player’s diet before and on the day of a tournament may determine their success on the court. With that in mind, club directors and parents came up with the player’s food table to as a means of providing nourishment for their daughters on game day.
Somewhere along the way, the focus of the food table was shifted from the players to the father’s beer bellies, the mother’s muffin tops, and the sibling’s sweet tooth. Parents used their daughter’s volleyball tournament as an opportunity to display their culinary skills with their favorite recipes for chili, fried chicken, and death-by-sugar cupcakes.
Too often the community food tables look like the picture on the right. This photo was snapped at a tournament where the host facility did not allow food inside the gymnasium, hence all food tables were located outside the front entrance to the building.
The menu for this tournament is provided below:
- In the background is a cooler with bottled Gatorade on top. The sliced turkey, beef, and bologna are stored inside. The bread and condiments for the sandwiches are located on the table – a reasonable start.
- On the table there is also mayonnaise and potato salad. It is best to store both inside the ice chest, especially when tables are outdoors on a warm day.
- And the best part of the menu is the bag of Jolly Rancher candy (500 pieces), muffins, and 3 dozen cupcakes. These are an important part of a diet that provides the fans and players with an afternoon sugar rush and crash.
- Underneath the table is a wide selection of chips – Yummy, but not what the athletes need.
- And in the foreground is the unopened bag of apples and oranges on top of the cooler. Because the bag of fruit was never opened, it was presumably placed on the ice chest to keep the lid from blowing away and as a deterrent for those wanting to get a soda or other sugar-based drink.
And parents wonder why their daughters are playing in the lower divisions.