Here we go…soccer (and other sports) snacks

As the beginning of soccer season looms over us, I'm reminded of the anxiety of being the "healthy" snack provider for the team. I was told the other day that a big highlight for the 4-5 year old teams (on which my younger daughter will be playing) is the donuts that show up after their 30 minute practice/30 minute "game" every week, during which they maybe get 15 minutes of vigorous activity. And I cringed. Yes, many will say "but it's just ONCE a week!" and "one donut won't hurt" but is it really just that occasional? Not for my kids, it seems. Everywhere they (we) turn, there is yet another offer of junky food, junk food used as a reward, or in my case, another reason to amp up the healthy offerings at home to make up for the junk they get elsewhere. 

So what can we do? We can try to change the culture, change it back to when we were kids and there were no "Here's a capri sun, a bag of oreos, and a bag of cheetos!" after sports (or any) activities. We can start small, and set an example. We can bring fruit, bottles of water, and throw some yogurt in there if you feel strongly about having more than just fruit. We can ask the coach, the athletic director, the team parent (or volunteer for one of those roles!) to send out a "please bring fresh fruit and water as snacks". I have emailed a coach and received no response. None whatsoever. It was a bit disheartening but I moved on. And I still brought the fruit-and-water when it was my turn.

This season, at my oldest daughter's school, I sent an email to the athletic director asking that the snack policy be changed. The end-of-the-year survey showed that parents weren't happy with the lunch food offered in the school cafeteria. I'm serving on the lunch committee to revamp the cafeteria food offerings. And since we are doing that, I thought it would be a great time to re-vamp the snack policy after sports activities. I'm hoping for a positive change. If nothing else, I will ask the same of the coach, and of course, at the very least, bring my fresh-fruit-and-water snack when it's my turn. 

Does your league or team have a healthier snack policy?