After Practice, No Goodbyes, Just Chow
Football booster president Laura Stearman helps keep players such as, from left, Jacob Stearman, Rodney Mickens, Dan Atwood and Devin Johnson well fed.
(By Ricky Carioti -- The Washington Post)
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Wednesday, August 30, 2006
For Dan Atwood, fall weekends begin around 5:30 each Thursday afternoon.
It's about 24 hours until kickoff, and Atwood and his Gaithersburg teammates have just finished their walk-through in helmets and jerseys. After cleaning up, the Trojans don't head home, but rather to the school's cafeteria, where the sight of 25 pizzas will make any teenage boy's eyes bulge.
"Ahh, that's the best part of the week," said Atwood, a junior running back.
It's Thursday Night Dinner, an event designed to provide an energy boost for the following night with a mix of team bonding and gluttony. It's a staple of many varsity football programs. Some teams have the dinner at a nearby restaurant, whil e others, such as the Trojans, bring the food to the school.
Regardless of where it is, Weight Watchers be warned.
"Some people eat a whole pizza and a box of ice cream," senior lineman Devin Johnson said. "There are some people who just pig out. It's a loose, fun time for everyone. It's a good way to build team chemistry."
At most schools, it is the work of a booster club. In Gaithersburg's case, the dinner is provided by the Varsity Football Parents' Organization, which works independently of the school's club, and funnels its proceeds directly to the football program for events like this one.
The organization's funds were low, though, at the start of practices, and some events or perks were going to be cut. The first one to be preserved, however, was the weekly dinner.
"We had to look at what supported the football program the best," said Laura Stearman, the organization's president, whose son Jacob is a senior defensive back. "We do [the dinners] to keep up team spirit. The boys look forward to it. It's the start of the weekend, and part of the football" experience.
