FAQs on Serving Afterschool Meals to Student Athletes

Summary

The questions addressed in this one-pager include:

• Am I allowed to serve athletes? I thought that competitive sports didn’t qualify as an enrichment activity for the afterschool meals program.  
• What is a “broad, overarching educational or enrichment program” that allows student athletes to eat? 
• Do athletes have to participate in the other activities offered in order to get a meal?
• Do I have to track athletes’ attendance?
• What if there are sports team practices on days when there isn’t another activity offered?
• Can I serve the meals to each sports team where they practice?
• How can I serve student athletes if I don’t have the staff to deliver meals or even supervise students as they come through the serving line in the cafeteria?
• Can I provide meals to teams when they have an away game?
• Can I feed teams from other schools who come to our school for games? 
• Who should I work with to promote afterschool meals to sports teams and athletes? 

This resource also includes stories from school nutrition staff in Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, and Texas who have successfully implemented these approaches. 

Student athletes can benefit enormously from nutritious afterschool meals, and coaches and athletic directors can be important supporters of your program. This resource for school nutrition staff answers some common questions around serving student athletes.