Sodexo Asked to Consider Away-Game Meals for Student-Athletes

By: Shelia Mader

Jackson County School Board members are exploring whether the district’s food service provider, Sodexo, could help provide meals for student-athletes traveling to away games.

During the June 16 school board meeting, Board Chairman Chris Johnson raised the idea while speaking with Sodexo representatives following a report on the district’s food service program. Johnson noted that many schools rely on churches, parents, and volunteers to provide meals for football teams before games and suggested it may be worth exploring a more organized option through Sodexo.

“One thing that I would like for all schools to participate in, it seems that it's becoming more popular, feed the football team before a game or feed the basketball team or away game,” Johnson said, suggesting teams could receive bagged meals to take on the bus. He asked whether any schools had previously approached Sodexo about such a program.

The Sodexo representative said no schools had contacted him about the idea but indicated the company would be willing to discuss the possibility. He noted there would be questions regarding funding and whether such a program could operate under existing guidelines.

Johnson said providing meals for athletic teams can be challenging because schools often depend on volunteers to prepare and serve food for dozens of student-athletes. “It gets to be tough to find people that are willing to volunteer,” he said, noting that football rosters can include 50 to 60 players.

The Sodexo representative said several factors would need to be considered before implementing a program, including what foods could be served and whether meals would need to be packaged for travel. “We'd have to work out what kind of menu it should be,” he said, adding that cold items may be necessary if meals are eaten while traveling.

The discussion was preliminary, and no action was taken by the board. However, officials agreed the concept is worth further exploration as schools look for ways to support student-athletes during away-game travel.