Fueling Victory: Cooking Competitions Provide More Than a Meal to UR Athletes
Sounds of laughter, sizzling pans, and Dean Martin’s tune “That’s Amore” pour out of the Heilman Dining Center’s Richmond Room as the scent of garlic wafts through the air. “Somebody call my mom,” a University of Richmond (UR) student athlete jokes as she figures out the mechanics of an induction burner. An entertained audience follows along via Instagram Live on the Spider Field Hockey account. This is the scene of the latest innovative component of the Demonstration Kitchen curriculum: team cooking competitions.
Each semester in UR’s Well-Being Center, dozens of free, hands-on Demonstration Kitchen events encourage nutritious eating while also building community. Managed by two full-time registered dietitians, Karen Hensley and Madeline Nathe, the Demonstration Kitchen also hosts pop-ups to help capture a broader audience across campus.
In 2022, Hensley and Nathe collaborated with members of the Athletics Department to enhance their nutrition education by integrating more Demonstration Kitchen programming. Their brainchild, team cooking competitions, has been a home run. These spirited contests revolve around using select ingredients to craft the tastiest, most balanced plates conducive to peak sports performance. Challenge menus have ranged from energy-packed breakfasts to high-protein pasta dishes. At the culmination of an hour-long session, players must present their culinary creations to a panel of judges, ranging from assistant coaches to the executive director of Dining Services.
Beyond the thrill of victory, the top-ranking team of players wins NOURISH apartment cooking guides and copies of The Everyday Athlete Cookbook. To date, football, women’s soccer, men’s lacrosse, and field hockey have participated, and more coaches are planning to have their teams participate in fall 2024 and beyond.
“The cooking contests have been a wonderful addition that provides well-being, life skills, and team-building opportunities for our student athletes,” said UR’s Senior Associate Athletic Director Lauren Wicklund. “Nutrition education continues to be a cornerstone of our student-athlete experience for injury prevention, energy management, and overall health and we are grateful for this special partnership with Dining Services.”
“Hosting the cooking competitions is always something we love doing for our student athletes and coaches,” said Hensley. “These multifaceted events encourage creativity and friendly competition among Spiders while simultaneously fostering lifelong skill development, teamwork, and camaraderie.”
Collaborative efforts between Dining Services and Athletics: That’s amore!