Parents Meals at meets for judges & coaches

[ckulat]

I'm not sure if this is where I should post this...

I am on the Hospitality at my DD's gym. I was wondering what kinds of meals do you provide your coahces & judges for meets? This is what we have doen in the past:

Breakfast: coffee, OJ, yogurt, pastries, pigs in a blanket, bagels, sausage balls, whole fruit, & oatmeal.

Lunch: taco bar, baked potato bar, chicken enchiladas, subs, wraps, baked ziti, southwestern chicken soup, chicken pot pie, pasta salad, chips, & a dessert.

Dinner: beef stew, brunswick stew, lasagna, spaghetti, stuffed shells, tenderloin, turkey tetrazzini, chicken stir fry, salad, veggies, & dessert.

Snacks: granola bars, yogurt, fruit & veggie trays, trail mix, pizza rolls, meat & cheese tray, chips & salsa, hummus & pita chips, buffalo chicken dip, puppy chow, etc.

Any ideas you have would be great! I would just like to do something different.

 

[gymjourneymom]

Our judges seem to prefer it when we give them a menu from local resturant to choose what they want for themselves for lunch & dinner. Then we just call it in, pick it up & serve it in a nice private dining area for them. We also have snacks, fruit, coffee & beverages available for them at all times. We've never served breakfast, assuming most have eaten prior to arriving at the meet.

 

[gymgramma]

1. we always offer a vegetarian choice and a non-vegetarian choice for lunch & dinner
2. we make up "brown bags" with a to go snack for the judges. They can eat it as they drive home or eat it in their hotel room.

Bottled water always available to coaches and judges as well as coffee, tea, sodas and juice

 

[B Gymnast]

All I know is that coaches seem to like healthy food

 

[cathiann]

Coaches get a voucher to buy food at the concession stand. Judges get a variety--similar to things you've posted. This year we got food catered from local restaurants--mostly donated. Snacks, fruit, coffee, water, etc. is always available for the judges and coaches as well.

 

[thawley64]

Fellow hospitality chair

I have chaired hospitality since last year. We get parents to bring in their favorite dish like a pot luck. We always have a vegie tray and we always have fruit. The menu always ends up being too much food, which is great because we allow the meet committee and our coaches to feast at the end. The judges don't tend to eat much at all and the coaches seem to snack on granola bars. That's what we experienced. Everyone seemed very happy.

 

[marie83]

Blimey, I'm moving to the US!
As a coach at competitions we don't get anything provided - we either have to take a packed lunch or buy from the cafe if there is one!
As a judge we do get food - never breakfast, only lunch. We have a buffet style lunch, sometimes with fries - depending on the venue.

Tea and coffee used to be provided throughout the day and biscuits were always on the tables, but these days its just a bottle of water!

Having said all this, I've only ever judged at local comps and only once have I ended up being there from 8am-8pm. Usually our comps are only 3 rounds maximum and are over by about 6pm!

 

[thawley64]

I'm movin' to the UK!

 

[gym law mom]

We've found that the more home cooked dishes we can provide the better. Keeps cost down plus the judges and coaches really seem to like it---always nice compliments on the food. Obviously always have snack type stuff out and for the judges, the parent who is in charge of the floor volunteers makes the rounds at each rotation change and gets the judges anything they would like---usually water is the biggest request.

We also find we end up with more food than needed so we let concessions know and they sell it. At one meet we had several homemade soups left and they were sold very quickly.

The meet director contacts all the judges ahead of time to ask about any diet restrictions etc. so there is food for everyone to eat.

 

[cher062]

This is our first season with our new gym so I don't know what they offer but our old gym usually has some snack platters , platters with Wrap style sandwiches and various drinks (water, soda, coffee, tea, juice) available. Before the "lunch break" they order something from the local restaraunt for take out and one of us parents goes on the run to get food. The gym pays for the Judges meals but not the coaches meals. Coahes give us the money and gym gives us money for the coaches. Coaches can take off the platters if they don't want to purchase meals.

The platters they have with snacks etc are also available to the parents that work the meet. Usually they are well stocked with sandwiches and really there is no need to order out but the Judges always do order out.

When the meet is over the owners usually took the judges out to a nice dinner charged to the gym.

Many time too the parents would get together to make hot food for the coaches/judges so they don't have to buy out. So a pot of pulled pork for sandwiches, beef stew, pasta dishes etc are common and really cost nothing for them. Also at the "snack bar" run by the parents any coach or judge that comes up to get anything gets it for free.

 

[ckulat]

These are all GREAT ideas everyone! I have written your suggestions down & will present them at our meeting this week. I love this forum! Thanks again!

 

[mpkbt]

We did fruit/yogurt/granola parfaits and the Judges and coaches really seemed to like it. We had them available in the morning and through the day.

 

[nettyinpa]

We did fruit/yogurt/granola parfaits and the Judges and coaches really seemed to like it. We had them available in the morning and through the day.

I really like this idea. Thanks for this suggestion!