Lunchtime is probably one of the highlights in the day of a Rosary Royal. During the fall, winter, and spring sports seasons, some sports teams have parent-provided lunches on game days. Throughout this fall sports season, there have been plenty of Chick-Fil-A, In-N-Out, and other fast food restaurants featured in the lunches of Rosary athletes.
That leaves one huge, unanswered question: which fall sports team has the best lunches? Is it tennis, cross country, volleyball, golf, or flag football?
Some teams are known for having five-star lunches while other teams didn’t have team lunches at all. Let’s explore which fall sport has the best lunch and whether team lunches are actually beneficial or not:
First on the list is volleyball, which is well-known around campus for having delicious game day meals. Frosh-Soph player Ava Graham ‘26 exclaimed, “They gave us all the best food places: In-and-Out, Panda Express, Panera, and Chipotle. We stayed away from fried foods. They were small meals, so we didn’t eat too much before the game. My favorite meal was the Panera sandwich.”
Next, Rosary Golf has wholesome team meals before representing on the fairway. Sophomore golfer Isabella Dedes reveals, “I love the lunches; they really help boost morale within the team.”
Our Royal runners have geared up for their races with two team meals; cross-country athlete Mandy Puga ‘24 enjoys them, saying: “Cross Country did a team dinner of pasta and pizza the night before one of the races and a birthday lunch for one of our teammates. I think having a meal together helps the team bond and takes away some of the nervousness for the race.”
On the other hand, some athletes don’t get team lunches. Senior tennis star Kit Hayward stated, “Interestingly enough, tennis doesn’t do team meals, so if you forget food, it’s not the team’s responsibility. I think not having team meals adds an extra layer of stress and eliminates the possibility for team bonding at lunch.”
Royals who don’t participate in sports have mixed feelings about team lunches, but senior Mallory Mojica-Ye proposes a solution to the constant longing for team meals: “The girls who don’t play sports should start a union and all pitch in money to buy some delicious, warm, lunches. It’s not fair that athletes always get good food.” Good point, Mallory.
Whether it’s fast-food or a healthy meal, it’s fair to say that most of Rosary’s fall sports teams did not skip out on the opportunity to bond over team lunch. These teams set a pretty high bar for the lunch standards, so winter sports will have to bring their A-game!
