FORT COLLINS — Terry DeZeeuw viewed it as a necessary change.
As Colorado State’s associate athletic director for sports performance, he fully understands the demands made on the student-athletes from multiple angles, all while wanting them to perform at a high standard.
Last April, the NCAA Board of Directors approved legislation allowing student-athletes to receive unlimited meals and snacks, enacting the rule on Aug. 1. Since then, schools around the country who were willing to undertake the added expense, have worked to set up stations to help supplement their athletes nutritionally.
“It’s a huge shift for the NCAA. I’m extremely glad they did this,” DeZeeuw said. “The challenge was is we expect so much from our student-athletes, and they’re all on the go. This really gives us an opportunity to help them and support them from a nutritional standpoint and help them perform at a higher level.”
After months of study, Colorado State opened up what they are calling their nutrition center a week ago to provide their athletes the opportunity to refuel after workouts, sustain them throughout their class schedule and even help them gear up for practice. They are available to all athletes — including walk-ons — who are actively on a current roster.
The CSU athletic department has submitted a budget request for $430,500 to operate the facility for the next fiscal year, beginning July 1.
The administration at CSU took input from coaches, the strength and conditioning staff, a dietician and the athletes themselves. The Student-Athlete Advisory Council was part of the process, with surveys distributed to athletes about when the center should be open and what should be served.
Working with the dietician, DeZeeuw said the menu items will supply athletes with a balance of carbohydrates and protein needed to recover and sustain during workouts.
The university wanted to put the center where it was readily available to the athletes, agreeing on expanding an open room next to the football weight room. Part of the space came from the weight room itself, an area where equipment was under-utilized. Construction began the last week of November and was completed the third week of January for a cost of $53,000, CSU senior associate athletic director for facilities operations Doug Max said. He added that cost included the design of a serving counter, a pair of microwaves, two toasters and a television for the room. Max said there is a bit more work to do, such as painting the walls with the CSU brand.
The room is furnished with tables and chairs and will have WiFi access soon.
As for meal times, the center to be open Monday through Friday at two different times, 6:30-9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. DeZeeuw said the athlete surveys led them to those hours, though he believes in the future it will be open for a more extended period. Those times were picked in conjunction with team schedules to aid athletes after strength and conditioning training in the morning, as well as offer a pick-me-up prior to practices.
Despite what the legislation was labeled, the NCAA does not allow the centers to offer a meal, what it would consider breakfast, lunch or dinner. What the center may provide is snacks to supplement an athlete’s dietary needs through the day. That was tough, because CSU doesn’t want the athletes to view it as a replacement for a meal, but rather a way to sustain their needs.
“The idea is to give them additional calories, because they burn so many calories, not to use it as a substitute for a meal,” CSU senior associate athletic director of administration Christine Susemihl said. “We don’t want them sleeping in and skipping breakfast and coming in to grab a banana. That’s where the education piece needs to come in. Don’t make it convenient for them to skip a meal.”
DeZeeuw said a menu was set up for both sessions, with options for athletes to pick and choose from. There is also unlimited fruit, which he said they are encouraged to take to carry athletes through their class schedule.
The center has a variety of fresh fruits, as well as grab-and-go sandwiches of different varieties (DeZeeuw said peanut butter and jelly has been a popular staple and is always available), yogurt and salads with grilled chicken. Bagels and English muffins are available, as are snacks such as string cheese, chips, fruit cups and crackers, as well as granola, fig and fruit bars. Water and Powerade are available, and milk will be added. DeZeeuw would like to add oatmeal to the menu, as well.
Food is delivered every two days, DeZeeuw said, to ensure it is all fresh.
As the center is used, he sees multiple additions and subtractions forthcoming as the university takes in more feedback from the student-athletes.
“It will make a big difference performance-wise in the long run,” DeZeeuw said. “This is a starting point, but I think it lays the groundwork to do some neat things in the future.”
Mike Brohard: 970-635-3633, mbrohard@reporter-herald.com and twitter.com/mbrohard
