Soccer Snacks

"Mom! Did you see that save? The ball was like, an inch from the goal and we stopped it from going in!" Marek excitedly runs up to us after his soccer game.

"Yeah, Marek. That was an amazing save. It was a really good game. But look at that..." I reply and point.

I am pointing to the after game snack supplied to the other team, the likes of which I have never seen before. A sugar on a stick. A sugar kabob. A sugar tease. It is a skewer with marshmallows, lifesaver gummies, and something covered in chocolate. Part of me is relieved that this goes to the other team. Can you imagine the fight this delicacy would provoke with the siblings? But part of me wishes it was the snack of Marek's team - because then I could demand my share also!

As we pack up our chairs and head to the car, I am still drooling. The other team is meandering to their vehicles, enjoying the sugar rush. Does no one besides myself see anything abnormal about this behavior?

Oh, the soccer snack. I have no idea how other youth sports are conducted around the country, but in our area, at the end of every game of soccer, the participants are rewarded for their efforts with a special snack. The parents are expected to take their turn supplying this snack - usually once per season.

Marek's snack this week is a granola bar and juice box.

Our rule is that eating in front of others is not polite. So Marek must save his snack or share his snack.

"Here, Oscar." Marek hands him a granola bar. "I got an extra for you and Tildy to share."

I am astounded. Now the soccer snacks are provoking my child into stealing so he doesn't have to share. I make a mental note to add a new rule to our after soccer snack consumption - no stealing extra food if it is not offered.

"I want to save it," says Oscar.

"No, Oscar. You have to eat it, because otherwise I can't eat mine without sharing it with Tildy," says Marek.

"Oscar, you have to eat it now," I overrule. The last thing I want right now is to referee another soccer snack fight.

Once in the car, Marek quickly downs the juice. Not real juice. The flavored water kind that people pretend is juice because it is cheap and individually packaged for easy hand out. He passes the empty carton to Oscar, who cannot tell that it is empty. We go through this every week.

Oscar tries to sip it, and then wails, "Marek, it's all gone!"

And I give a deep sigh as I start the car and drive away. "Let's go have some lunch."

I have to wonder, who started the soccer snack tradition and what was their intention?

I once saw one team have an after game meeting led by the coach. In this case the snack was a community builder. They actually ate together as they discussed the game, instead of grabbing the snack and rushing off to their individual lives, probably to eat lunch.

Interestingly, younger kids are professionally coached through our city recreation program. They do not receive a soccer snack. Snacks don't start until the U7 division when the parents begin coaching. So this is about the fifth season I have encountered this routine. I still don't know how I should handle it - IT being something that flies so fiercely against anything I am trying to teach my kids about nutrition, exercise, and manners.

To date I have played along, supplied my snack, and let Marek participate. I generally am not one to make waves - especially for something so petty.

Last year I brought 24 bananas and I think about two of them were eaten. A lot of banana bread was made that week.

This year when the snack sign up sheet was waved in my face, I got up the guts to tell the snack organizer that I did not believe in snack, but that I would bring the halftime oranges. I got the impression the snack organizer now thinks I am cheap. Or crazy.

I am contemplating next season already. Should I approach the already burdoned volunteer coach and ask that snacks be skipped this season? Should I email the city sports program coordinator (who already is kind enough to humor me with a practice location within biking distance) with my snack thoughts? Or should I just tell Marek that we are not participating in soccer snacks? That I will not bring any, and he can not have any? How much of a tantrum would this provoke? Could I enforce this? Is it worth it?

For now I wonder what we have in our cupboards at home. Forget about lunch. I want sugar kabobs!