Stacks of pasta rest on junior Mikey Skolarus’s kitchen table. Tasty aromas of noodles tossed in pesto, macaroni and cheese, and marinara and meatballs fill the air as members of the cross country team gather around to fill their plates. The players are eager to carb-load, a practice of eating copious amounts of carbohydrates to increase glycogen in the muscles, before tomorrow morning’s meet.
These dinners, known to teams as pasta parties, are not limited to cross country. The tradition extends to other U-High endurance teams, such as track and field, and swimming. While the purpose of the pasta is to carbo-load and improve athletic performance before a competition, the dinners have become just as valued for the sense of community they build.
Mikey, a member of the cross country and track and field teams, appreciates that these parties give him the opportunity to get to know members of the team he normally doesn’t get to talk to.
“Especially in an individual sport, it’s really important to do things together as a team, build a solid foundation of people that have each other’s backs,” Mikey said.
These dinners are essential in providing a shared sense of team morale, which in turn improves the team’s performance.
“I think the environment definitely feels as if you’re running for the person next to you,” Mikey said, “so I think [pasta parties] help with that.”
Maya Livni, a senior on the girls swimming team, similarly highlighted the unifying nature of these events in a sport that, like cross country, is individual-focused.
“I’ve met a lot of freshmen and underclassmen through pasta parties because I am not really interacting with them. They are not in my lane,” she said.
Ninth grader Pooja Gujja, who joined the high school swimming team this year, said that the first few pasta parties made the ninth graders feel included and the whole team closer.
“We made more friends,” Pooja said. “My friend and I weren’t as scared to do our first meet after the pasta party.”
According to Maya, these events often extend beyond food to include activities such as karaoke and other games.
“Depending on who’s hosting, they’ll have a little activity for us to do, and it’s just a really great way to connect with the team and hang out outside of the stress of practice and structured coaching time,” Maya said.
Celia Lukas, a junior on both the cross country and track and field teams, explained that cross country also has meaningful traditions that take place during pasta parties.
“We’ve done a candle ceremony, where you light a candle for a person who’s had a meaningful impact on your time on the team and why you appreciate their presence,” Celia said. “I think it’s really thoughtful and helps to bring us closer.”
The plates of pasta begin to empty as the night comes to a close. Student athletes leave feeling more prepared for their meet tomorrow, with full stomachs and a closer bond to their team.
