There is nothing like connecting with friends and family over a nice meal. This is what some sports teams at FHC do off the field in an attempt to strengthen team bonds and most importantly eat some good food. Most of us have fond memories of big meals such as Thanksgiving dinner and connecting with our families over a delicious meal. The question is why is this so important to us? Why is connecting over a meal such a big deal?

Thanksgiving dinner is a tradition, and practically every family in America participates in this holiday. It is our nation’s tradition. This is the same way with FHC team dinners; it’s a tradition. Each team has somewhat different traditions, and each one is special and sometimes unique to each team.

“We usually go to someone’s house and eat food while watching film,”  junior soccer player Matthew Taylor said. “These dinners are held at various people’s households with a variety of food.”

The soccer team not only uses a team dinner as an opportunity to bond, but also an opportunity to review plays and talk over what they might need to do better to play the best they can.

“We usually go to either a players’ house or some buffet to go grub on some delicious food,” senior football captain Evan Lubben said. “It’s great for team chemistry and a good chance to hang out with your fellow teammates.”

The football team uses their team dinner as an opportunity to focus on building stronger bonds. Something unique about the football team’s dinners is that the players are broken up into different groups. They have a lineman dinner, a linebacker dinner, and a DB (defensive back) dinner.

“After we win home matches, we go to Freddy’s,” junior tennis player Philip Murdock said. “If we’re away we find somewhere near there.”

The tennis team takes a different approach to a team dinner: they always go out to eat after their matches while the football and soccer teams hold theirs on days before a game.

Team dinners are a way for the team to connect and grow stronger bonds. This is a difference maker on the field because a team that is connected and trusts one another is a difficult team to beat. Team dinner is more than just a meal with your teammates; it’s an opportunity that teams take to build bonds and friendships. The athletes discussed why these dinners mean so much to them.

“They give me and the rest of my team an opportunity to grow closer and eat good food,” Matthew said.

“Team dinners mean a lot to me because I usually don’t get to hang out with my other teammates on the team and sometimes the coaches join us too,” Evan reported.

“It’s really important to me because it is a fun way for the team to get to know each other better and develop better relationships,” Philip stated.

Team dinners may look different depending on the sport, but each sport holds the same values in those meals. Those values are the time they get to spend as a team off the field, the ability to create strong and lasting bonds, and eating some delicious food. It’s more than a meal for athletes at FHC, it’s fellowship and tradition.