Food for Fuel: The Shorewood Mountain Biking Team
Turkey fryers, sous-vides and a lumberjack-sized griddle: this sounds like a list of Thanksgiving Day tools, but it is actually some of the many ways that coaches and parent volunteers of the Shorewood Mountain Biking team have approached feeding hungry riders on race weekends over
the years. And much like Thanksgiving dinner, the feast is an opportunity to connect and bond. “Preparing and sharing meals as a team not only offers all team members quality nutrition, it strengthens us as a team, like a family,” says Head Coach Sydney Shimko. “We are a co-ed, multi-age team united by this family-type atmosphere, with everyone coming together to support each other. There’s a natural equity-building component to making communal meals.”
Equity is important to the Shorewood team. There are scholarships and loaner bikes available to make riding possible for more students, and Shimko serves as the statewide coordinator for Girls Riding Together (GRiT), a national effort to encourage more participation from female athletes. At the end of the day (or the beginning), breaking bread together and creating a sense of
belonging are central to fostering togetherness. These values are key for a team sport like mountain biking, where competition isn’t necessarily the primary objective.
Students, ranging from sixth-graders to seniors in high school can choose to compete in any, all or none of the races. “Mountain biking is a co-ed team sport where everyone plays—no team member has to sit on the bench,” says Shimko. While the team doesn’t shy away from competition—the Shorewood team tied for 3rd in the 2019 Championships among Division 1 teams in the state—building character, community, athleticism and perseverance have equal weight. Family-style meals at the campsite play a big part in that.
Janet Kreilein, the team’s Food Coordinator, agrees. “I have always felt that what makes this team special and contributes to the culture and camaraderie is that we do everything together when we’re on the race site.” That means arriving together, setting up camp, pre-riding the track, enjoying meals and relaxing around a campfire to discuss the challenges of the track and strategize for the next day.
Dining together has been a normal ritual since the team’s start, and it isn’t so easy to accomplish. Because the races require travel and overnight camping, parents and coaches have to get creative. How do you feed 40-50 people a hot, nutritious meal (or three) at a campsite without resorting to beans and weenies? In the beginning, parent volunteers Bob Smith and Sarah McEneany knew they wanted family meals for the group, even as the team quickly grew to one of the largest in the state. Before passing the food-prep torch, the pair developed the systems necessary to get it done, and Smith researched and eventually, “Combined gourmet with up-north techniques,” as McEneany puts it.
The turkey fryers served as the heat source for boiling at the campsite, and Smith also brought a two-foot cast iron pan to scramble eggs and fry hash browns. These days, the team uses two-burner camp stoves, a griddle and pots to heat up largely pre-cooked meals sous-vide style, which allows for a variety of dishes. By preparing many of the meals ahead of time and sealing them in plastic bags, they have more time for feasting and bonding.
As you might expect, meal preparation is also a team effort, with parents pitching in to pull off the feat. Kreilein and her husband, Gary, now handle the logistics: rounding up the ingredients, supplies and volunteer cooks necessary to make these outdoor banquets a reality. Volunteer Jean Guequierre helps develop the menu, using nutritious recipes that go far beyond simple campground fare, such as a vegan peanut stew. And many other parents pitch in to prep, cook and seal the meals.
The result of all this hard work and creativity is a cultural tradition that centers the team, including the parents. In some cases, parents don’t just coach or volunteer—they find that they also learn to love the sport. Kreilein started mountain biking after her son joined the team, and three years later, they now enjoy biking as a family activity. Parents don’t have to ride, of course, but Kreilein says many are, “Giving it a roll.”
While many teams leave individual families responsible for their meals, the Shorewood team values its togetherness. Sharing meals on race weekends, Kreilein says, means, “Everyone gets to participate and everyone gets to contribute.” This enforces a community which upholds their values of equity and inclusion, and leaves kids will full bellies; ready to race.
