If you can’t decide which you love more—the thrill of mastering a culinary technique
or the atmosphere on game
day—why not combine the two
in a career cooking for athletes?
Luck, networking and following
your culinary passion all play a
part in getting you to that dream
job. No matter your area of
specialization, chances are there’s
an opportunity in the world of
sports. Athletes have to eat,
whether at home, at training
camp or on the college campus
where they are preparing for
professional sports. Cooking for
athletes is a special niche
requiring a fine-tuned approach
and knowledge you can acquire
while in school.
Aran Essig, CEC, CCA,
executive chef at the University
of Northern Colorado, Greeley,
Colo., recalls his early experience
cooking for the Denver Broncos
back in the days of John Elway
when the university was home to
the team’s training camp. “I
remember preparing turkey
roulades for one of my first
meals,” Essig says. “I watched as
the first person through the line
took four servings. My reaction
was to go to Plan B, thinking we
were going to run out. But the
players’ tastes varied, and having
a variety of proteins satisfied
their diverse preferences.
Athletes come from all over the
country, so by serving dishes that
reminded them of home, we
won their favor.”
university
inroads
Greg Larson, CC, cooks for
athletes as the unit chef for one
of two dining halls at the
University of Notre Dame, Notre
Dame, Ind. While he cooks for
students and for the school’s
$6 million catering business, he’s
also in charge of the football and
basketball training tables and the
all-sports training tables (tennis,
baseball, soccer, lacrosse,
swimming and women’s
basketball). “It’s exciting. I see
student athletes who make it to
the NFL and Major League
Baseball while they are still
developing,” Larson says. “I take
a lot of pride in my work,
knowing that every meal helps
