Thousand Oaks, Calif. - There aren't much better ways to test a new dining facility than feeding around 200 hungry athletes every day.
The Cal Lutheran fall sports teams reported to campus this week, and have been working up hearty appetites during their training camps.
With nutrition such an essential part of performance and recovery, the athletes are taking advantage of the new $15-million Ullman Dining Commons.
The two-level, 20,000-square foot facility officially opens to all students in September. But the CLU athletes have been giving it a challenging trial run before, during and after hours of practice and conditioning each day.
"It's been absolutely fantastic. The food has been great and I really like the layout," CLU women's soccer coach Frank Marino said. "I think the layout is conducive for a team to be in there together and hang out together."
The Dining Commons has an expanded menu selection to please nearly every palate. It features brick oven pizza, a pasta bar, soup and salad bar and dessert bar. It has a made-to-order deli and an international food station that includes a Mongolian grill, Asian wok and vegan menu choices.
Coaches and players in need of a caffeine injection have been visiting the Starbucks located on the first floor of the Dining Commons. The Starbucks has three times the seating of the chain's traditional stores.
"Our kids think the food is legit, and I have to keep my assistant coaches out of there because they are like, 'Why cook at home when you have this food?'" CLU women's volleyball coach Kellee Roesel said. "There is so much more variety and the quality of the food is good. If there is one thing I am an expert on its food and I hear nothing but good stuff."
The CLU athletes have former CLU athletes to thank for their enhanced nutritional options.
CLU was preparing to scale back the original plans for budget reasons when CLU Regent George "Corky" Ullman Jr. stepped forward.
Ullman Jr., who played football and graduated from CLU in 1976, didn't want to see the plans change so he approached his brother, Steve, a former wrestler and 1977 graduate, about having the Ullman Foundation donate the additional $2 million needed to fully fund the facility.
The payoff might be seen in the standings this season.
Fall has been the most successful season in CLU sports in recent years, and coaches hope this year is no exception.
After capturing four straight SCIAC titles, the CLU football team dropped all the way to fourth last season and finished with a 4-5 overall record.
Head coach Ben McEnroe has spent the last nine months figuring out ways to get back to the top again.
"It was the longest offseason of my 22 years coaching. There was just such a sour taste in our mouths from 2013 and it's good to be able to officially put that to bed and begin a new season," McEnroe said. "It just feels great to get back and see the kids and have the opportunity to be around them and get ready to go."
Roesel endured a similar offseason, although for very different reasons.
Her team continued its dominance in the SCIAC with its fourth straight title and sixth straight NCAA tournament appearance.
But the Regals endured a heartbreaking five-set loss in the NCAA championship match, missing out on the school's first NCAA Division III title by only a few points.
"After how it ended last year, I was really interested to see how things were going to go and it has been really good," Roesel said. "Anybody that hangs on to what they did previously probably isn't going to do very well. I learned a lot from last year and I will do some stuff the same and do some stuff differently."
The fall season officially opens on Aug. 29 with cross country, volleyball and soccer in action. The football team opens its season on Sept. 13 on the road against Pacific Lutheran in Washington.
Through the first week of preparation, Marino has been pleased by what he's seen from his four-time defending SCIAC championship squad.
"I think the work ethic has been fantastic and our chemistry has been strong," Marino said. "We have really been supporting each other while trying to build our team and putting those pieces in place for the first game.
Weekend activities on campus
The football team is hosting "Fan Day" on Sunday. Practice is scheduled from 3-5 p.m. at North Field. After practice, players and coaches will be available to talk with fans and play catch with any children in attendance. … The volleyball team is holding its alumnae game on Saturday night at 6 p.m. at Gilbert Arena. "It's been great to see a lot of former players stopping into practice this week. I am really excited to get them all back on the court," Roesel said.
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