Teaming Up Nutrition and Athletics to Boost Performance

The Elbert County School District nutrition department in Georgia is demonstrating how a partnership with the athletics department can drive success both on the field and in the cafeteria.

Led by School Nutrition Director Bridgette Matthews, a registered dietitian and sports enthusiast, the initiative links nutrition directly to student-athlete performance.

“When our new football coach joined in 2020, we had a long conversation about changing the culture of the program,” Matthews said. “We knew it started with the basics of good nutrition. What goes in the body is what we get out on the field.”

This conversation led to the creation of Nutrition for Champions, a program designed to teach athletes how to hydrate, eat well and rest well.

From ensuring athletes drink eight cups of water before practice to tracking breakfast participation, Matthews and her team provide practical, real-life strategies to fuel students. Over five years, Elbert County High School athletes have avoided muscle cramps during games, and students across sports including wrestling, volleyball, and ROTC are now participating in the program.

“Once football players started sharing what they were learning, other students and sports wanted to be involved. Nutrition has become part of the culture,” Matthews explained.

The program also benefits the broader student body. Through partnerships with teachers and coaches, school nutrition staff ensure that meals support student-athletes’ needs while engaging peers. Matthews described how student favorites like Chicken Alfredo emerged directly from student input during nutrition lessons in Health and PE classes.

Elbert County High School utilizes the Community Eligibility Provision to provide free meals for all students and feeds about 80% of students daily. Matthews is working to implement creative strategies to make breakfast more accessible, including grab-and-go carts to help deliver meals directly to gyms to accommodate students arriving early for weightlifting and team sports.

“It’s all about removing barriers and making it easy for students to fuel their bodies,” Matthews said. This collaboration between nutrition and athletics is more than a program, it’s a school-wide effort to create healthier, more engaged students.

“When school nutrition and athletics partner, it elevates the culture, boosts participation, and sets students up for success both in and out of the classroom.”