The Jock Strap

You know, during my travels around the Hawkeye state since beginning my professional sports broadcasting career in June of 2003, I've been north, south, east, and west. I've covered events in Fort Dodge, St. Marys, Clinton and Burlington, and Sioux City. I've also been pretty much everywhere in-between, including Des Moines, Iowa City, etc., etc. And, of course, chasing the teams I've covered around the state puts me on a tight schedule, which doesn't lend itself to too many sit-down family-style meals. As many coaches well know, a lot of my meals come at the stadium, the ballpark, or in the lobby of a gymnasium. In other words, I many times pray to the great god of the concession stand.

This being said, I feel that I am am expert on high school sports concession stands and the quality and variety of their menus. And, this past weekend, while covering the Bulldogs' three games at the Cedar Rapids Jefferson J-Hawk Softball Classic, I encountered the best of the best.

When you head down to get a hot dog and a drink at "The Cabin," the affectionate name for the concession stand at the C.R. Jefferson softball diamond, you encounter a menu that many small restaurants would be envious of. Quickly, you realize that simply ordering a hot dog and a Coke might be the biggest mistake you've made in your life. For example, when I was leaving the ballpark on Saturday evening, a Jefferson assistant coach and a team Mom who helps run the concession stand insisted that I order whatever I want from The Cabin before leaving to head back to Ottumwa. I'm thinking pizza, a cheeseburger, maybe even get fancy with a giant pretzel and some nacho dip. But oh no, I was at Jefferson High School, and the concession game is played at a different level around there. Natalie Niemeyer, the head coach's daughter and freshman team assistant coach for the J-Hawks, throws out a recommendation for a piece of their gourmet cheesecake. So, before I leave the ballpark, while watching some of the BGM vs. Mount Vernon game, I enjoy a piece of gourmet cheesecake with cherries and cherry topping.........At a high school softball game! I'm telling you, the cheesecake was excellent, but I was more shocked by the fact that you can actually order cheesecake at a high school softball game, and the concession stand has it in stock. Absolutely amazing.

Now, let's get back to the menu at "The Cabin." It's broken down into sections, including drinks, breakfast, food items, desserts, and candy.

Under food items, one finds a ribeye steak sandwich for $5.25, a Philly steak sandwich for $4.75, a grilled, boneless chicken breast sandwich for $4.00, and a grilled fish sandwich for $4.00. Get the idea? This place is unreal.

Under breakfast, you have donuts, rolls, pancakes, and french toast sticks.

Then, when you turn to drinks, you'd think, "Well, they'll have the usual soft drinks, bland coffee, etc." Wrong again. They have 7 different soft drinks, sun tea, generic lemonade, bottled water, Gatorade, Country Time lemonade, Snapple lemon tea, strawberry banana smoothies, apple, grape, and Sunny D juice, milk and chocolate milk, coffee, and hot chocolate.

How 'bout desserts you ask? Well, let's get down to business. Cheesecake (with cherries or strawberries.......As mentioned, I went with cherries), apple, cherry, peach, and blueberry pie (available ala mode), strawberry shortcake (available ala mode), brownie sundae, rootbeer float, frosty malt, drumstick, ice cream sandwich, ice cream cone (2 dips), ice cream cone (3 scoops in a bowl (available with chocolate syrup, strawberries, or both)), and freeze pops. Are you serious?

Then, for candy, you have: Dots, Hot Tamales, Mike & Ike's, plain and peanut M&Ms, Reese's Pieces, Skittles, Snickers bars, Twix bars, Twizzlers, blue, green, and purple Sour Punch Straws, Fireballs, caramel apple suckers and lolly pops, and Laffy Taffy. Whew!! That took a lot of effort just to type out!

Again, this is at a high school softball stadium!

In conclusion, this was easily the most amazing high school concession stand experience I've ever had, inside and outside the state of Iowa, and including high school, college, and professional sports. Quite honestly, "The Cabin" at Jefferson is better than most Minor League Baseball park concession stands I've been to, and has a greater variety of items than any Major League Baseball park I've ever been to.

All the respect in the world to the founders, purveyors, and workers at "The Cabin," you have all created an absolute masterpiece that goes down in all-time concession stand lore!


"The Bruce"