After an afternoon of sweat and grime Harvard's athletes like to settle down to a trayful of Harvard food, but in the past many Quad-bound athletes have been unable to reach their house dining halls in time for dinner.

But house officials are trying to change this situation by increasing the use of a shuttle bus service between Dillon Field House and the Quad, said Margot N. Gill, North House senior tutor.

The houses have had some success in getting athletes to use the shuttle. Which leaves from the locker rooms three times during the dinner rush, Gill said.

Other ways to attract athletes back home away from their traditional haunts, the River houses, is to make dining room hours more flexible and to hold some food for tardy diners, said Ann L. Sicari, manager of the Quad dining halls.

Even with the shuttle, it's still difficult to make it back in time, said North House resident Ken A. Tarezy '86, defensive back for the football team. He added, "Charlie's [Kitchen] sees a lot of us."

Freshman football players also complain about the long trek back to the Union after a late practice.

"You end up running to the Union with 10 minutes left, getting firsts, stuffing it in cups, and going to get seconds before they shut the doors. It's pretty drastic, walking around with roast beef in your cups," said Joe P. Howard '89, football manager.

Some of the football players have contemplated solutions to the problem. "I'd like a monorail," said Sean E. Rockett '89.

Upperclassmen have learned to deal with the situation in various ways. Many make friends with dining hall workers who hold out food for them, said Robert J. Santiago '86, who is living off campus this year.

Others are not so lucky. "We eat the scraps," said Quarterback Brian J. White '86 of Leverett House.