Story Links
April 10, 2003
On Saturday, April 5th, over 100 women attended the second annual Football 101 clinic sponsored by the National Football Foundation Central Virginia Chapter. The clinic was held at the Carl Smith Center at Scott Stadium from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for an all-day seminar on the basics of football.
Participants kicked off the day with a breakfast from Hot Cakes and an introduction from Mrs. Littlepage, wife of Virginia Athletic Director Craig Littlepage. The women then learned some general information about the offense before hearing from Anne Groh on her sons’ playing football and her experiences with being a coach’s wife.
“It was really interesting listening to Anne Groh speak,” said Meredith Buzas of Charlottesville, VA. “She talked about the time commitment involved with football and gave us a different perspective on the sport.”
Next the ladies got an introductory lesson on defense before taking a lunch break to watch the UVa team practice on the field. After lunch, the women heard from former Virginia player Chris Slade on the transition from collegiate ball to the NFL. Slade, a defensive end for Virginia, played for the New England Patriots from 1993 until 2000 and the Carolina Panthers in 2001. Slade is now retired and living in Atlanta, Georgia and working towards a return to the NFL in the near future.
Towards the end of the day, the ladies reviewed and tried on equipment and learned various signals from a guest referee. The women also had an opportunity to tour the locker room and run out onto the field through the smoke machine before scrimmaging one another at the end of the day using their new knowledge on the game.
“This was great,” said Sarah Hammond of Sterling, VA. “I think a little bit of every topic was covered well throughout the day.”
After a day filled with football facts, the participants in this year’s Football 101 clinic took home their own playbook and V-Sabre.com magnet and walked away with more knowledge about football.
“This was an extremely enjoyable and informative event,” said Buzas. “I would definitely recommend this to women interested in learning more about football.”
Contact Amy Potter at apotter@cavsports.com for more information or questions about next year’s clinic. To view photos from the clinic, click here Football 101 Photos