May 7, 2007

ATHENS, Ohio - Peden Stadium was invaded by women Saturday for the inaugural Ohio Women's Football Clinic, sponsored by Power 105.5.

Approximately 80 women were in attendance as Ohio's Head Football Coach Frank Solich and his staff took a break from their regular routine and focused their attention towards mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, and football fans alike to help them better understand the game of football.

The day started with a check-in followed by a welcome and introduction by Solich.

In a classroom session, the Bobcat coaching staff showed video footage and broke down offensive and defensive positions. The coaching staff also discussed basic football rules and strategies.

"My favorite part about the clinic was the classroom sessions," said participant M.J. Clark. "I learned a great deal more than I expected. I learned a lot about positions that I didn't know and about the strategy of the game. I learned that football is much more mental a game than I thought it was and I also learned that there is a lot of terminology behind the game that I didn't know."

The ladies then took a tour of the football facilities before moving onto the playing field where they were able to run through the Bobcat head, similar to the way that the Bobcats do on game day. Once on the field the ladies were divided into two teams and participated in 40 minutes of offensive and defensive drills before playing a Pink vs. White game.

"I loved the entire day," said Clark. "I really enjoyed running through the bobcat head with the smoke!"

Following the game, the ladies were informed that $1,000 had been raised through the clinic, and that Coach Solich would match that $1,000 for a grand total of $2,000 to be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

"This clinic was another opportunity to expose Ohio Football to a segment of our fan base," said Director of Football Operations, Jason Grooms. "We all have moms, wives, and sisters that go to games and want to know more than just meets the eye. It is also a great event to have interaction with our staff. The idea to donate the proceeds to the National Breast Cancer Foundation was icing on the cake. We wanted to benefit a cause and what better cause than this."

At the end of the clinic, the participants may not have been experts on football or even future coaches. But after learning the rules and strategies of the game, they can now watch the Bobcats with a new understanding of the game of football.

"We were very pleased with the clinic," said Grooms. "We had great attendance, great interaction, and a lot of fun. We received very positive feedback and plan to make this an annual event."