By Craig Keilitz & Meridith Martin

Craig Keilitz is Associate Athletic Director of Marketing and Promotions and Meridith Martin is Marketing Assistant at Wake Forest University. They can be reached at: martinmj@wfu.edu.

If you ask Wake Forest Assistant Football Coach Tommy Elrod who the most knowledgeable fans in our stadium are, he does not hesitate: "The women who attend our football clinics."

For the past 10 years, we have been holding a clinic for our female fans co-hosted by the football coaching staff and the sports marketing and promotions department. Over the decade, it has become one of our most popular programs. Attendance has nearly doubled, and we have even moved the event from a Thursday evening to a Saturday to fit in more activities and accommodate out-of-town attendees.

When we started the program, it was with the idea that women are an important demographic of our football audience and that they might enjoy the game more if they were afforded the opportunity to learn what many men do playing youth or high school football. But the clinic has become much more than that. It now also serves as a fundraiser for the local community, a networking opportunity for women, and a kick-off event for our coaches.

While there are many first-time attendees, a good number of women return each year because of the fun and insight gained from previous clinics. Denise Jackson has attended the last four years, and now even brings her mother. "It's a wonderful opportunity as a Wake Forest fan to be involved with the coaches and players in a way you can't experience in the stands," she says. "My mom, who is 76, is out there running, catching, and throwing."

When, Where, How
We hold the clinic in early August, a month prior to the first game of the season. This allows our coaches to put their hearts into the event before becoming consumed by preseason practices. But it is also close enough to the opening game to generate enthusiasm for the upcoming campaign.

The registration fee for the clinic is $30, and that includes a lunch buffet, fellowship with the other women, printed material they can take home, meeting the coaches, and a hands-on opportunity to learn about the game of football. We also provide each participant with Demon Deacon merchandise such as seat cushions, T-shirts, travel mugs, visors, blankets, or lunch coolers (we vary the gifts every year). In addition, a variety of door prizes are given out by local businesses that consistently sponsor the clinic.

The fee covers the luncheon and gift, allowing the clinic to pay for itself. Excess money and any donations go to a local program called "Coaches' Kids," which gives free football game tickets to youth in our area. This allows children of at-risk and low-income families the chance to participate in the excitement of a college game day experience.

We utilize various means to market the clinic. Electronically, we post advertisements on the Wake Forest and Atlantic Coast Conference message boards, while a press release is posted on the athletic department Web site. Print ads are placed in newspapers in surrounding communities. A specially designed postcard is mailed to all Deacon Club members within reasonable traveling distance, and a personal letter from Head Coach Jim Grobe is sent to all previous participants. Coach's wives, university faculty and staff, and players' families receive a mailing, too. We send a press release to the media, and the local television media has responded particularly well, providing information about it on their daily newscasts and interviewing coaches and participants throughout the day.

However, word of mouth appears to be the best form of advertising. Jeanne McCullough has attended several clinics and lets others know how great they are. "I like that the coaches' enthusiasm for football is contagious," she says. "It is clear they love to teach people about the sport."

The coaching staff is definitely key to the whole endeavor. Coach Grobe and his assistants are extremely approachable and put the women at ease no matter the topic of their questions. The coaches have become very committed to teaching the game and its intricacies to their audience.

"We don't hold anything back," says Elrod. "We take the women through our offensive and defensive schemes as well as game and practice participation."

Clinic Schedule
The event begins with the buffet lunch, after which Coach Grobe and his staff call a "team meeting." In a classroom setting, they pass out and review handouts on football terminology, player positions, and game strategies. This is followed by a presentation by an ACC official who reviews football rules and regulations and demonstrates official hand signs that indicate player and team violations.

The equipment staff then takes the podium. They select a volunteer to dress for a game in a Wake Forest uniform. They discuss topics such as the weight of the padding and placement of the protective gear. Year after year, the same question comes up: How often is the equipment cleaned? This normally generates many laughs.

Getting back to the serious side, the offensive and defensive coordinators review several football game films, breaking down the player positions, team plays, and strategies. Questions are directed to the various coaches throughout the team meeting.

Once the classroom portion is complete, women are given a tour of our football field house and locker room. The team athletic trainer gets involved by showing the women how to wrap wrists and ankles.

The women then have the opportunity to enter onto the field at Groves Stadium through the team gate as though they were the actual Wake Forest football players. This gives them an idea of how exciting it is to run out into a packed stadium with thousands of screaming Demon Deacon fans. In 2006, it was extremely thrilling for the women to enter onto the new field turf in our stadium. The clinic participants were the first non athletic department employees to "take the field."

Next, the women are divided into groups to participate in eight stations designed to outline player position techniques and skills. These usually include catching and throwing, punting and kicking, and offensive and defensive skills and drills.

New twists are added each year to keep the clinic fun and exciting for all attendees. This year, we included a "flag football" game for those interested in testing their skills and knowledge and experiencing "hands-on" play.

The clinic is extremely rewarding for everyone involved. Women enjoy the personal interaction with other fans and the Wake Forest staff. They leave with a keen understanding of the game, as well as a taste of the adrenaline rush of the game day experience. The Demon Deacon coaching staff gets to bond with an enthusiastic audience, sending them into preseason preparation with a smile.