ESKS.com
Rose Mary Phillip
No one is born with football IQ. If you think you know someone who was, we have a bridge to sell you.
Fred Stamps wasn’t. Warren Moon wasn’t. Neither was Head Coach Kavis Reed. They had to learn it and you can too by taking Football 101.
It’s perfect if you:
• don’t know the difference between a touchdown, tackle and Tebow
• like going to games but don’t know the ins and outs of the sport
• get the gist of what’s happening on the field but want clarification on the rules
• are not sure when to cheer (Shhh for offense. Cheer for defense.)
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| Karyn Simmons and Erin Devlin shake hands with DB Weldon Brown during warm-ups last season. |
Best of all, there are no men allowed (Sorry, fellas.).
Karyn Simmons, quarterback for the Edmonton Storm tackle football team, took the class last fall with women from all walks of life, including housewives, business executives and moms whose kids recently joined a school team. “I wanted to learn a few more rules to make playing the game a little easier and meet some cool people.”
Eskimo alumni Tom Richards and Jed Roberts partner to lead the three-hour class that will have your abs and cheeks sore from laughter. To get everyone on the same page, they start simple by explaining the object of the game; what a down is and why there are three; the difference between the CFL and NFL; how scoring works and more. No question is too basic and all are answered.
“We cover the stuff you don’t know and stuff you didn’t think you knew but do and help you attach words to it,” says Richards.
A recent addition to the course is a session taught by referees. They explain what they do, how they do it and why no one likes them – Just kidding; their mothers do. – These guys have a great sense of humour, thick skin and a knack for explaining penalties, signals and the athleticism, in-depth football knowledge and the attention to detail it takes to referee this gladiator sport.
“The class filled in a lot of blanks for me that I didn’t even realize I had. It just puts everything together a little more concretely. It’s just amazing,” says Erin Devlin who attended with Simmons and also plays for the Edmonton Storm.
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| Equipment Manager Dwayne Mandrusiak gives a locker room tour to the Football 101 class. |
So, you have the fundamentals nailed down and even know what a flea-flicker is. Great. You’re ready for football 201.
“It’s so much more detailed, really getting into the nitty gritty of the plays,” says Devlin. She and Simmons took the sequel class shortly after their graduation from Football 101.
In 201, you’ll meet Coach Reed who gives an insider look at the team, reviews game film and talks strategy. Eskimo Assistant Athletic Therapist Denzil Ottley also pops in to discuss what happens when a player gets hurt.
A lot of perks come with registration in Football 101 and 201, including a private locker room tour, complimentary tickets and pre-game field access during player warm-ups.
Can’t wait to sign up? You don’t have to. Just click here. Hurry! Class sizes are limited.
Football 101will be held from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. on:
July 10, 2012
Aug. 14, 2012
Sept. 11, 2012
Football 202 will be held from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. on:
Oct. 2, 2012