“UNM, hell yeah, UNM, hell yeah,” echoes through the Tow Diehm Facility.
Is it the UNM football team getting energized before a practice? Nope.
It is between 60 and 70 women in the locker room getting ready to take the field at University Stadium to take part in some practice drills.
The women were participating in the annual Women’s Football Clinic, held by the UNM football coaching staff Aug. 2. Each woman paid $15 to take part in the clinic, with all the proceeds going to the “Send-A-Kid” Program, which allows underprivileged youth to attend Lobo football games.
Cornerbacks coach Curtis Modkins said it is great that so many women want to learn and take part in football.
“Athletics in general is something we all have in common,” he said. “Just because they are women and they don’t play the game does not mean they don’t want to learn about the game. I think they want to learn about the game themselves because a lot of them watch it. A lot of them are Lobo fans and when they come to the game they want to know what’s going on.”
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The two-hour clinic started with the women being treated to dinner and then were given a tour of the facility. In the locker room, head coach Rocky Long gave an analysis of his team for the upcoming season and answered questions.
The women also learned the “UNM, hell yea” chant that the football players do before every game.
Then the women were given two options. One was to go to the film room and learn about the fundamentals of football on the chalkboard and in films. The other one was to go out on the field and to participate in a couple of football drills.
Philis Regal, who has been coming to the clinics for five or six years, said she chose to go to the film room because she wants to learn how plays develop.
“It’s great, I think the women get a of kick out of it,” she said. “We learn a lot and it makes it a lot more fun to see games.”
On the field, there were several different stations of drills.
There were drills on how to block like an offensive lineman, how to throw the football, how to play on the defensive line and learn how the Lobos line up on defense.
Lori Sanders, who came last year, said she chose to participate in the drills on the field because it was something different.
“This is really fun,” she said. “I think you learn more when you’re involved.”
Offensive coordinator Dan Dodd gave instructions on how to throw the ball as if he was coaching junior quarterback Rudy Caamano.
“You see how Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire hit all those homeruns,” he said. “You have to turn your hips forward to get power on the throw.”
Defensive line coach Grady Stretz taught the women how to line up like a defensive lineman and attack the quarterback, similar to what senior defensive end Brian Johnson does.
Long said that this was the first year that the coaching staff took the women onto the field to do drills.
“We had a great time,” said Long. “It was a super idea. It worked out better than I thought it would, and I’m sure we will continue to do that.”
Long also said that most of the women that come to the clinic are repeat participants because the women enjoy it.
Sanders said she expects to come back next year and be more prepared for the drills.
“I need to practice throwing more because my ball doesn’t spiral,” she said.
