By Jaclyn Brenning The Paducah Sun

Monday, June 05, 2006

Sarah Sanders realized she needed to learn more about football after a friend asked her what position her son played on Marshall County High School's team, and she had no idea.

She started buying books about football for moms. The more she read and talked with other parents, the more Sanders said she realized her situation was not unique. A few months ago she talked to Marshall football coach Mike Lawson and a referee and asked if they would help her put together a clinic about football-just for the ladies.

Ten high school students in jerseys stood, some a little sheepishly, in front of nearly 70 women Sunday afternoon at the Marshall County High School gym. Under the instruction of Lawson, they demonstrated kickoffs, kickoff returns, punts and punt returns. The women scribbled notes and raised their hands when they had questions. The group of women included grandmothers, cheerleaders, mothers and some of the players' girlfriends. They came because they wanted to understand what was going on when they went to the football games and what the men in their lives were talking about.

"I was tired of asking my husband what was going on all the time," said Roxanne Wright, whose daughter is a cheerleader.

Wright said she has attended football games for about three years. Now that she has a better idea ofwhat's happening, she said she is looking forward to the next football season.

"It makes a big difference actually knowing what is going on," she said.

Women who attended the event said some of the most helpful information included explanations of different referee calls as well as differences between defensive and offensive moves and the reasoning behind them.

Referee Randy Fox said it was his first time to participate in a clinic like this. He was pleased with the turnout and response from the women, and he enjoyed teaching.

"A football is not round," Fox said, pacing the gym floor. "Anything can happen anytime that ball is loose. A team with the ball is named the offense. The offense can only have certain people go down the field if the ball is going to be passed."

Fox tried to help those gathered to understand not only the tactical side of football but a human and emotional side as well. He talked about referee signals, differences between offense and defense, and the rules on pulling fellow football players aside and holding onto them.

But he told stories about his experience with irate fans and also laughed about football players' huddles. He said players don't always talk about their strategy.

"Sometimes we talk about you ladies," he said, motioning to the crowd. "Sometimes they talk about girlfriends and their tests on Monday."

Leigh Ann Northcutt said her son has played football at the school for eight years, but she still knows very little about the sport. Living in a house full of boys who don't want to explain basic terminology to their mother all the time, Northcutt said she figured she should learn something about it. Although she said the amount of information given over an hour and a half was almost overwhelming, she thought she learned a lot.

High school girls came to learn as well. Although the cheerleaders scream and root for their team as much as anybody else, several said they didn't know anything about the game itself.

"We're clueless about what's going on," said Mallory Ham, a sophomore at the high school and a cheerleader. "It was good learning about the offense and defense and some of the positions."

Lawson said the clinic obviously cannot teach parents everything about football. But he hopes the clinic gave people a better understanding about what he and other coaches are asking their sons to do.

Learning is a continuing process, Sanders said. And she still doesn't know half as much about football as she would like. "But at least I don't get as many stupid looks from my sons."