Florida head coach Jim McElwain will be coaching female football enthusiasts instead of players on Friday night. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA)
Ladies, Are Your Ready For Some Football?
Thursday, March 31, 2016 | Football
The UF coaching staff is hosting "Ladies Huddle with Florida Football" Friday
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A few hundred lucky ladies will feel like they're part of the Gator football team on Friday.
Although the school has done an event similar to this before, "Ladies Huddle with Florida Football" is the first female-centric event for Gators head coach Jim McElwain and his staff.
Ladies, are you ready for some football?
Church, an event coordinator at Colorado State before making the transition over to the football department, started the event at CSU before Coach Mac was hired at the school. But as soon he got there McElwain immediately loved the idea.
The event was started so female football fans would be recognized and acknowledged for their support of the team.
"Oftentimes people think of football as a men's sport," Church said. "So this is an opportunity for women to come out and be comfortable in their own skin, have fun and get an inside look that they can have some pride in."
The occasion will take place over the course of four hours and includes a multitude of events throughout the evening.
The ladies will start by having dinner in the Champions Club at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium while watching a team scrimmage. In the stadium there will be several stations set up, including a nutrition station where they will get recipe cards and sample some bars that are made in house for the student-athletes.
Afterward, they'll be taken over to the new indoor practice facility where the action really starts.
"They'll divide into different groups and really get to work with the coaches," Church said. "It will include offensive, defensive, and kicking drills. They'll actually be doing the drills players do in practice."
The event is open to 250 registrants and costs $75 per person ($25 discount for current UF students).
According to Church, McElwain is extremely particular about letting the ladies have one-on-one interactions with the coaches and making sure that everyone gets equal attention, so keeping the number relatively low was important to him.
If that doesn't make you feel like a part of the team, I'm not sure what else will.
Because they were unable to hold the event last year, there has been some anticipation for this year.
"The response from not doing it last year and the disappointment shows how important this is and the excitement around it," said Church.
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