'Football 101,' an interactive and entertaining event geared toward women to learn about the game, drew in fans from all corners of the country. Ladies of all ages came ready for not only an informative day, but also an exciting football workout.
To kick off the day's events, Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Barnett took the stage as co-host with Jessie Garcia, WTMJ-TV's sports anchor and reporter, in the Tundra Tailgate Zone. They welcomed the ladies with an entertaining question-and-answer session with members of the Packers Women's Association, including Andrea Collins and Amanda Barnett.
The crowd enjoyed hearing the tales of the players off the field as the wives detailed everything from who takes out the garbage to embarrassing stories to the romantic gestures from their significant other. Barnett, however, used the session to dig up dirt on his teammates and coaches, which he seemed to enjoy.
Following Barnett's interrogation session, the ladies met one of the most important men at Lambeau Field, at least when it comes to dinner time. Chef Leo Dominguez, the executive chef for Levy Restaurants at Lambeau Field, took the stage to share his experiences. As the executive chef at Lambeau, Dominguez prepares food for the team, Curly's Pub, visiting teams, and the gameday fare in the private suites and club seat areas.
The ladies were intrigued with not only his culinary talents but also his ability to juggle the hungry appetites of such a diverse crowd.
While the entertainment in the Tundra Tailgate Zone was enjoyable for all, the ladies were most excited for the next portion of the day - - the skills and drills session in the Don Hutson Center.
One fan, Lori Parks, from Osceola, Wis., was ready for her practice session with the players.
"We love everything Packers, so of course we had to come," Parks said as she and her friends made their way toward the Hutson Center. "We are definitely most excited for the drills session with some of the Packers. It will be a lot of fun to be in the practice facility and learn the game from the guys themselves."
And as the ladies filed into the practice facility, the cheers and amount of camera flashes that were made throughout the session was a clear sign the ladies were just as excited to be within reach of the players as they were to learn more about the game.
Packers players Nick Collins, Tom Crabtree, Frank Zombo, Graham Harrell, plus outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene, were there to teach the ladies how to play the game, or at least run through various stations they do during practice.
The women ran through an obstacle course with Crabtree, took passes from Coach Greene, received punts with Collins and completed passes with Graham.
With each lady having as much fun as the next, it was hard to determine if the participants or the players were enjoying the day more.
Kim Lohman, from Sun Prairie, Wis., didn't let a broken leg keep her from participating as she completed each station with a smile that never left her face.
"This has been such a great day," Lohman said. "Even though I have a broken leg, I am having a blast."
Many of the ladies had participated in 'Football 101' in the past, but for others they were glad to finally get the experience.
"We missed it last year, so my daughter made sure to get on the list to attend this time," Jane Halbach said. "We live in Illinois, but are originally from Green Bay. Any chance we get to come back, we make sure to come. We are diehard Packers fans, so we knew today would be a lot of fun."
Barb Cook from Stockbridge, Wis., and daughter, Michelle Hoerth from Chilton, Wis., were equally excited to participate in 'Football 101' for the first time, and together.
"This was our first year and we really enjoyed it," Cook said. "This was something we could enjoy together, so that was really special. We were surprised with how many different women were here. There were young girls in their 20s to women in their 70s participating, and everyone seemed to do each and every station."
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