 
2008 Women's Strength and Conditioning Clinic
Nearly 50 women were in attendance at the inaugural Women's Strength and Conditioning Clinic, which took place recently at Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletic Center. The event, which was hosted by Assistant AD for Strength and Conditioning Jeff "Maddog" Madden and his staff, helped teach women how to mold and maintain a healthy, fit body for life. Madden generated the idea for the workshop after receiving numerous requests at the annual Women's Football Clinic. "The feedback I got from the ladies was tremendous," Madden said. "They were extremely excited. They loved it and had been waiting for it for several years, so it was a great opportunity for them. The things they learned, they said they had never seen before." The clinic focused on nutrition, strength training, weight loss, firm bodies, stretching, power pilates, yoga and various athletic drills. Women of all skill levels were encouraged to participate in the clinic. "There was a great variety of athleticism, some ladies had never really worked out ever before and others were very highly trained athletes who had marathon and triathlon experience, but every one of them got a lot out of the clinic," Madden said. "We had one participant who was a 70-year-old lady out there doing ladder drills, so it was really cool to watch her enthusiasm." Mendy Jagoe is one of those who is a triathlete and said she benefited tremendously from the event. "The biggest thing that I got out of the clinic was improving my form because having someone watching you and perfecting your form was great," Jagoe said. "It was very informative, and I would highly recommend it to any ladies who are looking to start a new exercise program or are just looking to learn some new techniques." Although many of the attendees were from the Austin area, a few women even traveled from other states in order to take part in the exciting program. "We had a lot of ladies from all different parts of the country," Madden said. "It was really exciting because we had people from Kentucky, people from Florida, just to participate." "It was very informative," noted Mary Beth Elvidge, who traveled all the way from Versailles, Ky., to participate in the clinic. "I learned a lot and I would absolutely participate again." Additionally, sophomore center Greg Smith's mother and sister, Karie and Teresa, came out to learn some new skills and share a fun morning together. "The clinic was beneficial, and I will definitely use the things I learned there," said Karie Smith. "It was really fun for the two of us to be able to do it together and meet new people at the same time. Plus we were also able to familiarize ourselves with some of the things that Greg and the other guys have to go through." Overall, Madden described the event as a great success that he and his staff will be able to build on in the future. "They want more, so that's a good thing," Madden said.
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