On Thursday, April 18, SGA and the Athletic Association (AA) will be hosting the International Student Football Clinic—an opportunity for foreign students to learn about American football through socializing with players, having a tailgate and playing scrimmages and drills with fellow Tech students.
The idea for this is based off of Rice University’s football clinic, which was started to increase ticket sales and give their football program more attention in their campus’s international community.
SGA and the AA hope to offer the same opportunity to international Tech students on one day between Hell week and Dead week.
“One of the reasons that we’re doing this is that we do not really have many international students who attend a football game, and we’re not doing this to raise attendance at football games. We’re trying to show what American football is all about and that it’s important to Tech,” said Ahsan Khan, Co-Chair of Athletics and Recreational Service Committee.
Tech football staff and players who want to show Tech students how football season can be enjoyed on and off the field will run the international football clinic.
“We have some great things lined up for them. They will undergo a football 101 session to learn the basics of the game of football in general and football at Georgia Tech, partake in fundamental position drills and activities led by our players and get a brief tour of the football facilities,” said Head Football Coach Paul Johnson. “At the end of the program we have a team barbecue setup where they will get to socialize and eat with our players and coaching staff.”
Food and other tailgate accommodations will be handled by the Ramblin’ Wreck Club at the end of the program so that students can socialize with staff, players and fellow students. While SGA hopes that the program grows overtime, the international football clinic is planned to be for international students only who do not have a strong knowledge of American football.
“We wanted to keep this exclusive for the first event. We hope to see this as a Tech tradition, and we hope to see this every year,” Ahsan said.
“The goal is to help the international students understand the game of football a little better,” Johnson said. “American Football is not as popular in other countries so we are trying to make their experience as a Georgia Tech student even better with the hopes of encouraging them to come out to games next fall and the years to come.”