What Americans call soccer, foreigners term "football." That's part of the confusion.
Grand Valley football coaches will help the university's international students better understand American football during a "Football 101" clinic.
The clinic, scheduled for noon-1:30 p.m. on Monday, October 18, in rooms 215/216 of the Kirkhof Center at the Allendale Campus, kicks off Laker Homecoming Week. Matt Pawlowski, defensive coordinator, and Todd Kolster, offensive coordinator, will give a brief presentation and take questions from international students. GVSU has 150 international students; all are invited to the clinic, which is sponsored by the Padnos International Center.
Kate Stoetzner, director of international student and scholar services at Grand Valley, said students have asked her questions ranging from the simple (How many players on a team?) to the complex (Why does the clock continuously run on some downs and not others?).
"So, it ranges from people who know nothing about football to those who want to learn more," Stoetzner said.
The international flavor is carried throughout Homecoming Week, which ends on October 23 with a game against Northwood University. The Laker Marching Band will salute international students during the halftime show; all study abroad and international students will be invited on the field during that time.
