Final Assignment - Taylor Calavetinos

The Women Behind Maryland Football

Throughout history, women have not always been welcome in the sports world, especially not the football world. As women have grown and changed the world, women were introduced into working in a "man's world -- football." At the University of Maryland, most staff that work with the football program are men. This photo project looks to highlight the work lives of three women who work full-time in a Division I athletic program. These women dedicate their lives to helping the players, the program, as well as helping other students, specifically women, who want to work in football get their foot in the door and learn what this sports world is all about. 

Abir Chaudhry, Annie Peppard and Paula Karamihas work with the university of Maryland football team. These women dedicate most of their lives to the sport, the Maryland players and the program. Most weeks they work 6-7 days a week.

Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium during the the last home football game of the 2019 season against Nebraska. 

Peppard and Chaudhry on the football field at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium before the Nebraska game on November 23, 2019. 

Megan Morely, Annie Peppard, Paula Karamihas and Abir Chaudhry dress up for Halloween on October 31, 2019. They like to decorate and dress up in hope to get the players excited about being around football 24/7 and not always being to celebrate holidays like they want. 

Annie Peppard - Assistant Director of Football Operations

Annie Peppard, Assistant Football Director of Football Operations has worked with the University of Maryland Football Program for the last eight years. She is the reason why most things get done around the Gossett Football Team House. 

Peppard has various job responsibilities. She oversees everything at an operations stand-point, supervises 14 interns and does all tasks regarding traveling, events, basically anything that has to deal with the team. 

Peppard is seen here talking to a woman who works in marketing during the Nebraska game. She was in charged of all things senior day from making sure it ran smoothly to planning how the pregame event was going to happen. 

Peppard has a sign on her desk for a little extra motivation. She says sometimes working in a male-dominated workspace is hard but Karamihas and Chaudhry get her through the tough times. 

Abir Chaudhry - Executive Assistant for Michael Locksley

Abir Chaudhry, Executive Assistant to Head Football Coach Michael Locksley, is a University of Maryland graduate. She decided to leave UCLA to come back to her alma mater because she loves the Terps.

Everyday, Chaudhry drives Coach Locksley to and from practice on a golf cart. She is his right hand and she does everything from attending meetings with him to running his social media accounts.

 

Chaudhry loves being a woman in football because she can help other women achieve their goals of working in sports, too. She says that one day she wants to be an athletic director for the Terps. 

Chaudhry is Coach Locksley's main point of contact for everything. She poses before the Nebraska football game on November 23, 2019. She makes sure each week Coach Locklsey is ready for game-day. 

 Paula Karamihas - Director of Football Nutrition 



Paula Karamihas, a University of Maryland graduate worked at Florida State University before she came back to Maryland to be the nutritionist for the football team and track and field team. 

Karamihas is the Director of Football Nutrition. Some of her tasks are: planning all meals, making sure athletes are hydrated and educated about what foods they need to perform better, making sure they are hydrated and have hydration drinks, planning meals with the dining services team and advising athletes on how to obtain their weight goals. 

Karamihas is normally in the dining hall making sure athletes are eating well and getting their proper nutrition, but when she is not in the dining hall she is in her office meeting with athletes or ordering food. 

 Karamihas attends every practice and game to make sure the the athletes are hydrated and feeling their best. 

Karamihas talking to a coworker, Matt Robinson a graduate assistant, about what foods would benefit him after a good workout to refuel his body. 

Karamihas' goal is to teach athletes and those around her to have a healthy relationship with food. She says it is always about balance. 

The "Gossett Girls" - Recruiting and Operations Student Interns

Maddie Jones poses fiercely with a football to show she is a woman in sports. She spends most of her time working as an intern in the football office when she is not in class or studying. After she graduates in December, she wants to continue working with the football department.

Peppard (middle) poses with some of her student interns (Paige Hampton, Alana Tauber, Maddie Jones, Nile Fossett and Naya Cuprill). She is a mentor to students all over the football department. Peppard likes to help students get experience and grow as professionals. 

The student recruiting and operations wait for recruits to check-in at registration before the Nebraska game starts. The interns are in charge of setting up and running check-in every game day.