Messenger - Vol. 2, No. 1, Page 25 Fall 1992 Alumni Profile; Stepping in the right direction Mona Colton has about two dozen professional football players stepping in the right direction every week. For the past three years between seasons, Colton, Delaware '86, has been helping the Philadelphia Eagles get into shape, cut weight and gain flexibility and strength. After spending hours researching and consulting with the team's coaches, she introduced a specially designed step aerobic workout to the Eagles. "Football players need a different workout than the average person going to take a step class at the gym," says the Cherry Hill, N.J., resident. According to Colton, the ideal situation is to be constantly changing the footwork and also to use plymetrics, a Russian training technique that she describes as an "upward explosion of energy in an anaerobic activity." Colton's workout also contains extensive stretching before and after the workout, in hopes that the players will remember to stretch when they're on the field. "It makes me feel really good when I'm at the game to see the players I worked with stretching by the bench," she says. According to Colton, this one- or two-hour, three-day-a-week workout has helped to lessen the injury rate over 70 percent among those participating players, and the program has been introduced to the New York Jets, Los Angeles Raiders and other inquiring teams. When Colton first began teaching the Eagles, she says she was a little nervous, but not because of who they were, but because of what they were. "These are world-class athletes and I didn't want to do anything to jeopardize anyone," says Colton. "I wanted to make sure everything I did was totally safe. I wanted to do it enthusiastically enough so they would want to continue." Now much more relaxed, she enjoys getting to know the players. "I've gained an appreciation for all that they do, how they got there and where they came from," says Colton, who was named by SportStep Inc. to emcee the first National Steptraining Competition held on consecutive weekends this year in 13 states from Oregon to Florida. The finals will be held in Chicago in November. After her sessions with the Eagles, Colton showers, puts on her suit and heads for her full-time job in medical sales of home IV therapy at Home Nutritional Services. -Aryn Toto, Delaware '93