Kicking Camps

While I think kicking camps are great, be careful of going to large kicking camps  and thinking you are going to get instruction. Georgia, Georgia Tech and other university kicking camps or even large kicking camps put on by kicking services are not always there for instruction necessarily.

Many times, they are put together more for scouting, charting, and evaluating talent. I do like kicking camps for the fact that they are one of the best places to see who your competition is and create some relationships in a tight-knit community.

If you ever ask any of my teammates from Georgia Tech, friends or coaches, they will tell you that I am one of the most competitive guys they know…maybe even to a fault.

When I go for a run, I will have competitions with cars driving by and try to beat them to a certain point. When I am kicking, I want to have the highest, farthest, most accurate kick. I don’t want to beat someone at one aspect, I want to beat them at all of them.

Competition…Play Your Strengths, But Work On Weaknesses

Quick story about a kicker that  was a few years behind me at at my high school near Atlanta who signed with Alabama.

This kid was very confident (but not cocky) about his abilities, and he clearly knew what his strengths were…distance and height. Well he gets to Alabama and starts kicking with the current starters for the football team.

Yes, starters (plural). There was an over 40 yard field goal kicker and an under 40 yard kicker. During practice they play a game of horse, however in their case I think they only played with one letter.

So it gets to be the new kids turn and he knocks out the under 40 yard kicker by kicking 50+ yard field goals, and ends up beating the 40+ yard field goal kicker by kicking farther than he could.

Yes, the new kid knew his strengths and played that to his advantage, BUT if you want to be the best kicker in Georgia, the southeast, or even the country, then beat the two starters at their strength.

Beat the under 40 yard kicker by not missing inside 40, and beat the long field goal kicker by accuracy and distance.

When you have the opportunity to go to kicking camps and see who your town’s, state’s, or even the nation’s competition is, take advantage of it. Pay attention to the other kickers and see what they are good at and what areas you are stronger in.

Work on your weaker areas so next time you see them at other kicking camps, you can beat them at their strengths and at yours.

Don’t only look at others strengths, but look at their form. I am personally a visual learner and when my kicking coach would tell me to do something I would try my best, but it was never quite right.

When I went to kicking camps I would watch the other kickers and I would see someone follow through like he was saying. Now I know what it looks like, and I can picture that in my head and try to replicate it.

Create Some Relationships

Kicking is a very small, tight community and you will see many of the same guys at all of the kicking camps you attend and even on opposing teams.

The summer I was going into my senior year of high school, I went to numerous college kicking camps and saw the same guys over and over and over. I knew they were in the same boat I was, trying to get noticed by a coach.

Through the kicking camps, we would talk more and more, sharing horror stories about a bad snap, a coach yelling at you, or getting trampled attempting to make a tackle. We also shared stories about game winners, a longest field goal, or successfully attempting a fake field goal.

Who else can you share stories with and relate to someone on this same level? Your parents, coaches, and friends have all seen it, but they didn’t have the same feelings and emotions as you did going through it. Knowing there are other kickers that have been through the similar situations can make you look back, smile and get you through some tough times.

I promise you are not alone. My senior year at Georgia Tech I missed a crucial kick to tie the game. I felt awful, like I let everyone down. That same weekend, there was a kid across the country that missed the same kick on TV.

I had never talked with him before that, but connecting at the moment was the best thing for both of us. We shared our stories and laughed about them.

Take-Aways From Kicking Camps

All of this to say…use kicking camps as tool to see what your weaknesses are and to find some people you can relate to. Learn and try to evaluate your skills in comparison with others. You do not get this level of competition day in and day out in practice with your high school team.

Make the best of it and take something away from the kicking camp, even if it is a few guys you can call up and share some stories.