11 Feb 11 Arena Football League Kicker Trains With Coach Brent
Just as most professional golfers have a dedicated swing coach, many professional kickers have a kicking coach. Even professional kickers need an evaluation of their kicking technique from a professional kicking coach from time to time. This past week I had the opportunity to train Marco Capozzoli who is the kicker for the Arena Football League’s Jacksonville Sharks. Marco flew out to San Diego, California for 4 days of private kicking lessons with me. We were able to work on everything from basic kicking fundamentals to advanced kicking drills that helped him hit longer kickoffs with greater hang-times by the end of the week. Also, Marco’s field goals noticeably got straighter as the week went on and his field goal kicking process became automatic without any thought or second-guessing of himself. Perhaps the most important result of this week’s kicking lessons was the fact that Marco improved his confidence and this tune-up kicking lesson got him ready to go for his 2011 season.
Marco enters his 2nd season in the Arena Football League and hopes to build on his successful rookie campaign where he went 100% on field goal attempts for the AFL’s Tulsa Talons. Be sure to follow the Kicking World blog, visit our website and view our YouTube videos for additional kicking footage of Marco. You can gain insight into his progress and follow his professional kicking career.
I’m excited for Marco’s future and feel privileged to have had the opportunity to coach him. Watch this instructional kicking video of Marco and I during our 4 days of kicking lessons in San Diego. The kicking video includes Marco kicking field goals up to 55 yards long and 75 yard kickoffs with 4.0+ seconds hang-time into the wind!
Tags: Arena League Kicker, Kicking Coach, Kicking Lessons, Professional Kicker
30 Nov 10 Kicking World is the Real Deal!
Not sure if Kicking World is the right choice for your football kicking and punting development? Take a look at some of our recent REAL testimonials and reviews from happy students, parents and coaches! See what makes us unique, why people enjoy training with us, and why our students excel. Subscribe to our Youtube Videos and watch high school kickers hitting 60 yard field goals and keep up to date with the latest news and enter free contests by joining our Facebook Page.
“I had the privilege to work with Coach Brent in the late summer of 2010 and I owe my success to him. Prior to this I had wanted to meet with Coach Brent because I needed help and from what I saw from his website he knew everything there is to know about kicking and punting. I contacted Coach about doing 1 on 1 kicking lessons but this was a problem because he lives in California, and I am in Hawaii. To compensate for this, I purchased his online book “The Complete Guide to Kicking & Punting”. The book is full of beneficial drills and exercises that I was able to use during the off-season and even during practice throughout the season. The book is much more than just drills however. Coach Brent also includes ways to handle the ‘mind game’ which is something all kickers and punters struggle with; beyond the actual game itself. Everything in the book is of use and helpful if you are trying to improve yourself as a kicker and even as a punter.
Shortly after purchasing the book, I actually received an email from Coach informing me that he would be in Hawaii for the weekend on a recently planned trip out to coach another student on the island of Oahu. He was able to work me into his schedule and we trained for an hour and a half on the very windy field of Kaimuki High school. In this short time together, Coach Brent was able to adjust my approach, follow-through, and add accuracy and distance to my kicks; even with the heavy swirling wind! Coach cleaned up my field goal kick, showed me the proper way to kick a kickoff and even helped me learn how to kick the pop-up onside kick.-Lee Arakawa, Junior Kicker at Moanalua HS in Oahu, Hawaii
ABOUT KICKING WORLDTags: Kicking Lessons, Kicking Training, Kicking World Reviews, San Diego Kicking Camp, San Diego Kicking Lessons
18 Oct 10 Private Kicking Lessons in Texas Pays off for High School Kicker!
I’d like to tell everyone about a nice kicking improvement story from a young kicker who worked hard the last 5 weeks to get better and earn the starting high school varsity football kicker job! About 2 months ago I got a call from Mr. and Mrs. Wilks in Texas who wanted to get their son Zack some private kicking instruction. At the time Zack was a ‘straight-on kicker’ or ‘toe-baller’ if you will. He had no previous formal kicking instruction but had one goal in mind- to improve quickly enough to be able to be the varsity kicker this season as a Junior and have a fun 2 years ahead of him. Well after making arrangements, the Wilks and I set off for a mission of getting Zack game ready as soon as possible.
At first after meeting with Zack I was a bit skeptical because his kicks were going left, right, quite frankly they had no consistency and lacked the distance and height needed to make consistent extra points. However, I’m happy to report that after only 4 trips out to Texas for private kicking training Zack was able to go from 1/4 PATs at best to just recently hitting 40/45 kicks inside 30 yards at a recent private kicking session! He also nailed his first 40 yard field goal! HUGE IMPROVEMENT! I accredit the quick improvement to his consistent training regime as well as his hard work, focus and sticking to what I’ve taught him. I honestly didn’t foresee him improving this quickly. He had a goal in mind and he did what it took to make it happen. So this is a story of ‘if you will it, it can happen!’
Now a week later and after only 5 total private kicking sessions Zack has gone from just a ‘beginner kicker’ learning the ropes to a relied upon kicker who just set a school record for most PATs in a game last Friday Night! Yes, that’s right, you read correctly… Zack Wilks hit 7 for 7 PATs in this past Friday night football game! What an amazing story this is turning into! This Friday’s performance put him in the Cisco ISD Varsity Football record books for most PATs in one game. In fact, the announcers said at the game that the last time a kicker for Cisco made even 3 PATs in a game was over 3 years ago! It goes to show that even in the great football state of Texas there is a lack of speciality kicking coaches to address this niche position. I am so excited for him and look forward to continued growth and improvement from him.
I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to go out to Texas to work with Zack each month and see his dramatic and quick improvement each session with not only consistency, but impressive gains on height and distance. Zack should have a fun senior year to look forward to next year with a lot of kicking opportunities to set new school records and help Cisco ISD get back to another state championship run like they have so many times in the last 20 years.
My services to any student I coach includes on-field kicking instruction, drills, technique, fundamentals, distance/heigh/accuracy improvement, off-field training in form of gym workouts, leg strengthening, leg speed drills, and of course one of the most important components of what I do with Zack and ALL my students is helping increase their confidence through mental training and guidance throughout the week. When you work with Kicking World it’s not just a quick see me for an hour and wait till next week for your next lesson. I seek to build a relationship with all my students where I offer up advice, guide them throughout the week whether they have a question about why they did bad in practice one day, or need to know a drill to help a certain area of their kicking, or if they are nervous before the big game, I can help with that too. I am not only a coach but a teacher and advice giver to my students. Having parents, coaches, and students all ‘on the same page’ is a win-win for all and makes for a healthy relationship of trust, confidence and results. It’s great to get that text message or phone call from a happy parent on Friday night to let me know their son just hit a game winning field goal!
Coach Brent is based in San Diego, CA and also offers private kicking and punting lessons and kicking camps in Texas. If you’re a parent, coach or student who would like to get private kicking or punting instruction- Feel free to contact Coach Brent via e-mail at brent@kickingworld.com or phone at 619-564-1333
Tags: Kicking Instruction, Kicking Lessons, Texas Kicking Camp, Texas Kicking Coach
15 Jul 10 High School Freshman Kicks 55 Yard Field Goals!
I had the opportunity to work with Christopher Gulla from Toms River North High School again this summer while I was in New Jersey for our annual jersey shore kicking camp. Last year Christopher had private kicking lessons with me at Toms River North HS and attended the 2009 kicking camp. This year we met up again for a couple private lessons a few days before the camp. Toward the end of last season I received a nice e-mail from Chris’ dad Dennis saying:
“As we enter into State Playoffs, Chris has been pulled up from the Freshman team to Varsity and yesterday won the starting kicker job. With your help and dedication to practice, he is now consistently down to the 5 yard line and regularly in the end zone on kickoffs. In practice he also kicked several 50+ yard field goals. We look forward to seeing you again this summer.” – Dennis Gulla
It was awesome news to get and was very rewarding for me to know that the few kicking lessons we did and him attending the camp last year helped him so much. Christopher has improved even more since last year and this week during our 1 on 1 kicking lessons he was booting 50+ yard field goals with ease and even hit some 55 yarders. We tried a couple at 60 yards but it was just a little out of range.
Chris was the star of the kicking camp on Sunday as he was perfect from start to finish in the field goal competition hitting 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 yard field goals consecutively with no misses! Coach Brent’s comments on Chris:
“Christopher exhibits excellent concentration under pressure and has a great attitude and hard work ethic. Christopher is the real deal because of his smooth tempo and height on field goals, accuracy inside 55 yards and his ability to knock the ball deep into the end zone on kickoffs. I expect him to land at a top college football program when he graduates in 2013!” – Coach Brent Grablachoff
Be sure to watch the Christopher Gulla Highlight Video with kicks from his private training sessions with Coach Brent and highlights from the 2010 New Jersey Kicking Camp. Chris is going to be a force to be reckoned with this 2010 season as he starts his sophomore campaign. Be sure to keep an eye out for him in the newspapers and blogs online!
Tags: High School Kicker, Kicking Lessons, Kicking Training, New Jersey Kicking Camp
02 Apr 10 2010 Spring Break Kicking Camp Re-Cap
On Sunday, March 28th Kicking World kicked off the 2010 kicking camp season at La Jolla High School in sunny San Diego, California! The camp was a major success as 25 students ages 14-17 were in attendance. Students travelled as far as 3 hours away to attend the kicking camp. Check out all the photos from the camp!
Kicking World’s camps are heavily focused on kicking instruction as our camp staff teaches you how to kick field goals, how to punt, and how to kickoff effectively. At the end of each instructional and free-kick period we hold a kicking competition. For this camp we had 3 different competitions with winners determined by age: a 14/15 group and a 16/17 group. There were many camp participants who exhibited some awesome talent! Below, we recognize the kicking camp competition winners.
I’m still getting phone calls and e-mails from parents and students with a lot of positive feedback on the camp and their experience. The common theme is that everyone had fun, enjoyed the kicking competitions, and learned quite a few tips for improving their field goals, punts, kickoffs and onside kicks. One parent in particular expressed his sincere thanks:
The camp was well organized, energetic, well staffed and the kids had a blast that was visible from the stands. Thank you Brent for providing a superb camp and the care you show for the kids. I would and do recommend your camps to everyone with an interest in kicking.” -Mike Sommers
Special Thanks
Thanks to all the students and parents who attended! Special thanks to my camp staff- Coach Jesse, Coach Justin, Carolyn, Austin, Joaquin, and camera men Brian Miller and Mike Robinson. The camp couldn’t have been a success without your help! Your time and efforts are much appreciated. Also, thanks to Wizard Kicking, Athlete’s Performance, and Athletic Quickness for donating the awesome awards we presented to competition winners! Check out all the great pictures from the camp!
Competition Results
Field Goal
In the field goal competition Bret Miller (San Clemente HS) and Conrad Ukropina (Loyola HS) dueled for 12 rounds of head to head competition from 30 yard to 50 yard field goals until finally Conrad beat out Bret with a ‘last second pressure’ 45 yard field goal kick. Conrad won the 16/17 age group and the ‘golden boot award’ as the last man standing in the field goal competition and Bret Miller won the 14/15 age group.
Punting
In the punting competition Nathan Drum turned out an impressive 53.5 yard net punt average and was the overall punting competition winner followed by a close second- Anthony Summers (San Clemente HS) with a 51 yard net average who won his 14/15 age group.
Kickoffs
In the kickoff competition, Kicking World student Christian Rodriguez (Fountain Valley HS) won his 16/17 age group and overall competition winner with an impressive 61 yard kickoff average while Bret Miller, also a Kicking World student came in a close second overall and won his 14/15 age group with a 60 yard kickoff average.
Contact Us
If you would like to attend any of our upcoming football kicking camps, please check our website for camp dates, schedule, itinerary, and registration information. Our website offers free kicking videos, kicking tips, and “The Complete Guide to Kicking & Punting eBook” to help you improve your skills. We hold national kicking camps and year-round private kicking instruction in Southern California. Please feel free to contact us for more information.
Tags: Kicking Camp, Kicking Competition, Kicking Contest, Kicking Instruction, San Diego Kicking Camp
13 Nov 09 Freshman Kicker Pulled Up to Varsity For Playoffs!
I got an e-mail today from one of my students’ Dad. I was pleased to find out that my student Christopher Gulla, freshman kicker at Toms River North High School in Toms River, NJ was pulled up to Varsity for the first playoff game this Saturday, November 14, 2009. His parents are extremely proud of him as I am. Christopher attended my 2009 New Jersey Kicking Camp in Toms River, NJ and he held his own for over 12 rounds of a ‘final elimination’ competition versus a 17 year old senior kicker!
I wish Chris much success in his first Varsity football game tomorrow and I wish the Toms River North Football team a great playoff run. Please read below for comments from Mr. Gulla, Christopher’s father:
“Chris has had a great season. He handled punts, kickoffs and PAT’s for both the freshmen and JV teams. As we enter the State playoffs Chris has been pulled up to Varsity and yesterday won the starting kicker job.
With your help and his dedication to practice, he is now kicking consistently down to the 5 yard line and regularly into the end zone. In practice he has also kicked several 50 + yard field goals. His first varsity kick off will be tomorrow night in our first round state playoff game.” (Dennis Gulla)
Tags: Football Kicking Camps, High School Kicker, Kicking Coach, New Jersey Kicking Camp
01 Feb 09 Kicking World Student Commits to Colorado University!
Zach Grossnickle, a Senior Kicker out of Denver East HS (Colorado) has officially commited to Colorado Football! Zach attended my June small group kicking camp this summer and also worked with me for a couple 1 on 1 lessons as he flew out from the Rocky Mountain State to Sunny California for a weekend of brushing up on his ‘kicking skills.’ While at my camp Zach won the competition for the longest kickoff. I wish Zach and his parents the best of luck in his future as a Colorado Buffalo! Read the Local Colorado Newspaper article.
Tags: Kicking Coach, Kicking Lessons
15 Aug 08 KickingWorld Camp Testimonial
A student at a KickingWorld.com kicking camp in Tempe, Arizona talks about his experience at the kicking camp. Kicking World conducts national kicking camps and private kicking lessons.
Tags: Arizona Kicking Camp, Football Kicking Camps, Kicking Coach, Kicking Video
15 Aug 08 Onsides Pop Up Kickoff demonstrated by Kicking World student
Watch the high pop up onsides kick demonstration by KickingWorld.com student Jesse Sandoval at a recent kicking camp in Irvine, California.
Tags: High School Kicker, Kicking Video, Kickoff, Onsides Kick
27 Jul 08 North Texas Kicking Camp 7-26-08 RE-CAP
We had the University of North Texas kicking camp at Fouts Field yesterday in Denton, Texas. I took a tour of the UNT campus the day before the camp and was thoroughly impressed with the updated facility and all they have goung on at the school. Their football team is on the rise and they got a new coach who should be cranking up the program quickly. The camp was a success and we had a lot of great talent there. The temperature read 105 degrees outside the stadium but on that field turf stadium I believe it was over 115 degrees! While the temperature was hot, I believe the kicking talent was hotter!
Robert S. won the ‘most accurate field goal kicker’ award for the 15+ year old competition group. He won a pair of Coreshorts compression shorts. Garret C. won the under 15 year old competition group and won the UNT logo apparel. He is only 13 years old and kicked as well as most high school upper-classmen! Ian M. won the most accurate punter award and won the kicking world logo apparel. Everyone did well in both the instruction portion of the camp and the competition.
At the end of the camp every parent spoke with me and/or e-mailed me how much of a good time their sons had at the camp and how beneficial it was for them in getting ready for the 2008 football season. 3 of the students want to set up private lessons in the near future, so it looks like I might be making a trip back to Texas very soon for a group lesson weekend. If you live in the Texas area and want to take part in the next camp or be a part of the group lesson we are scheduling, please give me a call.
Since it was my first time in Texas, I’ve included some pictures of my trip in Dallas and Denton. My favorite stop was at Rudy’s where I had peppered tenderloin, corn on the cob, and home-made potato salad. Texas sure does everything BIG and I noticed how much pride Texans have in their state by seeing the Texas state flag flown everywhere I went! Also I saw the southern hospitality by the nice and calm demeanor of the people and friendly and helpful attitudes. I enjoyed my trip and anticipate coming back soon.
Watch this video testimonial from one of the standout high school kickers who attended the Texas kicking camp:
-Coach Brent
http://www.kickingworld.com/
Tags: Football Kicking Camps, Kicking Video, Texas Kicking Camp
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