Anytime a kicker posts a 50 yard FG on X, they can expect to be hit up 17 different kicking coaches telling them to join their particular kicking camp.
And, while a kicking camp isn’t everything - even the top 10 ranked kickers a year still need to do a tremendous amount of their own leg work in recruiting - doing well at one or two can compliment your recruiting.
But how?
Disorganization
Accept that there will be some level of disorganization at every kicking camp you attend. This isn’t just a kicking thing but really any exposure camp with poor coach to player ratio (1:100 for example) can have this.
Kicking and punting, because they take up so much space, usually limit warm up times and ability. Balls are flying through the air indiscriminately, space is squeezed. Sometimes signing in is going to be a pain.
If you’re a person who likes everything to run smoothly, probably steel yourself for this.
Warming Up
Field space is limited. Guys are usually crammed onto one field and maybe if you are lucky there will be another small patch somewhere you can warm up on. You won’t get an unlimited number of kicks or time to get loose like you would if you were on your own.
Take extra pains to get really loose on your own, maximize what you can do on your own that doesn’t need a lot of space i.e. no step drill, one steps lightly to a partner.
Footballs
Some camps make you use your own ball others make you use one of theirs. Either way, once you find a good one you like, shackle yourself to it. You’re not trying to care about PSI in the ball, you’re trying to win the contest. You can do that with a blimp aka a super broken in ball.
(Don’t get upset if a ball of yours gets swiped, however. It is a true but unfortunate fact of life at ranking camps)
In Between Kick Routines
You may have quite a bit of down time between kicks. While most seasoned kickers have a pre kick routine they like, few have a plan for an in between kick routine. Will you be loose and talk with the other players? Will you watch the other guys kick? Or, will you prefer to be off more on your own?
It’s not rocket science, but having an idea or two of what you want to try between kicks can help you stay level.
Re-Kicks
A ball may roll in front of you that way being shagged, or a kid might have walked right in front of you pre kick and your focus was broken. Football is played with crowd noise, but kicking camps generally are run more like golf courses. You may have a case to re-kick.
But, you won’t know if you don’t ask. ASK.
Network
There is a lot of consensus on the top few kids at any camp, but numbers 21 though 100 are usually up for grabs. The guys doing your “ranking” are fallible humans just like you who will prefer kids they liked over ones they did not.
While making all your kicks is the fastest way to accomplish this, you can only help yourself by being interested and befriending the other coaches at the event.
Thats all for now,
Coach Cahill
P.S. When you’re ready, I am running a series of individual strategy calls titled, “From Clueless To Getting Noticed By Coaches In 60 Minutes Or Less” where we will:
Identify your unique recruiting goals and situation.
Assess the opportunities that your academic and athletic talents might open you up to.
Co-develop a recruiting strategy that has the highest likelihood getting you your first connections to a college coach.
Sign up here, just 3 spots open a week @ 8pm EST → Book Strategy Call, “From Clueless To Getting Noticed By Coaches In 60 Minutes Or Less” Here