The Scholarship Blueprint

High school rugby kickers and/or soccer players with a good feel for kicking already possess some of the natural skills to kick and/or punt footballs at the collegiate level. From a performance perspective, for any athlete to stand a good chance to kick and/or punt at the next level and obtain a college football scholarship, there are certain thresholds to overcome. From the aspect of kicking and punting performance expectations these thresholds ultimately separate the different college football divisions from one another.

We scout with an eye on measurables such as distance, accuracy, consistency, trajectory, hang time, and operation time. The above-mentioned elements each serve as a “measuring stick” and determine where a player stands in terms of immediate ability and skill level and gives us a good idea of how the player compares to peers at the different college football divisions.

There are further technical nuances that make football kicking and punting more challenging than simply kicking a ball; however, attending our instructional camps, and learning our methodology and technique philosophy from a coach who has competed at the professional level makes your transition to the sport much faster and a lot smoother.

Kicking and punting in the American football game is a technique-orientated sport similar to golf; however, unique skills are executed within a team sport environment but only during isolated kicking or punting plays. Kickers are referred to as “specialists” because the responsibility of only one aspect of the game falls square on the kicker’s shoulders – the kicking game.

Training, conditioning, and preparation are centered around being the most powerful, accurate, and consistent kicker or punter possible and helping the team win by converting field goals with superior accuracy, trajectory, and consistency in addition to punting and kicking off with appropriate hangtime (time in the air), distance (how far the ball travels), and placement (where it lands). The successful kicker or punter not only possesses the technical ability and strength to complete the task but has developed the mental grit to perform their duties during high-pressure situations.

Our technique and training methods have been tested and proven at the highest level of the sport with kickers and punters using our methods in the NFL and CFL. Trainees receive expert coaching at our instructional camps and player improvement is tracked and ranking adjusted accordingly. Our aim is to equip players with all the necessary skills to be the complete kicker and unlock their potential, and when the time comes, we recruit on the player’s behalf based on where they would fit in best!

The function of a ranking camp is to test the player’s ability to perform under pressure and compete against their peers which will ultimately determine their success. The integrity of a ranking camp is very important and so when the player’s official workout starts every kick counts. Punting and kicking films from these events serve as part of the player’s profile, College coaches love camp film because it showcases a very realistic idea of what a player’s abilities are under the right circumstances.

We then use all player statistics to formulate a scout report in order to give the player a “star rating” which is just a simple way to allocate the kicker to a certain division where they are able to compete and perform within their technique and skill level. There are plenty of opportunities outside of Division 1 football. Players do not necessarily have to be the very best kicker to enjoy the benefits of a football scholarship at a lower division or junior college. These “lower” divisions are great platforms to learn, gain experience and improve and the option to transfer to a better school or a higher division at a later stage is part of the journey for a lot of athletes.

The football recruiting season typically begins as soon as the previous year’s class has signed, although the building of relationships between college coaches and high school players and their coaches may have been going on for months or years before that.

Each summer, high school players attend various football camps to be evaluated on measures of athleticism, such as the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, agility shuttle; and the number of repetitions of the bench press that an athlete can perform at a given weight.

Recently, the SPARQ rating has become a popular composite metric of a high school football player’s athleticism. At this time of year, based on camp film and performance at combines, this is typically when players begin to receive most scholarship offers.

Although kickers and punters may be subject to similar assessments, the evaluation for kickers and punters is a little different than other positions, with the focus being on technical ability and performance under pressure.

After receiving an offer, a player may choose to commit. Although more coaches have tried in recent years to get players to commit early, the most highly rated players typically commit within a month of national signing day. This is the day all high school players graduate and can choose to sign letters of intent (LI) to play for the college of their choice.

Signing day always falls on the first Wednesday of February. Other players, who may not have as many offers to choose from, more often verbally commit earlier in the process. Junior college players can sign scholarships in late December, once their sophomore seasons have ended.

A letter of intent is binding for both the player and the school for one academic year as long as the player is eligible to enroll at the college.

After the player has proven their kicking ability, their high school academic performance is ultimately the deciding factor in recruitment success. It would be difficult to break down exactly what the academic requirements are since different schools have different entry requirements and so does the player’s desired direction of study.

Generally, in order to be accepted at any higher education institution, a player must have relatively good grades. Finding out which schools and degrees a player is eligible for is part of the personal recruitment process.

The successful “student-athlete” is the most dedicated, disciplined, and focused individual on campus. A player must have an incredible work ethic, or it’s impossible to maintain the balance needed to manage academic and football duties. This endeavor is a challenge even for the most suitable candidate but the experience and rewards of being part of a college football locker room are forever life-changing. If the player is a good kicker and a disciplined student with a superior work ethic, this may be the opportunity they have been waiting for!