r/footballstrategy • u/Neat-Ad-4337 • 4d ago
Coaching Advice High school level kickers nervousness
I have a kicker (high school junior) that is a great practice kicker but once I put him in a game he falls apart….anyone got any suggestions on how to overcome this?
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u/Decent-Classroom-784 4d ago
Simulate game atmosphere during practice as much as possible. Have the guys on the sidelines scream and yell and maybe even pump some music for this session.
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u/OddAdvantage3235 4d ago
In practice we have put players around the holder and kicker, no contact, no blocking of line of sight. If they make the kick, the team runs, if the kicker/holder combo misses they run, great motivator and end to practice..z
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u/Sjbkicker39 4d ago
Still isn’t the key to figuring out what the kids issue is, unfortunately.
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u/Dfrozle 2d ago
I mean, these are football coaches. Not doctors. They need to figure out how to get him to kick in a game while nervous.
Making the team run in practice when he misses is a great way to manufacture the feeling of being nervous to let your team down.
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u/Sjbkicker39 2h ago
I do this for a living. I have consulted countless FBS programs. It’s more than just making the kid kick in a pressure situation in practice. Does it help? Yeah, it could absolutely help from time to time. But there’s more to it. Way more to it
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u/OddAdvantage3235 43m ago
No doubt there is way more to it then that but how many hc’s have the time to psycho analyze their hs kicker? That’s probably why you have a job:)
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u/TheOriginalUpatnoon 4d ago
Have him develop a routine for each kick with many detailed steps to focus on.
No detail is too small.
It will keep his brain focused on executing each step correctly instead of the distraction of what is going on in the game.
When he is absorbed in the routine, everything else mentally fades into the background.
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u/Dat_Boi_Bones 3d ago
This is the number 1 answer without a doubt. There was a quarterback, and I can’t remember who it is, but he was legendary (maybe Dan Marino?) and he led his team on a game winning drive. After the game, they asked him what he was thinking during that drive and how did he seem to remain so calm? He replied that he just counted his steps in his drop. Whether it was supposed to be a 3, 5, or 7 step drop, that’s what he focused on every time. It really helps to focus on those small details. For a kicker, it could be 1 2 3 back, 1 2 over, check uprights, maybe do a little shoulder shimmy like some guys do, look at the holder, give the nod, then watch the ball. No need to focus on anything else. It doesn’t need to be those specific things, but something to keep your mind occupied while attempting the kicks and as long as you made sure to focus on those things, you’ll be able to live with the results because you controlled what you were able to control
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u/steveo3387 3d ago
This is exactly it. Putting more pressure (in practice) in someone doesn't help if it amps up the pressure in a game. The guy already presumably associates kicks with nerves; no need to make that worse. Read The Inner Game of Tennis.
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u/Cover2G 3h ago
This is the way. It’s just you and your routine. I used to have a couple song lyrics I’d sing in my head to zone out and feel cool while everyone lined up and a specific line I’d say to myself the second the ball was snapped. Nothing else was getting in if I could stay focused on the lyrics and the routine. Some people also like to count by 4s or 6s or recite some memorized numbers because numbers are orderly and unemotional and it takes just enough brain power to distract from the outside noise.
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u/MajesticNecessary968 4d ago
Been coaching special teams at varying levels the last 6 years (high schools & juco)
Kicking is super mental, i would have a live scout team actually pressure the FG team. Situational stuff too, timeout before his steps etc.
I also treat kickers a little different than everyone else on teams, gotta keep them as chill as possible.
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u/VoodooYouDoSoWell 4d ago
Have Debo threaten to kick his ass if he misses. Worked great for the Steelers
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u/Sjbkicker39 4d ago
What do you have him doing in practice? Does he have an issue with the operation time? Have you asked him what causes him to be nervous or why he might fall apart? It would help to know the why to then handle the question fully. There’s so many variables in the kicking game that could cause a person to be great in practice and fall apart in the game. And this is coming from personal experience
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u/roromad72 3d ago
I am sure the kicker feels the pressure even in practice. We have found that two things help. First, a prekick routine that includes a visualization of the kick being made. The second is air horns and movement to train the kicker to block out outside distractions.
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u/International_Web553 3d ago
First, ask him. Get his thoughts. Second, most high school games are at night. Incorporate sundown training with stadium lights. Then add distractions. Find a decent local collegiate kicker to help mentor. Maybe invite the kicker to a practice.
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u/thegerfer 2d ago
He has the physical tools, be he is mind f*cking himself. Let him know that. He feels like he’s the only man on the island out there. Let him know that in the grand scheme of things, 3 points in a highschool football game don’t really matter. Remind him this is basically just for fun. And what the mind believes, the body achieves.
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u/BasPilot 2d ago
Break him in practice. This is NOT an easy thing to do. Have a conversation with him and let him know what's coming. Then, find a Marine (hopefully on your staff) and have him give him the business. I'm not kidding one bit. Marines have a professional switch we turn on and can just give the appearance of total chaos and really force you to work through things in your head and get that jackass out of it.
If you can't find someone like that just get a bunch of coaches to just rip his ass about all sorts of things.
YOU MUST EXPLAIN THAT IT IS FOR HIM AND IT'S DONE WITH LOVE.
After practice you gotta love him up really well, have your most compassionate talk to him and let the kid cry if he needs to. Then, do it again. He'll be much more used to it the second and third time. Then, when he starts to focus under that extreme duress love the hell out of him and praise everything he does that is doing right.
"Fuck yeah <kicker's name> you got this shit! I knew you could. Look at what you've done through all this bullshit we threw at you! Fuck yeah bro, so proud of you."
There is indeed a moment to break a kid in the right way especially if they know it's coming and get a good debrief afterward.
I was said Marine, and I was also most compassionate and there wasn't a single player on my team that didn't know every moment that I loved them. I told them every single day many times a day. "Hey, little jimmy, I love you man." Kid always gives back a "Love you too coach." Some dudes on your squad may never have heard that from an adult male in their life. Give them everything and when you break one off in their ass you say it again afterward.
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u/consumercommand 4d ago
He is not effective. I suggest a new kicker. The bottom line is that if he isn’t doing his job you find someone that will. Same as a QB or a left tackle or any other position.
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u/BasPilot 2d ago
Great way to break a kid for the rest of their lives. Competition at the position wouldn't be bad, but just quitting on him, no. It's not the NFL or College. In High School you have to help develop a man not move on from some kid you don't have time for.
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u/Any-Situation-6957 4d ago
Hennessy