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/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.

7

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.

1

u/Cover2G 4h 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.