“Yellow Shirt”

April 5, 2011 By

What Is The Significance Of “Yellow Shirt”?
Attention Kicker/Punter.  The day you decide to become a high school kicker/punter you should sit down and make goals for yourself.  One of those goals – TO MAKE THE “TOP 12” invite only camp.  This is the most exclusive exposure list for kickers, punters, and long snappers in the world.  The “TOP 12” and “Event Elite” camp is a true invite only camp where only the best of the best may attend. 

Why the yellow shirt?  It stands out.  It sets you apart.  It makes others stare at you.  It makes you the favorite at any camp you show up to.  It puts all eyes on you.  Exposure, exposure, exposure.  You have it, others want it.  The only way to get a CSK yellow shirt is to make the exclusive exposure list. 

Take a look at what the yellow shirt can do for you!

Recognize any of these names?
How about this one?  How about committed to Alabama (2012 Grad)
How about a few scholarships.  Coincidence?  Miami, Alabama, Florida, Duke, LSU, USC, Penn

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Filed Under: Article Archives

How Important Is Exposure?

April 4, 2011 By
 How Important Is Exposure?

Chris Sailer Kicking is the #1 kicking, punting, and long snapping business in the world.  Teaching young players and developing current college and pro players is the core of what we do.  Understanding proper technique, training the correct way, preparing and being prepared, kicking and punting with mental and physical confidence, and ultimately becoming your own coach should be the goal of every kicker, punter, and long snapper.  We are here to get you there!

Fortunately I have been put in a situation to help young high school kickers and punters achieve their goals and live out there dreams of taking their game to the college level.  Through scholarships, walk-ons, try-outs, etc. thousands of Chris Sailer Kicking athletes have gone on to play D1, D2, D3, JC, NAIA, etc. college football.  How did they get there?  They were well trained and worked hard (see you at the next Chris Sailer Kicking camp) and they gained the necessary exposure (see you in Vegas at the National Events). 

There are hundreds of worthy K, P, and LS scholarship candidates each and every year.  A small percentage of these athletes land the scholarships.  There are only so many to go around.  So what decides it?  That’s easy….exposure.  Who got the exposure early on?  Who are the college coaches familiar with?  Who are they looking for at their own college camps?  Exposure, exposure, exposure. 

What can Vegas do for you?  Take a look:

Thomas Weber 2004 Spring Event (May):

Comes out of no where after years of training with Chris Sailer Kicking.  Was an easy selection. 
What happened: He ends up on full scholarship at Arizona State.  He wins the Lou Groza Award for the nations top collegiate place kicker.  Ends up a top performer in the PAC-10 as a 4-year starter.
Where is he now: Draft eligible this spring.  Seen as a top tier NFL prospect.  Have spoken with 10 different NFL Special Teams Coaches about him in the past month.  Thomas is also a CSK staff member.  Come to Vegas in May and you’ll see him. 

Blair Walsh 2006 Spring Event (May):
This was Blair’s first camp as a young sophomore.  Showed a big leg and great potential.  One of the few sophomores to make “Event Elite”.  Others were Quinn Sharp (Oklahoma State) and Justin Tucker (Texas). 
What Happened:  Went on to get a scholarship to Georgia.  Started as a true freshman.  Has been a Lou Groza Award Finalist and All-SEC performer. 
Where is he now: Had an opportunity to leave early to the NFL as a junior.  In my opinion, will be the best place-kicker in college football next year.  The ultimate example in character, dedication, hard work and loyalty. 

Cody Parkey 2007 Spring Event (May):
One of only 2 freshman to ever get invited to the “TOP 12” and “Event Elite” camp.  Cody was a great talent and wouldn’t be denied.  Proved he belonged and easily cemented his #1 kicker in the nation ranking for years to come.  Never dropped once in the rankings. 
What Happened: Went on to get a scholarship to Auburn.  Started as a true freshman and won the BCS National Championship. 
Where is he now: Cody will take over all kicking duties this coming year.  Will be a top collegiate kicker and future NFL prospect.  CSK staff member. 

Ross Martin 2010 Spring Event (May):
Ross came with something to prove, and he proved it.  An easy selection and ultimate standout at the “TOP 12” and “Event Elite” camp.
What happened: Currently ranked #2 in the nation in the Class of 2012.  Has offers from Pitt and Iowa State with many more on the way. 
Where is he now: A longtime student of CSK, a future D1A kicker,  and future CSK Staff Member. 

Ryan Succop 2004 Event (January):
Ryan came to the Event and was an easy selection for the “TOP 12”.  Had the skill, the potential, and work ethic to go a long long way. 
What happened:  Went on to get a scholarship to South Carolina.  Was a 4-years starter and All-Conference Performer.  Was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs. 
Where is he now:  A 2 year NFL starter with the Chiefs.  A longtime CSK student and current staff member. 

David Buehler 2006 Event (January):
David was a junior college safety that was convinced to attend Vegas to give kicking a shot.  Showed a HUGE leg and amazing potential.  Through hard work he was able to combine his talent with technique.  By May Vegas, he received perhaps more attention that anyone we have ever seen in Vegas. 
What happened:  Went on to get a scholarship to USC.  Had a great college career and was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys. 
Where is he now: A 2 year NFL starter with the Dallas Cowboys.  Perhaps the best kickoff man in the NFL and had a great 1st season as a place-kicker.  A longtime CSK student and current staff member.

These are just a few examples of what exposure can do for you.  Who will be the next added to this list?  See you May 14-15, 2011 in Las Vegas. 

Read More

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I Love My Snapper Because…..

March 15, 2011 By

I Love My Snapper Because…..

1. It all begins with the snap.  As many high school / junior college / college / pro kickers and punters know,  your stats, and even your FG/PAT attempts rely heavily on the quality of your snapper.  He is the guy that starts it all.  Your comfort, your rhythm, your get off time all depend heavily on your snapper.  It all begins with the snap. 

2. One piece of the puzzle to get a college scholarship, a pro contract,  is your high school / junior college / college stats.  A good snapper puts those stats squarely on your shoulders.  You have the ability to control your stats because he never makes a mistake. 

3.  If I love him, he will work to be the best.  Give him praise, tell him you need him, give him credit for your success.  Then he will be there with you on the field in the off season.  He will be there before practice for extra reps.  He will be there after practice for more extra reps.  He may even work on his own to perfect his skill.  He may start attending Rubio Long Snapping (Chris Sailer Kicking) camps to perfect his skill.  All huge wins. 

4. If I do, he may compete with me to be the best specialist, to be the special teams player of the year, to earn a college scholarship or pro contract.  All big wins for you the kicker.  If he is good, you have a chance of being good.  Stroke his ego, make him want it! 

5. Behind every All League, All City, All State, All American, Lou Groza Award Winner, and All-Pro is a GREAT snapper.  They should all receive the same award you get.  A few examples: Sailer/Rubio, Forbath/Yount. 

So, some advice from a kicker who benefitted from having a great snapper (insert Rubio).  Hand pick your snapper.  Make him a friend.  Work as a team.  Thank him every time he snaps (every kick, every session, every game).  Give him a hug, high five, tap on the behind after every successful game kick.  I made sure Rubio got on the jumbo tron after every kick in the Rose Bowl or on the road.  I made sure he was mentioned in every article that was ever written on me.  We were a team.  And to no surprise….still are a team.  Success in the kicking and punting world, just might be a direct result of your relationship with your snapper!

So see you AND your snapper at the next Chris Sailer Kicking / Rubio Long Snapping Camp!

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CA Talent Shows Up In L.A.!

March 13, 2011 By
 CA Talent Shows Up In L.A.!

Today the Chris Sailer Kicking Nike Spring Camps jumped into full swing.  Los Angeles was the first stop, and once again it did not disappoint.  Some familiar names and some new names took advantage of the opportunity.  Take a look!

Travis Coons (K/P 2012 CA):  Travis is an absolute stud.  The “TOP 12” Kicker proved why he earned that position and why he is a top 5 overall national talent.  Once again he rose to the occasion and won the camp.  This was his second consecutive CA Championship.  He won 2 of the 4 major competitions (Field Goal Chart & Punt) and of course the head to head final.  Travis is a great athlete and overall competitor.  Today he hit a 60 yard field, a 73 yard 4.10 hang time kickoff, and a 45 yard 4.89 punt.  I have no doubt he is a D1A Scholarship Player.  He has it all.   Offer Now!!!

Travis Coons lines up for the win!

Connor Derby (K/P 2012 CA):  Connor was extremely impressive today.  A big, tall, strong, and athletic combo player that shows outstanding potential.  Hit from 60 yards, hit 70 + yard kickoffs, and showed that he could punt as well.  Won 2 of the 4 major competitions (Field Goal Last Man Standing & Kickoff).  Should be a top JC prospect this coming year. 

2012 JC K/P’s Travis Coons and Connor Derby

Oleg Parent (K 2011 CA): Great prospect that just signed with North Carolina Central.  A long time CSK student that has proven time and time again that he will be a huge success at the college level.  Has the ultimate attitude and work ethic.  THE perfect example of the character that we hope our younger players will follow.  Will be on Student Staff this May in Las Vegas. 

Matt Williams (P 2011 CA):  Matt was the most consistent punters on the day.  Averaged over 40 yards all day with about a 4.5 hang time average.  A fine young man that is going to excel at the college level.  Always does his best in the biggest competitions.  Another solid performance for Matt.

Garrett Owens (K 2012 CA):  I cannot say enough good things about Garrett.  Absolutely love his attitude, competitiveness, and athleticism.  A big time leg and talent that will only continue to get better and better.  No doubt a D1A Scholarship Kicker.  Let’s go PAC-10, make your move. 

Other 2011 K Standouts:  Christian Rodriguez

Other 2012 K Standouts:  Matt Foley, Korey Durkee, Justin Moreno, Jeff Dickerson, Conrad Ukropina

2013 K Standouts: Bret Miller, Jordan Descala

Other Punting Standouts: Korey Durkee,  Osborn Umeh,  Eric Camarillo

Up next…March 20th in Chicago, IL

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Filed Under: Article Archives

Do High School Stats Matter?

March 10, 2011 By
Do High School Stats Matter?
One of the most common questions that I get asked by both high school players and their parents is, ” How much do your high school stats matter when it comes to recruiting”?  This is a GREAT question.

Let me start by saying, that the more that you have going for you, the better.  Some very important factors:  great character as a person, team leader, positive influence in the locker room, hard worker, good grades, SAT scores, ACT scores, extracurricular activities, head coach’s evaluation, principal’s evaluation, kicking coach’s evaluation, camp exposure, highlight video, high school statistics, etc. etc.  I could go on and on.  Be the best that you can be in everything that you do.  Period.  Control what you can control.  Reach your full potential in every area you can think of. 

So back to the question posed.  Yes, if you have great, even good high school stats, it can surely help you.  If you do not have good stats, or really just any stats at all, it won’t particularly hurt you.  It will come down to your skill level when all is said and done.  The stats may help you get exposure, but there are also other ways to go about getting exposure.  Again, see the list above. 

You might wonder, well if the stats are no good, that must mean the player is no good and must not be able to kick under pressure.  This may be true, but also may not be.  At the high school level the opportunities given to each player vary greatly.  Some things to consider:  strength of team, quality of high school coach and attention paid to special teams.  quality of snapper (Yes Rubio, I will interject here with your blog request, more later), quality of holder, quality of blocking.  In high school you will see a huge difference in the above from school to school.  In college, not so much.  In the pros, not at all.  So we all must take these factors into consideration.  And believe it or not, most college coaches do. 

I can give you dozens of examples, but here are three that focus on simple field goal stats.  1-15, 2-3, 5-12.  Not great right?  How about scholarships to the PAC-10, Big 12, and SEC.  The moral is, do your best to find a great program, work hard with the coaches and other specialists provided, and never give up no matter how bad your stats are looking.  You may hit a 55-Yarder that turns heads, you may not.  Either way, if your stats don’t accurately reflect your talent, you still have so many other ways to find your way onto a college team, .  Ultimately, college coaches investing thousands of dollars, will find the best kickers and punters the nation has, regardless of stats. 

And yes, kickers and punters, it all begins with the snap.  At the high school level especially, be thankful for every great snap that you get.  Snappers, “We can’t do it without you”. 

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Filed Under: Article Archives, High School

Kickers: How To Handle The Pressure

March 3, 2011 By
Kickers: How To Handle The Pressure

A common definition of a kicker, as defined by the outside world is “Head Case”.  For those that don’t know how to handle pressure, this may be true.  But for those that are trained properly, this couldn’t be further from the truth.  It all begins with a simple rule: Do the same thing, the same way, every time.  Being a confident kicker simply means being prepared.  The minute you step onto a football field for the first time, that preparation begins.  Take every session seriously, make every kick count, train like a pro.  I won’t get into great detail as to what that training means (that might come in a future blog), but I will scratch the surface and explain how to handle pressure. 
Step 1:  Learn how to kick with proper technique.  Attend a Chris Sailer Kicking lesson, attend a Chris Sailer Kicking camp, buy the Chris Sailer Kicking Instructional DVD.  We are the #1 kicking camp in the world for a reason.  Buy into the years of study that we have put into being able to teach the core mechanics needed for kickers of any and all styles.  Believe in what you are learning and practicing and you will have accomplished the first step.

Step 2: Training sessions are about quality, not quantity.  Make every kick count.  Treat it like a game winner.  Create a routine for yourself and go through that routine every single time.  Do not get lazy. Challenge yourself.  Remember, do the same thing, the same way, every time you do it.  Train like a pro. 

Step 3:  Film yourself and watch film after every training session.  Once you know and understand the proper technique, film yourself, and make sure you are practicing it.  If you are making mistakes, that is ok.  Make sure to fix them in step #4. 
Step 4:  Do the muscle memory drills (bench, contact, and line) that you will learn from Chris Sailer Kicking every day.   There are NO excuses.  You can do these on a field, at home, on vacation, etc.  You want to be the best, train your body to do things one way, the correct way.  Your body will learn, through muscle memory drills, to kick with the proper technique. 
Step 5:  Treat kicking as a year round sport.  Without proper training and consistency in training, you will never be prepared.  The harder you work, the better you will be.  Enter a season having zero doubt about your abilities and preparation. 
If you do the above you will be a CONFIDENT KICKER, not a “Head Case”.  Having confidence will allow you to handle any and every pressure situation.  Go through your routine (like you do every time in practice), know that your preparation (film study, muscle memory drills, on field work, weight room work, flexibility work) will pay off, kick with confidence.  No matter how nervous you may be, routine and muscle memory will always get you through it.  Your body will no nothing else to do but what you’ve trained it to do. 
If you need to see a sports psychologist, not step on lines, wear the same dirty socks it may be to late for you.  You are already a “head case”.  Get that all out of your head.  Start now.  Follow steps 1-5 and be a CONFIDENT KICKER.  Chris Sailer Kicking will never recommend a head case.  We recommend well-trained, confident, hard working, competitive, athletes. 
See you on the field!

Chris Sailer



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Filed Under: Article Archives, Kicking

The Ranking of a Kicker and/or Punter by Chris Sailer Kicking

February 28, 2011 By
Chris Sailer Kicking is the #1 Kicking, Punting, and Long Snapping business in the nation.  We have trained kickers, punters, and long snappers for 10 + years and counting now.  Each year we will train and evaluate over 1000 players at camps around the United States.  We have had the opportunity to train High School All-Americans, College All-Americans, Lou Groza Award Winners, NFL Draftees, and NFL Pro-Bowlers.  Most importantly we enjoy working with players of all skill levels.  Sponsored by Nike and continuing to grow from within has put us in a position to help players at every level (Junior High School, High School, College, and Professional) for many years to come.  Chris Sailer Kicking began with a vision to help more specialists get scholarships, well-deserved scholarships.  That has happened. Our vision is to keep that trend going and increase the number of scholarships every year.  To do this, it is important for you to understand how we rank players. 

1. We will only rank a player that we have seen IN PERSON.  Film is great, but it does not compare to an in person evaluation.  An in person evaluation can be at a private lesson, group lesson, camp, or national event run by Chris Sailer Kicking.  College camps are NOT taken into consideration. The evaluation must and will only be done by Chris Sailer (Kickers / Punters) and Chris Rubio (Long Snappers).  We do not use 3rd parties for evaluations.  This is the only way we can assure 100% accuracy. 

2. We do not rank all players that we see.  We only rank players that we feel show the ability or potential to one day compete at the college level.  We take effort, work ethic, and attitude into consideration when determining if a player meets the above criteria.

3.  Our rankings are subjective, not objective.  We focus on our evaluation, not just stats.  Stats may be misleading.  We are the professionals at what we do.  Our rankings will take the following criteria into consideration: 1. Current Skill Level, 2. Potential Skill Level, 3. Performance Under Pressure.  We look for the following: technique, strength, leg speed, athleticism, mental toughness, competitiveness, confidence, tee sizes to name a few. 

4. The ranking system is as follows.  After every camp, we evaluate each player.  They are then added to or adjusted on the TOP RECRUITS site of Chris Sailer Kicking.com 

Star Rating System:
5 Stars: D1 Scholarship Player
4 1/2 Stars: D1 Talent (D1 Preferred Walk-On or possible D1 Scholarship Player)
4 Stars: D2 Talent (D2 Scholarship or Possible D1 Preferred Walk-On)
3 1/2 Stars:  D3 Talent (D3 Scholarship or Possible D2 or D1AA Preferred Walk-On)
3 Stars: D3 Talent (D3 Preferred Walk-On)

Number Ranking System:
Will list the exact number rank of the player from (#1 through #……)  #1 being the very best in the nation, and so on. 

The Star Rating and the Number Ranking is an evaluation based on that day.  So, younger players usually do not receive 4 and 5 star rankings yet.  Older players earn the higher rating as they begin to show more of the criteria necessary to be considered a college prospect.  Rankings change on a daily basis.  You can always improve your rank the next time we see you. 

*Understand, rankings are not complete until fall camp begins your freshman year of college.  We will see new players constantly and the rankings will constantly be updated.  You have to work to maintain or increase your ranking.  You are only as good as the last time we saw you.  We cannot predict the future.  You will see that we will now list (Student Since: – to show when we first evaluated a player & Last Evaluation: – to show the last time we evaluated that player).  These pieces of information will help both the players and college coaches better understand the accuracy of the rating and ranking. 

5.  Once a player is ranked you are in our system until you begin your fall camp as a freshman in college.  You will never be dropped in the rankings.  However as we see new players or current players improve their ranking, you will slide naturally.  Again rankings are now complete until fall camp begins your freshman year of college.  That is when the rankings are as accurate as can be and are removed from the website.  You can increase your ranking by attending any future lesson, camp, or event.  A rating and ranking becomes much more accurate the more often we see a player.  We see improvement, we get to know a player mentally, and the player generally becomes much better physically and technically.  A college coach will always ask the question, “How many times have you worked with him?”  Why?  Because he wants to be sure that our evaluation is accurate and not a fluke.  He wants to be sure that we know that player mentally as well as possible before a large scholarship investment is made by the University.   Certain players are phenoms and earn 5 star rankings right off the bat.  It is just a no – brainer.  But most must work hard to establish consistency and improvement over time.  Our confidence in you as a player is a BIG DEAL.  We have to know who and what it is we are recommending. 

6. Once a player is ranked, we do take season stats into consideration.  Because there are so many factors out of your control at the high school level (coach, opportunities, snapper, holder, field condition, etc.) most players never get the chance to put up big numbers – this will not hurt you.  Both we and college coaches understand this.  But, if you happen to be fortunate enough to put up great stats, this can help you.  We don’t put a huge amount of stock in your season stats, but a good season can definitely help prove that you are consistent over time and that you can perform well under pressure. 

7.  Vegas Event Statistics.  Yes, they are great as they give us all something to look at.  However, they are NOT the only factor we take into consideration when updating the rankings.  They are a small piece of the puzzle (see above #’s 1-7).  Please do not just look at the stats and send us a spreadsheet as to why you should be ranked ahead of someone else.  I promise you, we do a thorough evaluation that looks at all your kicks from both Saturday and Sunday.  And we take into consideration past camp performances.  A bad statistical day isn’t going to effect the great statistical days that a player may have had in the past.  The statistics from Vegas are big for many reasons, but please remember that we look at EVERYTHING. 

8.  The Kicking and Punting Rankings are completely separate.  One does not effect the other and vice versa.  However doing well in both is always a positive for college coaches.  Combo players are rare and are a hot commodity. 

Chris Rubio and myself are very confident in our player evaluations.  The ranking / rating is intended to help each player find the right college fit for THEM.  If you are ranked that is a tremendous accomplishment.  You should be proud of yourself.  No matter the ranking/rating, use it as motivation to continue to improve.  Remember, you are only in High School or Junior College.  This is only the beginning.  Keep working hard and you will achieve your goals.  We are here to help you reach your goals.  We are always here as a reference for you.  Please DO list our name and contact information in your correspondence with college coaches  and on your highlight videos.  I promise you, it is worth it.

Thanks for reading and I hope this helps clarify the Chris Sailer Kicking TOP RECRUITS Section of www.ChrisSailerKicking.com

Chris Sailer
Chris@ChrisSailerKicking.com
Twitter: Chris_Sailer

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Filed Under: Article Archives, Kicking, Punting