10 THINGS TO DO TO GET A SCHOLARSHIP

April 16, 2011 By

Every year many very deserving kickers/punters slip through the cracks and do not get a scholarship.  Why does this happen?  Simple, there just aren’t enough to go around.  So, those that take the necessary steps, when all is equal, are the ones that end up getting them.  I could right a 20-page formal or informal piece on this subject, but for now, here are 10 THINGS TO DO TO GET A SCHOLARSHIP:

1. Attend Chris Sailer Kicking camps as early as possible (as soon as 8th Grade).  Why?  To get proper technique coaching, to gain knowledge of how the kicking world works, and to get early exposure. Then keep going. 

2. Set goals and create a plan as a freshman in high school.  Form a team.  You are the captain.  Now you need reliable teammates.  Your team should consist of your parents, your coach, your school guidance counselor, NCSA (recruit service), and a kicking coach (Sailer). 

3. Earn your scholarship.  The sooner you realize that a scholarship is earned, not given, you will begin to work hard.  Work hard and reach your full potential as a person (character), in the classroom (grades and test scores), in the weight room (strength, speed, and flexibility), and on the field (kicking and punting).  You will earn your scholarship – not your coach, not your parents, not your kicking coach.  Make it happen and it will. 

4. Use social networking….the right way.  Use Facebook, Twitter, Blog and many others to learn, stay up to date (follow Chris_Sailer), and most importantly promote yourself.  The internet is very powerful.  The more a coach sees your name, the better.  Understand that this is your online resume.  As much as the internet can help you, it can also kill your chances.  Be smart…enough said. 

5. Create highlight videos.  You can never have enough.  Get them up on CSK, NCSA, and YouTube.  Just like social networking, turn yourself into a virus.  Start early to learn.  During your junior and senior season, you better have one ready when a coach calls.  It should be a click away. 

6.  Have a good high school career.  Sometimes this is out of your control due to the quality of your team, coach, snapper, holder, etc.  However, it is up to you to make the best out of bad situation.  Let your coach know you want to be the best.  Show him you’ll work hard.  Set up a game plan with him for extra time spent on special teams.  Get with your snapper and holder as often as possible (year round).  If you don’t have one, pick one.  Ask a friend, recruit and athlete, etc.  Get it done.  Send your snapper to Rubio (they will get WAY better in one lesson – trust me).  Stats can help you, do your best to make this your advantage. 

7.  Attend College Camps during the summer of your sophomore year (a good idea) and during the summer of your junior year (a must).  These are tryouts.  If you are good enough, here is where you can prove it to them.  Regardless of how much exposure you have had, most coaches still want to see it with their own eyes.  Seal the deal!

8. YOU Make the phone calls.  Coaches want to talk to you.  Tell your parents to encourage you, but to “spread out”. (See RUBIO BLOG for the definition of “spread out”) These coaches have to spend the next 4-5 years with you.  They will make sure that they like you.  When you meet a coach in person, answer your own questions, don’t let your parents answer for you. 

9. Take your SAT and ACT early and often.  The sooner you qualify, the better.  The more schools that you can qualify for, the better.  Make sure you are a qualifier so that if you have to go to a junior college for any reason, you can get out before getting your AA.  You only have to go through this once in life, so suck it up. 

10.  Get to Vegas for the National Event early and often.  Early to learn, gain experience, and get exposure.  Be the guy we know, not the guy we are just finding out about.  Simple, put it on your calendar now….I am going to Vegas 8 times (every January and May for all 4 years of high school).  This is the biggest stage.  Trust me.  See you May 14th!

Three CSK Kickers that got it correct: 
Matt Goudis (Miami), Andre Heidari (USC) & Connor Loftus (Penn)

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Filed Under: Article Archives, College, Graduating, High School, Kicking, Punting, Recruiting

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