April 24-25 Weekend Lessons

It has really been great being back in Tennessee for the past month doing kicking lessons. I have gotten to work with quite a few talented kicking specialists and had a chance to talk with many college and high school coaches.

Right now I am putting together a list of the top high school seniors from Tennessee for next year and I believe that there is going to be another talented class just like last year.

If this weekend is any indication of the talent of kicking specialists in Tennessee than I think the future is bright. I did an evaluation with Max Curtis (CPA) (pictured above) and lessons with Andrew Fletcher (U. of Louisville and Mr. Football Finalist), Hayes Foster (Siegel Middle School), and Tanner Hudson (Camden Central).

Max Curtis is looking to be the kicker at Christ Presbyterian High School this year and he and his father, Tucker, came for the evalution. Evaluations are a valuable tool for parents and kids alike because after about 5 to 10 minutes I can tell you if someone has talent or not. After watching kickers and punters for the past 13 years as either a player or coach you can see if someone has the 'pop' in there leg and Max definitely has the ability.

I expect, barring injury, that if Max puts in the work that he should be an All State performer this next year. I look forward to doing lessons with him in June.

The next lesson was Andrew Fletcher (MBA High School). I have worked with Andrew quite a few times over the past year. We have focused on his ability to kick off the ground. Kicking off the ground can be a challenge for kickers making the transition because of foot position. Andrew has worked hard on adjusting his foot position and has really made some great strides on his technique.

This fall Andrew will go to the University of Louisville as a greyshirt. This means that he has the ability to go on scholarship after the fall semester.

Next up is Hayes Foster (Siegel Middle School). Hayes is entering the 8th grade and has a lot of talent. He and his father, Tom, came to me for an evaluation a few months ago and I was very impressed with what I saw. I recommended lessons and this past weekend they took me up on the offer.

Hayes is a hard worker and is really developing great technique. You can tell that he has a strong work ethic and a passion for kicking. He showed great improvement this weekend and I expect big things from him in the future.

The final lesson I did this weekend was Tanner Hudson (Camden Central). Tanner is actually my cousin and just finished his freshman year as the starting kicker. He kicked lots of extra points last year but did not get to attempt a field goal.

After first seeing Tanner kick I saw that there were some things that we needed to work on but he reminded me of a young Joe Nedney. Joe Nedney is the former kicker for the Tennessee Titans and currently the San Fransisco 49ers. Tanner has a long frame and I think he has a lot of potential.

During the lesson we worked on his swing and his foot position and I saw improvement in both areas. I am looking forward to working with him in the near future.

Overall it was a great weekend of lessons and I am looking forward to doing the same thing again this weekend when I head to Memphis.

Visit: www.jameswilhoitkickingcoach.com

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