Specialists Path-Offseason Preparation

Kicking specialists of all ages and levels are in the process of winding down from the 2010 football season. Whether you had an All American season or you were the backup it doesn’t change the fact that 2011 is a new year.

As Bobby Knight once said “Everyone wants to win, but not everyone is willing to prepare to win.” This quote is certainly fitting when it comes to becoming the best kicking specialist you can be.

I am a firm believer in having a well rounded life and I enjoyed all different types of sports growing up like baseball, basketball, and soccer. By 7th grade though I had discovered that I had a unique gift of kicking a football and I did whatever I could to develop that skill.

The question I pose to kicking specialists is: do you have a plan for this offseason?

This is On A Specialists Path- Offseason Preparation.

Kickers and punters from all different levels of football have different goals to accomplish this offseason.

Graduating college seniors will use this offseason to prepare for the NFL, while high school juniors and seniors are hoping for a chance at a college kicking scholarship. You could also be a younger kicker who is looking to learn the proper fundamentals to set a solid foundation for training in the future. Specialists of all levels can benefit from a productive offseason.

The ability to achieve your goals is done through preparation. It is important to set a plan for your offseason training. I suggest taking a few weeks off after the season and letting your body and mind rest. After a few weeks it is time to get back to training.

I understand that it is difficult to kick in some parts of the United States during January and February, but if you can benefit from kicking indoors in a net or even just working on your steps in your garage or high school gym.

This summer I had quite a few clients that came to me in late June and July and wanted me to fix their kicking within a matter of two days. While I have been able to make some minor adjustments on kicking specialists at the highest skill level, it is often very difficult to make such changes so close to the season.

I can certainly give you the tools to be successful but you also need the time to develop those skills. You have to replace one habit with another habit. This sometimes takes time depending on how strong your bad habits might be.

Getting training earlier in the year will help specialists to obtain muscle memory and provide them with the confidence they need to be successful during the season.

My suggestion to kickers and punters is to get the proper instruction earlier in the offseason and get lessons every few months to keep refining your skills.

I will leave you with a Vince Lombardi quote: “Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all time thing. You don't win once in a while, you don't do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.”

My suggestion is for you to learn the proper techniques as soon as possible so that you train your body with the right type of habits!

Visit: www.jameswilhoitkickingcoach.com

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