Nashville & Knoxville June 17-20

On June 17-20 I conducted kicking lessons in Nashville and Knoxville. My One on One Kicking and Punting Lessons are different than kicking camps in Tennessee because they contain much more individual instruction than a typical one or two day camp.

I worked with another very talented group of kickers and punters in Nashville and Knoxville.

My kicking lessons in Nashville were done at my alma mater, Hendersonville High School,and the kicking lessons in Knoxville were done at Oak Ridge High School.

Jody Gorham (Montgomery Bell Academy) is vying to be the starting kicker this year after backing up one of the top kickers in the state of Tennessee in Andrew Fletcher.

It was pouring down rain when we started the lesson so Jody and I went in Hendersonville's indoor facility and worked on his leg swing.

After about 30 minutes of technique and drills, the rain died down and we went out on the field and began to kick. He did a really nice job of carrying over some of the drills we worked on and I could see that he had a nice kicking stroke.

It was great working with Jody and I look forward to working with him again real soon to help him be prepared for the starting field goal job.

Next up was Matthew Steele. Matthew (pictured above) was looking to learn the basics of kicking so his father, John, searched "kicking coach in Middle Tennessee" on the Internet and my name popped up. He checked out my site and a short time later he booked lessons.

He is entering his senior year at Henry County High School and is looking to carve a role out on the team as a punter and field goal kicker.

His father said that he was a blank canvas and he was exactly right on his evaluation. Once I was able to give him some consistent steps and taught him how to strike the ball correctly he was in business.

I saw quite a few good kicks and I expect him to improve over the next few weeks before I see him at my kicking clinic at Bethel University.

The kicking clinic will be on July 20th and will be $150. It will be small groups of five with kickers in the morning and punters in the afternoon.

This is a good option for someone who is looking to learn in more of a group setting but still wants access to individual instruction.

I will focus solely on the kickers in the morning and the punters in the afternoon. Coaches are also welcome to attend both sessions for $50.

Contact me if you are interested as I am limiting the clinic to the first 5 punters and kickers that sign up.

Clayton Ream was the starting kicker on the state champion Beech Buccaneers. He worked with me last year and was looking to sharpen up his technique as he searches for his next move in kicking.

As you can see in the picture (above) my first suggestion to Clayton was to get some new shoes but I had to settle for letting him borrow some of my tape!

Clayton was very raw last year when I worked with him and this year he was much improved. We were able to work on some more advanced techniques and I saw some great improvement in him.

After finishing lessons in Hendersonville I took the 3 hour drive to do kicking lessons in Knoxville.

The first lesson was a follow up with Robby Strachan.

Robby will be entering his freshman year at Webb School of Knoxville and is an exciting talent. I worked with him a few weeks ago and he was coming back to sharpen up a few things with his field goals.

We worked from the different hashes to make sure he could find the proper angles on his kicks and he showed a nice leg when he hit some field goals over 40 yards.

I look forward to working with him again soon in a few weeks.

Oak Ridge has two very talented kicking specialists in punter Drew Stokes and kicker Brett Beeler.

Drew (pictured above) will be vying for the punting job this year as he was the punter for the junior varsity last year.

Like most young punters he had some issues with his steps and his drop. I worked with him on the Drop Progression Drill and he really seemed to take to the drills.

By the end of the two days I could tell he knew what he was doing wrong and how he needed to correct it.

Last but not least is Brett Beeler.

Brett was the starting kicker at Oak Ridge last year and is quite a talent. Sometimes one of my biggest jobs as a coach is to work on someone's mindset rather than just their technique and that was the case here with Brett.

Harder is not always better and most young kickers have the tendency to try to kick the ball out of the stadium rather than be under control.

I worked with Brett on being under control and smooth with his approach and by the end of the second day he was kicking much better.

He made the transition from the 2 inch tee to the 1 inch and was kicking much more on balance after just two days of lessons.

I expect big things from the kicking game over at Oak Ridge this season!

Overall it was a great few days working with kickers and punters in Tennessee. I am always excited to see guys improve and look forward to seeing the success my students during the season.

Visit: www.jameswilhoitkickingcoach.com

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Devin Mathis On 'A Specialists Path'

James Wilhoit's On 'A Specialists Path'

The story of Tennessee kicker Devin Mathis is one of opportunity and fate. He went from partying at the frat house to being the starting kicker at the University of Tennessee and kicking in front of 100,000 people.

Every specialist has a path and sometimes there are opportunities that present themselves, but it is every specialist’s job to seize it when one comes their way.

This story gives hope to all walk on kicking specialists hoping for a chance to play for their “dream school”.

This is Devin Mathis On ‘A Specialists Path’.

For Devin soccer had always been a passion for him but as he was closing out his high school career at Baylor High School in Chattanooga, Tennessee he decided he would use his expertise for kicking a ball to play another sport.

“Kicking was a very natural transition for me as I spent the better part of the first sixteen years of my life playing soccer,” Devin said.

“As I outgrew soccer and needed a sport in my life, football became the obvious choice. I missed the competitive atmosphere of athletics and found that I was still able to compete as a kicker, and so this became my new focus.”

Devin worked hard to be a kicker and found that his natural ability to strike a ball came in handy on the football team. One of the major perks of playing football was the friendships he forged with his teammates.

“I realized that I wanted to be a kicker because I missed the team environment once I quit playing club soccer,” Devin said. “I missed the relationships with teammates, the travel and the competition.

As high school came to an end Devin decided to attend the University of Tennessee as a regular student, but found that he missed the team environment that athletics brought to his life.

“I actually came to the University of Tennessee with no intention of ever playing organized athletics, and thought that I would pass through college faster without doing so,” Devin said.

“However, one day in the spring of my freshman year, I came to the realization that I still wanted to compete. I went to the all the games that fall and would watch the players, thinking that I knew that I had the potential to play at the collegiate level. One day, I decided that I had had enough wondering and decided to try to walk on.”

In 2006 Devin decided to come out for the football team and Coach Fulmer really took an interest in the young walk on kicker from Chattanooga.

“Coach Fulmer showed me the scope of the game,” Devin said. “Walking off the field one day early in my first season with the team, Coach Fulmer pulled me aside and said that I wasn’t unlike another walk-on kicker named Alex Walls from earlier in the decade.”

“The fact that he noticed me blew me away; I was surprised he knew my name. He said that if I applied myself that I could work my way up the roster and eventually get in the game just like Walls did. He showed me the importance of walk-ons in the grand scheme of things as I dressed for every home game, as well as the bowl game, that fall.”

Devin competed with Daniel Lincoln for the starting kicker job in 2007 but Lincoln was able to hold on to the job and went on to garner All American honors that season. Devin accepted his role as the reserve kicker but always hoped that he would be given an opportunity to compete for the starting job.

After finishing out the 2008 season with the team, Coach Fulmer was fired and Lane Kiffin was hired as the new head coach. Devin was lost in the shuffle with the staff change and decided that he should focus on his academics and be a regular student again.

“In January of 2009, I left the team for the entire spring of my junior year to study abroad and finish my second major,” Devin said.

“That summer I came back from my semester abroad, looking forward to being a regular student again in the fall. I really enjoyed watching the games from the stands with my friends, but couldn’t help but wonder if I could improve on the performance of our kicking game at the time.”

Tennessee had struggled with their field goal kicking during the season and had numerous field goals blocked because of low trajectory by the kicker.

Devin just so happened to be rooming with two of Tennessee’s best players and they started to try and convince him to give kicking one more shot.

“After jabs and comments from my roommates at the time, Jonathan Crompton and Wes Brown, and after a particularly questionable performance, I decided that I would give it another try,” Devin said. “I decided that I would walk on again to see if I could prove to myself that I can perform at that level.”

Coach Eddie Gran allowed Devin to come to practice after a few days he was out on the practice field getting reps with the second team.

He continued to prove that he had great height on his kicks and he was even starting to open the eyes of the head coach.

After getting another kick blocked in the Ole Miss game the staff was looking at all their options and Devin impressed in practice.

He was able to dress out for the Vanderbilt game the next week and about 4 hours before the game he found out he was going to be the starting kicker!

“I only had time to call my mom and a few of my friends to tell them to watch the game,” Devin said.

Devin kicked in the game and was the starting kicker for the final three games of the season including hitting all his extra points and nailing two field goals.

“Kicking in Neyland Stadium was the most incredible thing that I have ever experienced,” Devin said. “I had been on the sidelines for games before, but I had never run through the “T” knowing that I would be in the game.

“I will never forget the way the stadium looks during an SEC home game in one of the biggest, most exciting stadiums in the country. I found that Neyland can be a tricky place to kick. I also found that I loved the rush that you feel on the field with over 100,000 people and camera flashes cheering you on, and the adrenaline that you feel once you’re back on the sidelines.”

Devin felt the adrenaline rush of kicking in front of 100,000 people and he is not ready to give up that feeling just yet as he is planning to compete for the job after finishing up an internship this past spring.

His story gives hope to all those former soccer players in the stands that say “I think I can kick better than that guy”. Sometimes those guys are actually right!

Visit: www.jameswilhoitkickingcoach.com

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June 13-16 Memphis Lessons

On June 13-16 I conducted kicking lessons in Memphis, Tennessee at Christian Brothers High School. During the four days I learned the importance of hydration as I conducted 5 lessons a day in the hot sun on field turf!

With temperatures reaching triple digits on the turf, it didn't take the kicking specialists long to warm up. I worked with quite a few kicking specialists from Memphis along with a few that traveled from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.

Memphis always has quite a few talented prospects in the area but the main attraction for me is probably the barbecue! Central BBQ and Germantown Commissary are my two favorite stops. Even after 8 to 10 hours in the sun I still can muster up enough energy to go eat barbecue.

Now on with the lessons...

David Torres (pictured above) is from Louisiana and is attending the U. of Arkansas-Monticello this fall. He was referred to me through my good friend, Rob Maver, who is the top kicker in Canada.

David and I had been in touch quite often over the past two months and I was interested to see what kind of talent he possessed.

He certainly exceeded my expectations and after watching two to three kicks I could see he had major 'pop' in his leg.

I worked with him on the mechanics of kicking and sharpened up his fundamentals. He was very pleased with the lessons and is planning to come work with me again in the near future.

Next up is Germantown kicker/punter Ryan Hanisco.

Ryan and I did lessons last year and I could see that he had made some major improvements since the last time I saw him.

He was much more polished on his field goals but I could really see some major potential as a punter. Ryan is a rising senior and I think he has a chance to catch on at a smaller school with his punting.

I hope to work with him again later in July when I am in Memphis.

Jeff Sexton graduated last year from Christian Brothers High School and is now the starting kicker at Virginia Military Institute (VMI). His head coach at VMI, Sparky Woods, is the father of my holder at Tennessee Casey Woods. Funny how it is such a small world sometimes.

I was able to help Jeff last year in his transition to kicking off the ground but I was really able to take him to another level this year.

I worked with him on his field goal technique and we focused on kickoffs the last day. He even hit quite a few kickoffs inside the 5 yard line with 4 second hang time.

Jeff has a chance to have a big year over at VMI.

I did a follow up lesson with kicker Logan Cooke, who is entering his Freshman year in high school in Mississippi.

Logan is a very talented kicking specialist, who was looking to polish up some of the techniques I had shown him a few months ago when we did One on One Kicking Lessons.

He really started to turn the corner at the end of the session and he told his dad a few days later that he "loved his kicking coach". This always makes you feel good when someones hard work is paying dividends.

Phillip Houston is the starting kicker at Harding Academy in Memphis and he has done quite a few kicking lessons with me over the past year.

This time he did two lessons and focused on his contact on the ball, which had been somewhat of an issue in the past.

Phillip is a very hard worker and I expect him to be in tip top shape when the season starts and he could really open some college coaches eyes with his performance this season.

Drew Hopkins (Brighton High School) is looking to replace Dylan Burnett, who was one of the top kickers in the state of Tennessee last year.

Drew had not had any formal kicking training and so I was really working with a blank canvas.

I worked with him on his foot contact and especially his follow through. It was great to see some improvement in him over the two days and he is coming back for three more days before his season starts.

If he continues working hard on his technique I think he has a chance to be a contributor over at Brighton this year.

Gary Wunderlich is entering his freshman year at Memphis University School and has a great chance to be the starting this kicker this year and replace Mr. Football finalist, Christian Kauffman.

He is a really talented kicker and I was very impressed with his intelligence and ability to listen.

I worked on a few drills with him to work on foot position and also on his follow through. If he continues to work hard with his technique I am confident he will be ready to go for the season.

I believe that in a few years he will be breaking some of Christian's records over at MUS!

I worked with Corey Acosta on his field goals and kickoffs. This might be the last time I work with him in Tennessee for a while as he will be reporting to Southern Miss this weekend.

Corey has worked very hard on his technique and I believe he is one of the most technically sound kickers I have ever coached.

I use a lot of Corey's pictures and video to teach other kickers how to kick the ball correctly.

I plan to make a trip to Southern Miss and work with Corey a few more times and I look forward to watching him play this season.

Finally there is Austin Benoy.

Austin is going to be a senior at Briarcrest High School and will be handling the kicking duties this season.

As I watched Austin kick I could see that he has a tendency to roll on his ankle and come around the ball.

I worked with him on kicking more up and through the ball and he was amazed with the results.

He said that he had been to a few kicking camps in the area but had never gotten such individual instruction before from a kicking coach.

By the time Austin left I could see a dramatic difference in his distance and accuracy. It was a pleasure working with him. He was a student of the game and made my job very easy!

Overall it was a major success in Memphis and I look forward to being back in Memphis on July 16-18 to work with new and existing clients...

Visit: www.jameswilhoitkickingcoach.com

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On A Specialists Path- Mental Game

James Wilhoit's On A Specialists Path

A Specialists' Path can be determined by lots of factors. Those factors can be wind, rain, opportunity, injury, but it can also be affected by his own mind.

I learned at a young age that Sport Psychology or the "Mental Side of the Game" can be vital to the success of a kicking specialist.


I left the University of Tennessee with an undergraduate degree in Communications and Masters in Sport Psychology. I always thought that I was getting the Sport Psychology degree for my own benefit. What I have learned now though is that it is one of my greatest assets as a kicking coach.

When I kicked the game winning kick against Florida in 2004 their were 109,000 people in the stands in Neyland Stadium and millions of people watching on television. There is certainly pressure kicking in that kind of environment, but I experienced a similar pressure on Friday nights in high school when our team played our biggest rival, Gallatin, and we played in front of a few thousand people.

When a kicker attempts a field goal he has plenty of factors that are out of his hands like; the snap, hold, wind, weather, and the ability of the line to block. If he were to think about all the factors that go into a kick he could become exhausted!

Many kickers start to focus on those 'factors' much more than the things they can control like the fundamentals of kicking or just relaxing and enjoying the game.

Kicking specialists across the country will be running and lifting weights this Summer to get stronger but I wonder how many kicking specialists are working on the mental game?

Some specialists believe that working on the mental game is a sign of weakness but that is not the case. I was the number one ranked kicker in the country coming out of high school and before I ever kicked in a game I was working with Dr. Craig Wrisberg on Sport Psychology.


Dr. Wrisberg and I worked on all types of situations like what it is like to kick in my first practice to preparing for my first game in The Swamp against Florida.


That hard work culminated in me becoming a Freshman All American and kicking a 51 yard field goal in my first road trip, which happen to be against Florida!


Across the country this Fall, kicking specialists will be taking their steps back to kick a field goal or lining up directly behind the center to punt a football. The success of those kicks and punts will be determined by plenty of things you can't control.

My high school kicking coach, Russ Plummer, use to always say "control what you have control over" and he is absolutely right. The question I pose to kicking specialists is are you doing all you can to prepare for your season?


The book "Golf is Not a Game of Perfect" by Bob Rotella is a wonderful book for kicking specialists to read. Golf and kicking are both sports where it is just you and the ball and the mind can be a major determining factor in your success.


So as kicking specialists go out to kick this Summer, I hope they are visualizing what it is like to be on the field against their biggest rival with the game on the line.


The techniques in Sport Psychology can increase confidence and help someone perform during the times it matters most like when you are trailing Florida by 2 points with 13 seconds left and need a 50 yard field goal...

Visit: www.jameswilhoitkickingcoach.com

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Cookeville Clinic & TN Tech Punter

On June 10th I conducted a High School Kicking Clinic at Cookeville High School and also worked with Tennessee Tech Punter Nick Campbell.

High School Clinics are a great option because I can work with all the kicking specialists from a high school and middle school to get them prepared for their season. I work with up to 10 specialists from a specific school.

The picture (above) is of the specialists from Cookeville from last year as this is the second year I have done a clinic with them and I really appreciate Coach Joslin's hospitality.

The group of specialists at Cookeville are very talented as they are returning their starting punter James Francis (pictured above), but they are having to replace starting kicker Nick Mittell.

I worked with the kickers and punters throughout the day, reviewed video with all the specialists, and worked with the snapper and holder at the end of the day. The clinic is finished after each specialist receives an evaluation and a DVD copy of the session.

The clinics are a great opportunity for team building and I am excited to work with Coach Joslin and his kicking specialists throughout the year.

After the clinic at Cookeville High School, I went to Tennessee Tech to do kicking lessons with punter Nick Campbell. I was very impressed with the universities' campus and the football facilities were top notch.

As I started the lessons with Nick I could tell that he had much better fundamentals as a punter. I worked with him on his steps to the ball and a few other things to help his consistency. By the end of the lessons and video review he was very pleased.

After the lesson was over Nick and I went to dinner over at Bobby Q's in Cookeville. I have to say that the food was great but the waitresses were the highlight of the evening. Nick even said that the girls at the restaurant were the prettiest he had seen since he has been on campus.

Overall it was a full day as the clinic at Cookeville was a success and it was great to work with Nick Campbell again. I definitely plan on coming back to Cookeville on July 12-13 for lessons and I certainly plan on getting some barbeque while I am there!

Visit: www.jameswilhoitkickingcoach.com

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Knoxville Lessons June 8-9

One on One kicking lessons in Knoxville on June 8-9 were a success as I got to work with a few older clients in Austin Rice (Oliver Springs) and George Bullock (West High School) and some new clients like Benjamin Ogle (Greeneville), Conar Roberts (McMinn Co.), and Brad Smith.

Benjamin Ogle (pictured above) is the starting kicker at Greeneville High School. He had a very successful season last year and was named 1st Team All State for Division 4A.

I contacted Benjamin about a month ago about doing lessons as I had heard that he was one of the top junior kickers in the state of Tennessee. After leaving a message for the high school coach I actually got a call from Ben's father, Craig, inquiring about lessons.

Craig mentioned that former University of Tennessee kicker Alan Duncan was related to the family and that he had a vested interest in anyone doing lessons with Benjamin. He asked if I would mind if Alan came to the lessons to see my kicking philosophy. I told him I thought it was a great idea.

Alan was a former kicker at Tennessee and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles. I had never met him but former Tennessee kicker Jeff Hall had told me many stories about him. I was certainly excited to finally meet him as I take great pride in the history of great kicking specialists at the University of Tennessee.

Before the lessons with Benjamin I got to talk some Tennessee football with Alan and then it was time to start the lesson. I worked with Benjamin on quite a few things on his mechanics but I could see that he had a lot of talent.

Benjamin worked hard during the two days of lessons and I really saw some great improvements in his kicking. I also enjoyed talking shop with Alan on our kicking philosophies and on the second day he brought his son Curt to Ben's lesson.

Alan and Craig seemed pleased with the lessons and now I am doing lessons with Curt and Ben again at the end of the month in Chattanooga!

It has been very special meeting Ben and his family and I believe we will have a long term working relationship.

Conar Roberts is a junior punter and kicker at McMinn Country High School. He was the starting punter last year and will take over the kicking duties this year.

I worked with Conar on his placekicking the first day and on the second day we went over punting.

Conar really took to the Drop Progression Drill for his punting and started to really boom some punts. I believe he has a chance to be a top punting prospect next year if he continues to improve.

Next up is Austin Rice from Oliver Springs. Last year when I worked with Austin we were basically starting from scratch. He took that basic coaching I gave him last year and hit almost every extra point during the season.

Austin was much more advanced this year. As I watched him kick I saw that he was kicking with too much height on his kick so I moved him from a two inch tee to a one inch tee.

I was very impressed with Austin and I think Oliver Springs High School has quite a weapon for next year!

I worked with George Bullock (West High School) for the second time this year and he has made some dramatic improvements. I told him that he had a problem with kicking the ball too hard so I recommended that he read a Sport Psychology book that I really enjoyed when I got my Master's at the University of Tennessee.

George read the book and I could see immediate improvement. I am really proud of his progress and believe he should have a great season this year.

The final lesson was Brad Smith. Brad was the kicker at William Blount a few years ago and was looking to walk on at Tennessee this year.

We worked on his ability to kick off the ground and as you can see in the picture (above) he was showing much improvement.

I wish him the best of luck in his quest of being on the Tennessee Football Team.

It was great working with guys in Knoxville. I will be back there to do a few lessons June 19-20 and then I will be also be there July 7-11th. Spots are filling up fast so please contact me early if you are interested.

Visit: www.jameswilhoitkickingcoach.com

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Carlos Lopez On 'A Specialists Path'

James Wilhoit's On 'A Specialists Path'

When Carlos Lopez left his native country of Venezuela to move to Knoxville, Tennessee, he never realized the opportunities his talent for ‘kicking a ball’ would open up for him.

Carlos Lopez is entering his junior season as the starting kicker for Division II powerhouse Carson Newman College. He came to me last year to help him take his kicking to the next level. After two days of kicking lessons with him, he completely inspired me with his work ethic and desire to succeed.

Desire and work ethic are important aspects to a successful athlete, but talent is also vital to success. Fortunately for Carlos he possesses all three of those qualities; and this gives him unlimited possibilities.

This is Carlos Lopez On A Specialist’s Path.

Carlos had spent most of his youth in Venezuela. But due to the political unrest in that country, his mother decided to move their family to the United States.

While looking for a place to call home, Carlos' mother, Arly, fell in love with Carlos' stepfather, Tony, and they decided to settle near the Smoky Mountains in Seymour, Tennessee.

Carlos had to make many new adjustments to his surroundings but he was able to find comfort in being on the athletic field. Not surprisingly, his specialty was soccer.

Like most high school football coaches (not that you’ve ever heard me say this before), the head coach was in need of a kicker. And of course he looked to the nearest soccer field to find his answer.

“I first got started when I was practicing for a soccer match and the head coach for the team asked if I wanted to try out because they needed a kicker,” Carlos said. “So the next day I went out there and he told me what I needed to do to kick the ball. I gave it try and from then on I became the starting kicker for Seymour High School.”

Carlos was the star player on the soccer team; however that didn’t impress his ‘non-football’ friends. They just didn’t think very highly of him being a kicker on a football team.

“Many of my friends thought it was great I was a kicker, because they were on the football team and they really needed a kicker,” Carlos said. “But the rest of my friends, the ones that were not on the team, always told me that I was playing the “non-athletic” position. They always made fun of the fact in practice all I did was kick 12-20 balls and went home.”

Carlos kept playing soccer in high school, and also continued to play the “non-athletic” kicker position on the football team. He finished his senior year in high school as a very successful dual sport star in both soccer and football.

His success however caused some personnel conflict for Carlos. Now that he had graduated, he had to decide whether he wanted a partial scholarship at a major soccer program, or if he wanted to pursue additional financial aid as a kicker.

“My dream was to first make it somewhere for soccer,” Carlos said. “After getting offers from Clemson University, UAB, and University of Mobile Alabama for soccer, I thought that I was going in the right path. Unfortunately, my limited English skills resulted in my not performing well on the ACT.”

Carlos did not let a low ACT score deter him from going to college. After polishing up his English skills and taking some ACT prep courses, he was able to raise his score to a college level.

“The coaches at Carson-Newman College took notice of my kicking talent and they always believed I could get into college,” Carlos said. “So once I got a qualifying score they offered me a scholarship to play football. Now my dreams have changed; I’m working hard into becoming a professional football kicker someday.”

Carlos was ecstatic to have a scholarship to college but the next step was to perform at a college level. His freshman year was full of ups and downs and his head coach, Ken Sparks, didn’t give Carlos very many opportunities to kick field goals. He finished his freshman year just 1 for 4 on field goals and had some tough memories from that year.

“The worst moment I have had to face being a kicker happened to me my freshmen year,” Carlos said. “We were playing against Newberry College when I had the chance to hit two field goals and missed both; we ended up losing that game by 6 points. At the moment I felt horrible, but with the support from fellow teammates and family, I got over it and moved on.”

Carlos was determined to improve his kicking going into his second year of college and looked to work with me to improve his technique.

“Before last year I never really had been taught the proper way to kick a football,” Carlos said. “I just looked at videos online and just practiced a lot. That all changed once I had the opportunity to train with James Wilhoit.”

Carlos worked extremely hard over the two days of kicking lessons he took with me. I could see a dramatic difference in his accuracy, and height on the ball, from the first day to the end of the second day.

After a great deal of practicing proper technique, Carlos had a banner year as he hit 11 of 12 field goals this last year and was able to get revenge for his tough game the previous year against Newberry College.

“The next year it was Newberry’s turn to come to our home and play us,” Carlos said. “It was the opener of the Conference games. All I could think of was how I missed the two field goals the past year.”

The past season his head coach, Coach Sparks, was reluctant to try field goals, but this year Jose had proven that he was more than capable to handle the job. After nailing a 32 yarder earlier in the game, Carlos was called upon to make his first big kick under pressure. It wasn’t just any normal kick though, as he was about to kick in a driving rain storm. Thereby adding pressure to an already pressure filled kick.

“Knowing that this game was under a huge rain storm, I got called again for the tying field goal from 30 yards out,” Carlos said. Adding, “It sailed through.”

Not only did Carlos nail the game tying kick but he also got an opportunity for complete redemption from last year’s loss to Newberry.

“Finally with 14 seconds left we had a chance to kick a 37 yard field goal to win the game. I hit it and we won 23-20. The whole crowed and team loved me after the game. It was great to come overcome my struggles from last year and make those kicks.”

This coming year, Carlos is looking to build on his successes. First, he would like to help his college team for the next two years, and secondly, he’d also like to get a chance to make an NFL team in the 2012 draft class.

And those aren’t bad goals at all for a soccer player who decided to play the “non athlete” position on his high school football team.

Visit: www.jameswilhoitkickingcoach.com

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Knoxville Lessons June 6-7

On Sunday and Monday I conducted kicking lessons with Jose Lopez (Carson Newman), Robby Strachan (Webb School), Ross Bustin (Maryville High School) and Mitchell Mascaro (College of the Cumberlands).

Jose Lopez (pictured above) is the kicker at Carson Newman and a former Seymour High School graduate. He worked with me last year in Hendersonville after coming off of a disappointing freshman year in college where he went just 1 for 4 on field goals.

After working on what he learned in those lessons, Jose had a fantastic sophomore season. Last year he hit 11 of 12 field goals and was a key member of the Eagles team that went to the Semi Finals of Division II Football Championship.

Jose was very pleased with the kicking lessons last year but was looking to take his game to another level by working with me again this year.

When I started to watch Jose kick at our first lesson I could see that there were some small mechanical flaws that needed to be 'tuned up' before his season this year.

I worked on quite a few drills to sharpen his technique and by the end of the two days he was kicking with much more height and distance.

It was great working with Jose again and I plan on getting with him one more time before the season as I think he has the chance to get into an NFL camp in a few years.

Next up was kicker Robby Strachan. He is entering his freshman season over at Webb and is looking to contribute to the team as a fullback/linebacker and a kicker.

Robby came to me by referral from his head coach, Dave Meske. For the past two years I helped out over at Webb with former kicker Trey Blakley so I have developed a great working relationship with Coach Meske. I really appreciate him thinking enough of me to send Robby my way.

I started by working with Robby on his field goal steps. I also coached him on his leg swing and follow through into the ball. He is a very intelligent guy and I was able to give him plenty of golf analogies to help him understand how to kick a football.

After the first day he learned more about kicking than he probably wanted to know, and by the second day he was hitting the ground running. He kicked four 45 yard field goals in a row and was crushing his kickoffs 5 to 6 yards deep in the end zone!

Robby doesn't like to be considered a "kicker" but if he takes a hard look in the mirror he will see that he has tons of potential as a kicker.

Ross Bustin was the backup to two of the most talented kicking specialists in the state of Tennessee this year in Maryville's Zach Sharp and Greg Colquitt. If Ross had been almost anywhere else in the state he would have been an extremely valuable specialist to a high school team.

Ross came for lessons with me last year and came back this year to possibly walk on over at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

As you can see in the picture (above) Ross was talking really large steps into the ball. He mentioned that his coaches at Maryville had told him the same thing last year!

Sometimes it is not recognizing the problem but trying to find drills that correct it. I put him through the Drop Progression Drill to improve his technique and by the end of the two days he was booting spiral after spiral.

I hope to see Ross again next year when he catches on with the Tennessee Chattanooga football team.

Mitchell Mascaro (College of the Cumberlands) is a very interesting prospect because he was the back up to Bryce Berry for most of his high school career at South Doyle.

He has worked hard on improving as a kicking specialist and after putting out a few highlight tapes he now has the opportunity to play at the College of the Cumberlands.

Mitchell came to me to work on his field goals off the ground. He worked very hard on foot contact during the two days and I believe that the hard work he put in could lead to him contributing very soon to his future college.

Visit: www.jameswilhoitkickingcoach.com

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Nashville Lessons June 3-4

On June 3-4 I concluded my first group of two day lessons in Nashville. I worked with two kickers from Memphis, one from Savannah, and one of the best junior kickers in the state of Tennessee from Nashville.

So far I have used Moss Wright Park in Goodlettsville for my kicking lessons . Even though this same field was under water two months ago, the field is now in great condition.

It has a nice shaded place to review video with kicking specialists, and I plan to use the facility for the rest of the Summer as it is a great place to improve kickers and punters across Tennessee.

Now to the lessons...

Clayton Williams (Evangelical Christian School) and his father, Shaun, traveled from Memphis to get some One on One Kicking and Punting Lessons before their summer camp schedule got started.

Clayton is a very impressive senior kicking prospect in the state as he has great height and a huge leg. I noticed that he was a natural kicker and after some instruction really did a nice job kicking off the ground .

He has had some nagging injuries that held him back last season from contributing for his team, but I expect him to explode onto the kicking scene with a big year in Memphis.

Next up was Caden Holt (Savannah High School). Caden worked with me in Memphis a few months ago on his kicking and now wanted to try his hand in punting.

As you can see in the picture (above) Caden is a big boy for a freshman! He is much more of a natural punter than kicker and I was impressed with his potential.

To start most lessons I like for kicking specialists to kick with there current technique before I coach them. This gives specialists the ability to see the difference between the new and old technique.

As Caden used his old form he turned over punt after punt and did very well.

Even with all his success he was still wiping spirals. Wiping spirals is the incorrect form for punting so I looked to sharpen up is technique by tweaking his drop and leg swing.

I worked with him on the Drop Progression Drill and he really started to develop solid fundamentals. By the end of the second day he was getting much more comfortable and I look forward to working with him again soon.

Next up was Landon Foster (Independence High School). I had heard about Landon through Brian Davis, former Brentwood & current Arkansas State kicker, and he said that Landon was very talented and to look him up.

I contacted Landon on Facebook and booked lessons with him. I appreciate Brian's referral and I certainly agree with his opinion of Landon's talent. I think that Landon could very possibly be the best junior kicker in the state of Tennessee.

Landon took to my coaching very quickly as he is extremely intelligent. He actually reminded of Brian! I had never had a kicking student pick up the proper technique so quickly and I believe that if he keeps on this pace I expect a scholarship should be in order in the near future.

Finally, Corey Acosta (Southern Miss) came to Nashville for some adjustments on his kickoffs. Corey does a great job on kickoffs, but I told him that I thought there were some things I would like to sharpen in his technique before he reports to college July 1st.

Corey did a nice job hurdling through his kickoffs (picture above) and I was impressed with the finished product. It was great seeing him, like always, and I am excited to come to his first college game on a Thursday night September 2nd at South Carolina!

Stay tuned for another On A Specialists Path on Monday and more blogs about lessons in Knoxville!

Visit: www.jameswilhoitkickingcoach.com

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Will Batson On 'A Specialists Path'

Will Batson, who recently graduated as a punter from University of North Alabama, was a late starter in the college recruiting process. He now realizes that was a mistake. But now, with that lesson in hand, he is not hesitating in his efforts to be recruited into the NFL.

I met Will two years ago when I was Coach Zauner’s assistant. And I have been fortunate to have forged a close relationship with him as he, and his teammate Kenny Spencer, have been chasing their dreams of making it to the NFL.

This is a story that should be of particular interest for high school kicking specialists looking to make it to college; or for college kicking specialists that are aspiring to the NFL.

This is Will Batson’s ‘On A Specialist’s Path’.

As I have learned from writing ‘On A Specialist’s Path’ most kickers or punters don’t grow up dreaming of being NFL kicking specialists; they are usually soccer players that a football coach borrows -or steals- from the soccer team.

This was no different at Brooks High School in Killen, Alabama where Will attended High School.

“Going into my junior year in high school, the head football coach had heard that I used to play soccer” Will said. “They had recently lost their kicker so he asked me to go out and kick a few balls for him. Afterwards he said to me, "looks like you're going to kick for us this year."

Will was both flattered and intrigued, and so he embarked on his ‘Specialist’s Path’ of being a kicker, and looked to perfect his new craft.

“After a few spring practices and a few good punts and field goals, I realized that this would be a fun challenge for me to tackle,” he said. “And I decided it was something that I would do my best to perfect.”

Will hadn’t learned to kick the ‘perfect punt’ by the time he was ready to be recruited for college, but with his big 6’3 215 pound frame, he certainly had the ‘size’ and enough ‘talent’ to play college football.

But talent is not always the determining factor when it comes to College Football recruiting for kickers and punters.

“I only attended kicking camps at Auburn and Alabama,” Will said. “If I had to do it over again I would have gone to more of these One Day Showcases at these different schools.”

However, even without going to more of the bigger camps around the country, Will was driven to succeed and found success in his efforts to be recruited by sending out a highlight tape to prospective schools.

“I got walk on offers from UAB, Southern Miss, and Vanderbilt from sending out my highlight tape,” Will said.

Will was also a great baseball player. And with a 92 MPH fastball he was looking for the option to do both sports. Although not common, this is not unheard of. Stephen Gostkowski (pictured below), New England Patriots kicker, played on the baseball team at the University of Memphis.

Will finally found his home at the University of North Alabama as punter and a pitcher, but after his sophomore year he had to focus his attention strictly to punting.

“My sophomore year I had a slap lesion,” Will said. “this slowed my velocity from 92 MPH to more around mid 80’s.”

Now, with his focus totally on kicking, Will started to see the possibility that playing professional football might be in his future.

“During my senior season, I felt like I had the leg to play college ball, and I would always envision myself making a big time kick/play at the collegiate level,” Will said. “As I improved my skills, the greater my dreams became. During my junior year of college I felt like I could play professional ball.”

Will worked very hard and spent a great deal of time taking his skills to the level necessary to play in the NFL. And after garnering Division II All American honors, he realized the next step was to be ‘seen’ by NFL teams. And for this, he enlisted the help from some well connected kicking consultants.

He and teammate Kenny Spencer went to Scottsdale, Arizona in February to train with Coach Zauner, and immediately afterwards went to College Senior Combines with both Zauner (Pictured below) in Arizona and Louie Aguiar in Las Vegas.

Will has decided long ago he was not going to make the same mistake in trying to be signed with an NFL team that he made in trying to get recruited for college. He realizes it takes talent AND ‘exposure’ to get an opportunity to play professional football.

“Will constantly had been telling me about these combines and showcases,” his teammate Kenny Spencer said. “He has been so prepared for this process and his determination has really helped me with the whole thing.”

Will performed very well at both Zauner and Aguiar’s combines and was invited for a tryout with the Chicago Bears. He is hedging his NFL bet by also trying to sign with one of the UFL teams. He says he is prepared for the long haul in his efforts to play professional football.

“I’ve spent countless hours practicing, and I'm still learning how to master punting the football,” he said. “I worked with my kicking coach at UNA (Mike King), and I've been working with other kicking instructors across the country including Coach Zauner and Coach Aguiar.”

Will says he will continue to ‘work’ until he achieves his goals. And if I know Will, that’s exactly what he’ll do.

So I expect that one day, perhaps in the ‘not too distant future’ we might just see Will Batson playing for an NFL team, kicking the ‘perfect’ punt.

And why not? It is Will Batson’s Specialist’s Path!

Visit: www.jameswilhoitkickingcoach.com

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