Northern Virginia/DC Regional Recap

Washington, D.C. Regional Event

Centreville High School

June 26, 2009

Partly Cloudy / 90 Degrees / 10 mph Wind

Field Surface: Grass

The nation’s capital proved to be the perfect backdrop for a high pressure situation as more than twenty kickers gathered for the Washington, D.C. National Kicking Combine Regional Event. Special Teams Solutions, with the assistance of former VA Tech kicker Matt Felber and Salisbury State University all conference kicker Tommy Kowalick, hosted the event at Centreville, VA High School.

Class of 2010 kicker James Devens from Vienna, VA (James Madison HS) proved to be the leading candidate after connecting on 10 of 10 on field goals off the ground with a long of 52 yards! Just short of the top 2010 field goal nomination were Ian Durham of Wilmington, NC (Hoggard HS) who hit 8 of 10 field goals (long of 44) off the ground and Matt Cass of Hampton, VA (Hampton HS) who also split the pipes 8 of 10 times (long of 47) off a 1” tee. On kickoffs, Eric Smith of Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Pinecrest School ‘10) got great lift on the ball by averaging 3.8 hang and 55 yards a kick from a 1” tee. Devins also showed he is a capable kickoff weapon by averaging nearly 3.5 hang and 58 yards a kick from a 1” tee. The top 2010 punters included Devins who posted 42 yards and 3.7 seconds hang time a punt and John Macomber of Vienna, VA (Georgetown Prep) who averaged 36 yards and 4.1 seconds hang time per punt.

The leading nominees among the underclassmen kickers were Jacob Gibson of Reisterstown, MD (Franklin HS ‘11) and Kyle Lawrence of Hampton, VA (Kecoughtan HS’11) who both went 9 of 10 with a long of 47 off the ground and a 1” block respectively. Michael Branthover of Dayton, MD (DeMatha HS ’11) confirmed he was the best punter of the day after posting a 40 yard and 3.9 seconds hang time punting average. He also showed good pop on kickoffs by hitting several into the end zone with more than 3.6 seconds of hang time. Among the class of 2012, Eric Enderson of Hampton, VA (Phoebus HS) and Jared Rondeau of Clifton, VA (Centreville HS) both connected on 9 of 10 field goals with a long of 42 yards. Colby Cooke of Sandy Hook, VA (Goochland HS) displayed the best leg overall on kickoffs with a long of 55 yards and 3.5 seconds hang time.

Lee McDonald, Special Teams Solutions

lee@specialteamssolutions.com

732-406-6409

Raleigh Regional Combine Recap

Raleigh, NC Regional Event

Ravenscroft School

June 19, 2009

Mostly Sunny / 95 Degrees / 5 mph Wind

Field Surface: Grass

A small but talented group of specialist gathered at the Ravenscroft School

Stadium field in Raleigh, NC on June 19th. Special Teams Solutions, with the help of local division one college player Corey Tedder (NC State Long-Snapper), ran the event. As temperatures approached the mid 90’s, the competition on the field heated up as well.

Brady Harrington ‘10 of Richland (NC) high school showed everyone why he is a

legitimate division one prospect. Harrington struck the ball extremely well and generated great height on his field goals, connecting on 7 of 10 attempts with a long of 52 yards. Harrington’s kickoffs, however, are what ultimately set him apart by averaging nearly 60 yards and 4.1 hang time with a one inch tee. He also finished first in punting with a near 36 yard / 4.3 second hang time average per punt. Robert Schick of Hunt (NC) high school was right there in the mix after hitting 9 of 10 field goals with a long of 47 yards off the ground. The 2009 high school graduate also averaged 59 yards / 3.7 hang time per kickoff. Michael Mugler ’10 of First Colonial (VA) high school also showed tremendous accuracy and consistency by making 9 of 10 field goals with a long of 47

yards from a one inch tee.

Rounding out the combine was a standout class of 2011 long snapping prospect.

Curtis Struyk of West Carteret (NC) high school showed good zip and accuracy on field goal snaps by averaging .48 per short snap. Further, his ability to get the laces out will make him an asset to any college program. The 6’0 220 lbs. Struyk also averaged .82 seconds per long snap from the college distance of 14 yards.

Jacksonville Regional Recap

Jacksonville Regional Event

Julington Creek Plantation Park – Jacksonville, FL. June 18^th, 2009

Sunny – 88 Degrees – Wind 5-10 mph, Surface – Field Turf

Going into the second annual Jacksonville Combine Series Event, we had a variety of new talent. Most of the athletes who participated in this event were from the Jacksonville area and are currently kicking/punting for their high school. Only two kids were from areas like Lake City and Tallahassee Florida. ProForm Kicking Academy coaches Mike Hollis (retired 9 year NFL All-Pro Kicker) and Jim Gaetano conducted this event with hopes that all these kids will do well and advance to the next round.

The young athletes started the competition and set the bar pretty high for the older athletes. Brooks Abbott of Episcopal High School (Jacksonville) began the field goal competition and went 8 for 10. Ponte Vedra High School’s Kyle Federico matched Brook’s field goal attempts while Nathan B. Forrest High School’s kicker/punter Jake Enghlishbee topped them all going 9 for 10! Brooks and Kyle topped the kick-off distances averaging 58.83 and 59.33 yards per kick-off respectfully. Other notables…Kyle Federico averaged 38.30 yards per punt.

The only “Varsity” attendant was Fernandina Beach High School junior kicker/punter Robby Phillips who was 7 for 10 on field goals, while he averaged 58.17 yards on kick-offs. He averaged 36.40 yards per punt.

Topping out the class of 2010 was senior kicker/punter Austin Cannon of Creekside High School who averaged 58.50 yards on kick-offs and 46.00 yards per punt! Chase Varnadore of Florida High School in Tallahassee also performed very well averaging 58.67 yards on kick-offs and 40.46 yards per punt. Local Nease High School senior punter Tim Contic averaged 38.60 yards per punt. Other notables…Colin Tull of Bishop John J. Snyder High School averaged 58.00 yards per kick-off.

Concluding the second annual Combine Series Jacksonville Regional Event was a 2 hour Mini-Camp conducted by ProForm Kicking Academy. This short camp primarily focused on any issues that affected a kicker’s performance during the competition.

Mike Hollis’ ProForm Kicking Academy

Jacksonville, Florida

mike@ProFormKicking.com - (904) 625-5893

College Recruiting Tip #1: NCAA Eligibility

So you want to play sports in college? Whether you’re an All-American, All-State, All-District or just a starter because you were left off those lists by mistake, in order to play at the next level there are mandatory procedures.

The NCAA considers a Prospective Student-Athlete as “someone who is looking to participate in intercollegiate athletics at an NCAA Division I or Division II institution in the future.” To play in college ALL Prospective Student-Athletes must sign up with the NCAA Eligibility Center.

As of August 1, 2008, NCAA Division I will require 16 core courses. Division II requires 14 core courses, but will increase to 16 core courses beginning August 1, 2013. View the NCAA Freshman Eligibility Standards Quick Reference Sheet for more information on these requirements.

This important step allows for college coaches to verify that you are eligible and provides them academic information on the student-athlete. You are encouraged to submit transcripts and test scores (SAT/ACT) for their review. You will be assigned a pin number that they can use to confirm this information.

Just like there are rules to follow in games, the NCAA is all about rules and guidelines to better serve student-athletes and their parents.

Once you have registered, it is time to let them know that you are out there. The internet is a great way to create exposure. Creating an online interactive video profile is a solid way to make that all important introduction to college coaches.

If you haven’t registered with the eligibility center, do so ASAP.

A Playbook for the Rest of Your Life

Through my experience playing in the NFL and being a union
representative for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I saw first-hand what
happens to athletes when their playing days come to an end and they
haven't prepared for their second career. A very small percentage of
athletes make it to the pros. Of those who do, a smaller percentage
play long enough to retire comfortably for the rest of their lives.

In the NFL alone, the average career is only 3.5 years. You don't qualify
to become an unrestricted free agent (where the big contracts are
usually signed) until you have played four years.

There are a lot of sad stories about pro athletes who didn't prepare themselves
enough for life after their sports career is over. Don't let that
happen to you. It is a long shot to play professional sports. However,
going to college, playing the sport you love and getting a great
education will provide you with an incredible experience that will carry
you through the rest of your life.

No matter what sport you play, your coach develops plays that you use to help the team win. Most
teams have a playbook. Being a student-athlete and trying to have a
game plan for college requires its own "playbook." The NCAA has done a
great job trying to take the burden off of athletes and parents by
creating a game plan to follow. The process to get into college can be
overwhelming. However, using the Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete is a very smart thing to do.

Have you gone to NCAAStudent.org site? It is a really cool interactive site.
It is essentially a playbook with information about being an NCAA
student-athlete.

The site itself was designed to look like a playbook. It is a three-ring binder that "is dedicated to helping you
understand the balance between academics and sports required of every student-athlete for a successful life in school, and out. Here you can learn about the NCAA, download the Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete, and discover how you can go pro in something other than sports."

When you go to the site, the first words that you read are: There are over
380,000 student-athletes, and just about every one of them will go pro
in something other than sports.

I really enjoy the emphasis that the NCAA has put on "going pro" in something other than sports. The
inside folder pocket has an envelope with pictures that open to the
television commercials they have played.

I certainly was not aware of the Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete
when I was in high school and there wasn't an interactive website for
me to review. The site and its design effectively simplify the
information.

This playbook discusses:

• Amateurism-Eligibility Requirements
• Academic-Eligibility Requirements
• Core Course, GPA, Tests, Special Conditions
• NCAA Eligibility Center
• Questions to Ask as You Consider Colleges
• Information for Parents and Guardians
• Details for High School Counselors and Athletic Administrators
• Recruiting Regulations

The media gives a lot of emphasis to professional athletes and thus every
kid wants to grow up to be one. I can tell you personally that although
it is a great experience, it sometimes is not all that it is cracked up
to be.

So check out the site, read it, download the playbook
and follow it. I am confident that if you follow the plays in this
playbook you will be successful.