How can Inner-City Schools develop kicking games?

[TraderB]

For the vast majority of top Inner-City football teams, the playoffs usually result in early (albeit, avoidable) exits. While they usually have the talent & team chemistry with which to compete and defeat other Championship-caliber opponents, the Inner-City teams almost-always lose very close ballgames, due to the lack of a kicking game!

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Once these Inner-City teams get into the opponents Red Zone, for instance, it's either TD or bust. Once they do manage to score a TD, it's then routinely a 2-pt-conversion attempt or bust...

 

This year was no different!

 

Memphis Melrose, Fairley, East, Manassas, Sheffield and many, many others...(take your pick) are routine examples!

 

The "lack of a kicking game" is a HUGE problem that has plagued Inner-City teams for years, if not decades. I mean -- who knows how many additional playoff wins and/or Championships that these squads may have missed out on, as a result...too many to count, no doubt!

 

One can only assume that these Inner-City Coaches are fully aware of this serious problem but, for whatever reason(s), have not been able to find a solution. Therefore, it seems logical to conclude that there MUST be more to this problem than meets the eye.

 

This whole situation is very, very baffling!

 

It's my humble opinion that...until these Inner-City teams develop kicking games, it's highly unlikely (not completely impossible) that they will EVER win another State Championship!

 

 

 

Questions for anyone:

----------------------------------------------------------

 

1) Why do Inner-City football teams, in particular, never seem to have "kicking" games (extra points & FGs, mainly)?

 

2) What exactly is the problem? What's REALLY going on, here!!!????

 

3) What steps do they need to take, to develop kicking games?

 

4) Are you aware of any success stories (fixing the problem), involving ANY Inner-City Schools...in ANY State?

[thorough97]

How many of the schools that you mentioned have soccer programs? In Chattanooga, the three schools that would meet your criteria as Inner-City (Howard, Brainerd, and Tyner), none of them have soccer as a sport at their school. Without that, the basic fundamentals of kicking aren't there and the coaches that are at those schools probably don't have knowledge, exposure, or understanding of those fundamentals to properly teach that. I'm not saying that that is the total answer, but maybe it scratches the surface of why.

[TraderB]

How many of the schools that you mentioned have soccer programs? In Chattanooga, the three schools that would meet your criteria as Inner-City (Howard, Brainerd, and Tyner), none of them have soccer as a sport at their school. Without that, the basic fundamentals of kicking aren't there and the coaches that are at those schools probably don't have knowledge, exposure, or understanding of those fundamentals to properly teach that. I'm not saying that that is the total answer, but maybe it scratches the surface of why.

 

 

My guess is NONE, although I am not sure.

[Spartansfan]

For the vast majority of top Inner-City football teams, the playoffs usually result in early (albeit, avoidable) exits. While they usually have the talent & team chemistry with which to compete and defeat other Championship-caliber opponents, the Inner-City teams almost-always lose very close ballgames, due to the lack of a kicking game!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Once these Inner-City teams get into the opponents Red Zone, for instance, it's either TD or bust. Once they do manage to score a TD, it's then routinely a 2-pt-conversion attempt or bust...

 

This year was no different!

 

Memphis Melrose, Fairley, East, Manassas, Sheffield and many, many others...(take your pick) are routine examples!

 

The "lack of a kicking game" is a HUGE problem that has plagued Inner-City teams for years, if not decades. I mean -- who knows how many additional playoff wins and/or Championships that these squads may have missed out on, as a result...too many to count, no doubt!

 

One can only assume that these Inner-City Coaches are fully aware of this serious problem but, for whatever reason(s), have not been able to find a solution. Therefore, it seems logical to conclude that there MUST be more to this problem than meets the eye.

 

This whole situation is very, very baffling!

 

It's my humble opinion that...until these Inner-City teams develop kicking games, it's highly unlikely (not completely impossible) that they will EVER win another State Championship!

 

 

 

Questions for anyone:

----------------------------------------------------------

 

1) Why do Inner-City football teams, in particular, never seem to have "kicking" games (extra points & FGs, mainly)?

 

2) What exactly is the problem? What's REALLY going on, here!!!????

 

3) What steps do they need to take, to develop kicking games?

 

4) Are you aware of any success stories (fixing the problem), involving ANY Inner-City Schools...in ANY State?

 

 

Hi TraderB....I've been puzzled by this same problem also. Seems to me that the problem is an easy fix IF the coaching staff decides it's important to them. One easy way to fix it is to make friends with the soccer coach. I don't know how some of these schools you listed are situated for soccer teams. But usually you can find a strong leg with knowledge of how to kick a ball in a given direction. Then during the off-season, they practice kicking a football. At WS we had a soccer player for one year. The next season was just a player that wanted to kick for us. He received some coaching from someone that had experience kicking in college. Then he practiced. This year we have 2 kickers. again, coaching and practice.

 

The really strange part of this issue is that for extra point conversions, it doesn't take THAT good of a kicker because you don't need much distance. You just need consistency. That should be pretty easy to develop. The harder part is field goals. Distance, aiming needs to be better, etc

 

The last part of this kicking puzzle is they need a holder. Preferrable one guy that stays with the kicker. Timing is huge, ball placement and lean is huge. If the holder can't be consistent, the kicker will probably lack reliability.

[TraderB]

How many of the schools that you mentioned have soccer programs? In Chattanooga, the three schools that would meet your criteria as Inner-City (Howard, Brainerd, and Tyner), none of them have soccer as a sport at their school. Without that, the basic fundamentals of kicking aren't there and the coaches that are at those schools probably don't have knowledge, exposure, or understanding of those fundamentals to properly teach that. I'm not saying that that is the total answer, but maybe it scratches the surface of why.

 

Do those 3 Chattanooga Inner-City teams have kicking games (the implication seems to be no) ?

[TraderB]

Hi TraderB....I've been puzzled by this same problem also. Seems to me that the problem is an easy fix IF the coaching staff decides it's important to them. One easy way to fix it is to make friends with the soccer coach. I don't know how some of these schools you listed are situated for soccer teams. But usually you can find a strong leg with knowledge of how to kick a ball in a given direction. Then during the off-season, they practice kicking a football. At WS we had a soccer player for one year. The next season was just a player that wanted to kick for us. He received some coaching from someone that had experience kicking in college. Then he practiced. This year we have 2 kickers. again, coaching and practice.

 

The really strange part of this issue is that for extra point conversions, it doesn't take THAT good of a kicker because you don't need much distance. You just need consistency. That should be pretty easy to develop. The harder part is field goals. Distance, aiming needs to be better, etc

 

The last part of this kicking puzzle is they need a holder. Preferrable one guy that stays with the kicker. Timing is huge, ball placement and lean is huge. If the holder can't be consistent, the kicker will probably lack reliability.

 

Interesting...

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One would think that--take Melrose, for instance.... If there is ANY Inner-City School team in the whole State whereby the Coachinig staff would deem the "kicking game" important...it would be Melrose! Yet, they still lack the ability to kick extra points!

[Spartansfan]

Interesting...

-------------------------------

 

One would think that--take Melrose, for instance.... If there is ANY Inner-City School team in the whole State whereby the Coachinig staff would deem the "kicking game" important...it would be Melrose! Yet, they still lack the ability to kick extra points!

 

 

I'd be willing to bet that my son could team up with a QB for the holder, and in a month or two have enough time to develop a consistent kicking game that would at least get the extra point issue solved. This has to be a problem the coaching staff just doesn't see as a high priority. Yet I can't imagine how after the losses they've had and most can be attributed to the lack of an extra point.

[hvillefootball]

Most of the teams with a strong kicking game get them directly from the soccer team. If soccer doesn't exist at these schools, it can still be coached. Most coaches would rather coach the other basics of the game rather that teach a player how to kick from scratch, no matter how much it might benefit them. I must say, I've never heard of a team not being able to kick an extra point since middle school. We have played the Metro Nashville teams for a while, and they can kick extra points at least, so I don't think this is really a statewide inner city problem.

[Southeast21]

For the vast majority of top Inner-City football teams, the playoffs usually result in early (albeit, avoidable) exits. While they usually have the talent & team chemistry with which to compete and defeat other Championship-caliber opponents, the Inner-City teams almost-always lose very close ballgames, due to the lack of a kicking game!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Once these Inner-City teams get into the opponents Red Zone, for instance, it's either TD or bust. Once they do manage to score a TD, it's then routinely a 2-pt-conversion attempt or bust...

 

This year was no different!

 

Memphis Melrose, Fairley, East, Manassas, Sheffield and many, many others...(take your pick) are routine examples!

 

The "lack of a kicking game" is a HUGE problem that has plagued Inner-City teams for years, if not decades. I mean -- who knows how many additional playoff wins and/or Championships that these squads may have missed out on, as a result...too many to count, no doubt!

 

One can only assume that these Inner-City Coaches are fully aware of this serious problem but, for whatever reason(s), have not been able to find a solution. Therefore, it seems logical to conclude that there MUST be more to this problem than meets the eye.

 

This whole situation is very, very baffling!

 

It's my humble opinion that...until these Inner-City teams develop kicking games, it's highly unlikely (not completely impossible) that they will EVER win another State Championship!

 

 

 

Questions for anyone:

----------------------------------------------------------

 

1) Why do Inner-City football teams, in particular, never seem to have "kicking" games (extra points & FGs, mainly)?

 

2) What exactly is the problem? What's REALLY going on, here!!!????

 

3) What steps do they need to take, to develop kicking games?

 

4) Are you aware of any success stories (fixing the problem), involving ANY Inner-City Schools...in ANY State?

 

IN NO WAY IS THIS RACIST(because im black myself)

Well we all know most inner city schools are predominantly black.

And to say the least its kind of hard to get many athletic african american kids to play kicker( well atleast from my opinion, everytime i see a black kicker for an inner city team, the kicker always happens to HATE being kicker)

[TraderB]

I'd be willing to bet that my son could team up with a QB for the holder, and in a month or two have enough time to develop a consistent kicking game that would at least get the extra point issue solved. This has to be a problem the coaching staff just doesn't see as a high priority. Yet I can't imagine how after the losses they've had and most can be attributed to the lack of an extra point.

 

That seems both logical and reasonable.

 

I tell you what, Spartansfan -- somebody in these Inner-City Schools' Athletic departments need to take a stand. They need to DEMAND that their football coaching staff set some kind of objective to, at least, establish a consistent extra-point kicking game.

 

It needs to start with a S.M.A.R.T Goal: Specific. Measureable. Attainable. Realistic. Timely.

 

Somebody NEEDS to be held accountable!

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I suspect that with focus, committment and perserverance (to say the very least)....these teams could realistically develop the XP kicking game, by 2009.

[Spartansfan]

That seems both logical and reasonable.

 

I tell you what, Spartansfan -- somebody in these Inner-City Schools' Athletic departments need to take a stand. They need to DEMAND that their football coaching staff set some kind of objective to, at least, establish a consistent extra-point kicking game.

 

It needs to start with a S.M.A.R.T Goal: Specific. Measureable. Attainable. Realistic. Timely.

 

Somebody NEEDS to be held accountable!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I suspect that with focus, committment and perserverance (to say the very least)....these teams could realistically develop the XP kicking game, by 2009.

 

 

I have no doubt that they could have a reliable kicking game in place for next season if they'd get it started this coming summer during workouts. It simply isn't that hard for the kicker due to the short distance of the kick. The hardest part would be to develop the timing and consistency with the holder. They have to train and work as a team. Feild goals are a different story due to increased distance requiring stronger and more accurate kicks. I just can't imagine a coach that's good enough to get his team to the playoffs can't see the importance of establishing this phase of the game. And with the following Melrose has (and Fairley too) I can't understand why the parents haven't held the coaches accountable.

[Wave80]

That seems both logical and reasonable.

 

I tell you what, Spartansfan -- somebody in these Inner-City Schools' Athletic departments need to take a stand. They need to DEMAND that their football coaching staff set some kind of objective to, at least, establish a consistent extra-point kicking game.

 

It needs to start with a S.M.A.R.T Goal: Specific. Measureable. Attainable. Realistic. Timely.

 

Somebody NEEDS to be held accountable!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I suspect that with focus, committment and perserverance (to say the very least)....these teams could realistically develop the XP kicking game, by 2009.

 

SMART oh my gosh you must be in healthcare! You are correct.

also, there are clinics that coaches can go to and clinics for kickers. Somebody has to sell a young man on it, especially if there isn't a soccer program. It's almost impossible to find square-toe kicking shoes these days. It is a big time commitment.