We limit the size of our camps to 24 kickers to ensure that everyone gets some personalized instruction from Coach Farley.  At our first camp in Minnesota (Plymouth, MN), we had a small group of just six kicker/punters. Having a small camp like this is like having a 3-hour private lesson and is super effective in figuring out the challenges that each kicker faces, and providing the tools to overcome them.

And, once again, Mike Farley’s Kickers Camp “dodges a bullet” from inclement weather, by finishing the day just an hour before heavy rains set in.  Most often, getting an early start on the day means that we will find a way to get great instruction, rain or shine.

Wayzata High School is one of Minnesota’s largest high schools with tremendous facilities. It was great to be out in the varsity stadium to kick and punt. Like all of our camps, we work some pretty basic drills, but with a focused purpose to each drill to begin to isolate what mistakes might be plaguing each kicker. With a group of six, we got plenty of kicks in.

Later, we worked on traditional punting, as well as rugby-style punting — which we’ve found often is a better choice for high school players — to better control the direction of the punt. In high school football, netting 30 yards per punt is a “win”. In college, 35+ and in the pros, 40+. That’s about as simple as it gets.  Far too many kickers and punter worry about the wrong stats. It’s not hangtime and distance, it’s how well do you manage your team’s field position.

Like so many other lessons from Coach Farley, gaining confidence in your skills is crucial and he has a way of bringing that out of each and every kicker and punter.