Eventful Summer

My summer started out very busy and it has been that way ever since. I have had the opportunity to work with some very talented individuals this summer and the first few posts are meant to recap what has happened.

The first weekend of the summer (May 29 - 31) I found myself traveling to Akron to work with three of the most talented kickers in the state of Ohio. I was very excited to have all three of them in the same place at once. The first was Clay Simpkins of Wauseon High School near Toledo, OH. Clay is a special athlete who has already excelled on the world stage in the field of Martial Arts. The second was Carey Spear of Mayfield High School from nearby Akron, OH. Carey is a gifted student carrying a 4.5 GPA and a score of 32 on the ACT. His talent of kicking the football is equally impressive. Third was Drew Basil of Chillicothe High School. Drew is a talented young man and the only one of the three with a verbal commitment to a Division 1 school. Drew has accepted a scholarship offer from Ohio State. He will be attending Ohio State in the Fall of 2010. All three of these young men are heading into their Senior year and all have worked extremely hard to become the best they can be. What a joy it was for me to sit back and see the three of them bond and create a friendship that I hope lasts a long time. Who knows, they may all end up playing against each other in College.

Traveling with me on this trip was a good friend Bill Palmer. Almost everyone I work with knows Palmer. He played Baseball for the Montreal Expos back in the 80's and might be one of the best athletes I have ever met. He really enjoys retrieving footballs for all the kids and getting to know everyone. He is big on mental toughness as am I and Bill really helps drive home how important that aspect is. We then drove to Michigan where I had a mini camp for Clarkston High School and Head Coach Kurt Richardson. My wife and I lived in Michigan from 2001 - 2004 so it is always nice to get back up there and visit some friends from time to time. Actually our oldest daughter Emma Rose was born in Michigan. But, she was born 37 minutes before kickoff of the 2003 Fiesta Bowl when Ohio State defeated Miami for the National Championship. I tell everyone that was to off set the fact that she was actually born in "that state up North". LOL Anyway, that trip was nice and a success. It seemed to set up what has turned out to be my busiest summer yet.

The first five days of June was very enjoyable as I hosted Joe Houston. Joe will be the starting placekicker for the USC Trojans (University of Southern California) this Fall. He came out to work with me due to a huge recommendation from his mentor Kevin Lovell. Kevin and Joe attended the same High School near Los Angeles, played at the same JUCO and then both went to play Division 1 Football. Even though Kevin is three years older, Joe paid close attention to Kevin's every move. When Kevin strongly suggested for Joe to come spend time with me he listened. It paid off for him as he has been able to utilize more of his body into the kick. Joe has stayed in touch all summer and has worked extremely hard to improve all aspects of the kick. It sure will be interesting in September when he and the rest of his team travel to Columbus for the Showdown at "The Shoe"!

As soon as Joe left, Spencer Benton came in. Spencer is the place kicker for the Clemson Tigers. He was red shirted last Fall as a Freshman and is expected to be the starter this Fall. Spencer is a very talented athlete with the potential to be a great offensive weapon for Clemson over the next four years. He was in town four days and kicked exceptionally well. I am expecting big things from him!

The end of May going into the first part of June is always a fun time of the year as College Camps are beginning. We see a lot of young athletes at this time as they are preparing to attend these Camps and hope to become a recruited kicker, punter or snapper. I spent time with several young men around this time such as John Lloyd of CHCA, Drew Basil of Chillicothe HS, Geremie Dart of Clinton Massie HS, Carey Spear of Mayfield HS, Jimmy Turvey of Middletown Fenwick HS, Caleb Noe of Bullet East HS (KY), Nick Dace of Freeport HS (IL), and Caleb Keeton of Waynesville HS. This is just a small number of young men I have had the opportunity to work with.

Keep working hard and in the next post I will cover the Camp Season!

Tim