Coach Zauner's PRO Development Camps
Provide Small Group Instruction
For College & Free Agent Kicking Specialists
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Coach Zauner Instructs January Campers
Phoenix, AZ |
Coach Zauner, LLC originates with One on One Kicking, Punting & Snapping Lessons... As a kicking coach consultant in 2008 I started Coach Zauner, LLC and at that point in time I was only giving One on One Lessons. My goal was to expose as many college seniors, free agents, and PRO specialists to Coach Zauner's coaching philosophy of teaching 'A Natural Style of Kicking and Punting'.
I was anticipating that the coaching and teaching philosophy which was proven to be successful early in my career as a kicking coach consultant and later as an 11 year college and 13 year NFL Special Teams Coordinator with the Vikings, Ravens and Cardinals would continue to help me with these young aspiring kicking, punting and snapping specialists.
As a side note: To date I have coached, consulted or been associated with 20 PRO Bowl specialists throughout my consulting and coaching career. However, most young high school and underclass college kicking specialists coming through these massive kicking camps, talent search, placement and showcase competition camps knew nothing about Coach Zauner.
First, I googled and checked for kicking camps and kicking coaches, the lists went on. Kicking coaches appeared to be everywhere. Names of kicking camps and coaches all around the country and names I had never heard of. Right or wrong many of these kicking coaches were still coaching specialists from the old school manual or coaching them they same way they were coached growing up.
I decided during my retirement years that I wanted to give back to kicking and the game of football that had given me so much enjoyment, satisfaction and memories. I wanted more specialists to at least get exposed to Coach Zauner's 'Natural Style of Kicking and Punting' and find out if it would work for them.
A coaching and teaching philosophy that had worked for me throughout my consulting and coaching career with many high school, college and NFL specialist. I now wanted as many younger specialists to also have an opportunity to take their kicking games to the next level and achieve their dream or goal to play professional football.
Idea For College Senior and Free Agent Specialist's Combines
In 2008 while attending the NFL Combine, I went to the NFL Special Teams Coaches Dinner to honor the Special Teams Super Bowl Coach of the year. At this dinner which is paid for by the Coach of the year, all the Special Teams Coordinators and their assistant coaches talk about who's attending free agent kicking combines in the spring and who's going where.
New Orleans Saints Special Teams Coordinator, Joe Marciano one of the senior special teams coaches running the meeting turned around and asked me why I wouldn't organize and run a Combine. He said you know exactly what we want and look for. I figured with their endorsement and backing I had the opporuntity to be successful. After consulting with my wife Michelle we decided to move forward with our game plan.
Next, upon request from a group of NFL Special Teams Coaches I started my College Senior and Free Agent Specialist's Combines 'A Field of Dreams' to not only help professional coaches discover free agent talent but also give deserving specialists exposure to NFL, CFL, UFL Special Teams Coaches and Pro Personnel Directors.
The success of the Coach Zauner's First Free Agent Specialist's Combine was contributed to networking, contacts and good talent. In 2009 41 specialists qualified and 17 signed NFL and CFL contracts. Billy Cundiff a free agent at the time, pretty much rebooted his career in front of 26 NFL teams. Billy is now with the Baltimore Ravens and earned 2011 PRO Bowler honors. Billy's agent Paul Sheehy was the man responsiable for getting Billy to attend this combine.
Success breeds more success! Some of the specialists that were taking One on One Kicking, Punting and Snapping Lessons and performing well at Combines were also signing NFL, CFL and UFL contracts. The word was spreading amongst kicking specialists and agents. Each year the number of specialists trying to qualify for Combines increased. Despite the increasing number of specialist trying to qualify the key was for Coach Zauner, LLC to keep the high standard of 'QUALITY' participants showcasing their talent to attending NFL, CFL and UFL Coaches and Scouts.
Why? PRO Development Kicking Camps:
Drew Butler (U. of Georgia) wins Ray Guy Award and Rob Maver (U. of Guelph / Calgary Stampeders) becomes a First Round Pick in Canadian Draft. Both took One on One Lessons and attended Coach Zauner's first and trial PRO Development Camps at Macalster College in 2010. Snapper, Morgan Cox (U. of Tennessee / Baltimore Ravens) and Kicker, Nick Novak (U. of Maryland / NFL Veteran Kicker) were also in attendance. The word was spreading down throughout the college and into the high school ranks. Thank goodness for Google and Facebook.
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| Morgan Cox Snaps To Drew Butler |
As request grew from underclass college and now high school specialists for One on One Kicking, Punting and Snapping Lessons I needed another avenue to satisfy the growing requests from top college and free agent specialists to get their One on One Lessons. More and more kicking specialists wanted coaching instruction from Coach Zauner. However, some families could not afford One on One Lessons while other specialists, families or agents could afford One on One Lessons.
So, Coach Zauner, LLC moved forward from a 2010 trial to a series of 2011 PRO Development Kicking Camps. Keeping true to the idea of quality instruction versus quantity of campers in mind during each kicking camp.
These PRO Development Kicking Camps now provide college and free agent specialists Coach Zauner style One on One type instruction within a small group camp environment at a more affordable fee. The three (3) day weekend camps at $575.00 also include hotel accommadation and meals. These PRO Development Camps are conducted in two locations -Phoenix, AZ and Milwaukee, WI- and various times -January, May and July- for specific reasons.
Since 2007 the bottom line of Coach Zauner, LLC is for One on One Kicking, Punting and Snapping Lessons, PRO Development Kicking Camps, College Senior and Free Agent Speciaist's Combines to provide kicking, punting and snapping specialists at all levels 'A Specialist's Path To PRO Football'.
And it appears to be working!
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| Coach Zauner Provides All Instructions For PRO Development Camps |
January's two PRO Development Camps prepare specialists for spring football, Indoor Arena tryouts, NFL Combine, Senior College PRO Day workouts and Coach Zauner's College Senior and Free Agent Specialist's Combines held in February and March.
January Camps in Phoenix, AZ:
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Fabrizio Scaccia (No College) Prepares For Training Camp
Signed with S.F. 49ers |
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Reid Forrest (Washington State) Prepares For NFL Combine
Signed with Buffalo Bills |
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John Gold (U. of Texas) Prepars for College Senior Combine
Signed with Seattle Seahawks |
Coach Zauner's PRO Development Camps were started for two reasons. My, first goal was to give specialists a chance to work with me that could not afford One on One Lessons. The second goal, was to design a limited small group camp that would still offer a specialists a lot of individual Coach Zauner coaching or a One on One coaching atmosphere, while also providing competition.
This year, I decided to divide the punters and snappers into one camp with kickers and kickoff specialists in another in order to reinforce this concept. Also, by keeping the number of kicking specialists limited, it helps young men coming through to develop new friendships and measure the competition if they are pursuing ‘A Specialist’s Path To PRO Football’.
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| Neil Rackers (Houston Texans) Demonstrates Field Goal Technique |
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Nathan Whitaker (Stanford University) Prepares for Tryouts
Signed By Minnesota Vikings |
May and July PRO Development Football Kicking Camps are designed for College Specialists preparing for the upcoming season and for Free Agent Kicking Specialists to prepare for PRO workouts and/or training camps.
The first of the two camps held July 15-17 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at Wisconsin Lutheran College were designed for snappers and punters.
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| Brandon Hartson (U. of Houston) Testing on Sunday |
During the weekend, I introduced new drills to kicking specialists to improve techniques and emphasize a natural style of punting while the snappers work to improve speed, accuracy and consistency. In addition, there is also a pooch punt or '
Aussie Drop Punt' contest, long punt contest, and a final competition that introduce the specialists to the testing format of the
College Senior and Free Agent Specialist's Combines.
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| Coach Zauner Teaches Aussie Drop Punt Technique |
The kickers PRO Development Camp was held on July 22-24. Kickers were charted on each of
their kicks throughout the weekend to see where improvement needs to be made while also learning proper technique for kickoffs and onside kicks.
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Matt Hogan (U. of Houston) Holds
For Thomas Lynch (St. Xavier) |
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| Mike Salerno, Matt Hogan, Lirim Hajrullahu & Will Snyderwind |
Stay Tuned for More of Coach Zauner's Blog!
In addition to Westbrooks, Buffalo junior place kicker Sergio Castillo, Jr., and senior offensive lineman Manase Foketi were named to the first team. The Buffs had the most first team selections with three and were one of five teams with three selections total between the two teams....
