Question for soccer players/coaches

[warningtrackpower]

On SVC Sports Talk (podcast show for SVCsportszone.com) we have been talking about the kicking game in football. If you are unaware of the podcast, you can listen for free by clicking the link below...

http://www.dbkmediaservices.com/wordpre ... talk090312

The topic recently has talked about soccer players being used as kickers. We are trying to get the opinion of a soccer player or coach on how easy the transition is in terms of kicking a soccer ball to kicking a football. Some say it is easy, where others say it is really different.

[Tower]

Good question. I am seeing more teams utilizing soccer players in the kicking game. Minford used the Hackworth kid few years back and did excellent job. Northwest used one last year and did very well, but was told he did not punt well. NW using soccer player again this year in kicking game. My son is planning on doing both at HS level. Also, have a nephew in Maryland that gave up soccer in high school to concentrate on kicking football and now is receiving athletic scholarship for college. Good opportunity to get good college education. Would have loved it if LSU kept female soccer player on team. she was hitting 40yarders pretty consistently. Be very interesting if LSU loses a close game due to missed field goal.

[Buckeye24]

Zach Dials is a junior at West and decided to kick for the football team this year. I don't think he's missed an extra point or field goal so far, so I would say he's making the transition well.

[4thgoal]

As a soccer coach and former soccer player, punting a football is way different than punting a soccer ball, but place kicking isn't really that much different. The level of concentration required to place kick a football is much higher though. That is why you see some soccer players trying to kick for a football team and they typically have enough 'leg' to get longer distances, but the accuracy sometimes is not there. Also, kicking PATs and field goals requires a lot of timing to get the kick off quickly as well as up in the air high enough to avoid being blocked.

[FlatBack4REAL]

I think a soccer player can make the transition quite easily, as long as they can "ping" a soccer ball. A ping is a type of kick where you strike the ball on the bottom half, lofting it at a 45 degree angle, with perfect back spin , and no tail to the left or right. Players who have mastered this can ping the ball 50-60 yards easily. From my own experience (messing around) and other soccer players I've seen kicking at a competitive level, a football can be kicked in this same manner with a similar result. A 35 yard field goal, with a little practice, becomes reachable goal (at HS level). Just my opinion.

[warningtrackpower]

I appreciate the feedback. We talked more about this on this week's SVC Sports Talk (podcast for SVCsportszone.com). Here is a link...just click, hit play arrow, and listen or free...

http://www.dbkmediaservices.com/wordpre ... talk091012