PRIVATE TRAINING

Kicker and Punter Training

Skill-building must be challenging but not impossible to achieve. Coach Filipovic has been kicking and coaching kickers for 30 years. He has an ability to recognize kickers’ tendencies and accelerate their learning.

Private Training

Chicago, IL

Coach Filipovic is a retired NFL kicker and a professional kicking coach to NFL kickers, college athletes, high school athletes, and beginners. Key to any kicker’s greatness is focused practice on the edge of their abilities. Skill-building must be challenging but not impossible to achieve. Coach Filipovic has been kicking and coaching kickers for 30 years. He has an ability to recognize kickers’ tendencies and accelerate their learning.

Chicago One-on-one Training Options

Chicago One-on-one

Training Options

1 Hour Session – Cost: $150

1.5 Hour Session – Cost: $210

2 Hour Session – Cost: $270

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General Availability:

• December, January, February, March: Outdoors in Winnetka on weekends on mild weather days. Indoors on Monday through Friday prior to 2PM in Chicago.

• April, May: Outdoors in Winnetka on weekdays prior to 3PM and evenings after 6PM. There is also Sunday availability in morning and evening.

• June, July, August: Outdoor training in Winnetka on weekdays at pretty much any time. Very little weekend availability due to kicking camps.

• September, October, November: In-season training is limited to Sundays in Winnetka. Weekday training is also available in the evenings, and mornings for athletes with flexible school schedules.

Email or text about availability of a desired date.

Payment is due on the day of the session with check, cash, Venmo, Paypal, or Zelle. Please show up to training session 10 – 15 minutes early, put cleats on, warm up on your own lightly, be ready to go when our time slot starts.

Training sessions are tailored to the athlete’s skill level. They include:

Technique corrections

Training advice

Video breakdown of kicking skills

Demonstrations

Drill repetition

Homework training assignments.

Training Locations:

Skokie Playfields

540 Hibbard Rd.

Winnetka, IL 60093

New Trier High School

385 Winnetka Ave.

Winnetka, IL

Chicago Fire Pitch Dome

*Indoor training sessions during winter

3626 N Talman Ave.

Chicago, IL 60618

College Kicker and Punter Training

Are you a college kicker looking to dominate in college?

Are you a college coach looking for advantage in kicking game?

The Kicking Coach provides individualized NFL-level training and skill development for college kickers and punters.

Coach Filipovic trains kickers in Chicago and on college campuses.

The Kicking Coach training for college specialists includes:

1. NFL-level skill adjustments

2. Execution of game strategy kicks

3. All-year around kicking schedule

4. Assistance with strength training programing

5. Preparation of NFL prospects for combine and tryouts

6. Sport psychology/mindset training

College kickers improve quickly when they know how to kick and train. They know how to coach themselves and are more self-aware than high school kickers. What they need is a direction with off-season and help with integrating kicking into their football and life responsibilities.

NFL-Level Kicking Technique Adjustments

When it comes to technique improvements, we are the best. Most kicking coaches echo coaching tips that they heard elsewhere, or reflect back on their own kicking days, and try to apply same kicking cues to most kickers without really understanding how body movements originate and correlate. We go much deeper than that.

For example, when someone crunches their upper body on field goals at contact with the ball, we don’t just say “stay tall” or “don’t crunch”. That is fixing a symptom, not a root cause. We look at the step pattern, swing path, and strength of the athlete. Their steps being curved, their swing being too upwards, or their core being weak would all cause the crunch at contact. Asking them stay tall will not fix the problem. It would make them kick worse because in addition to undiagnosed problem, now they are also trying to stay tall. We identify the limiting factors and instruct kickers on how to make adjustments that bring results.

Execution of Game Strategy Kicks

College kickers and punters are asked to execute various kicks in games – directional kicks, rushed kicks, roll out punts, pop up kickoffs, inside the 20 punts, kicks and punts in various wind conditions, etc. We teach them how to execute those kicks efficiently.

All-Year Around Kicking Schedule

Kicking at your best in the fall requires planning how much to kick all year around with the goal of maximizing training reps without sacrificing quality.

Not kicking enough, or not having high quality kicking workouts during the off-season, will slow down or stop your improvement.

Periodization of your kicking workouts resembles a sample schedule below:

• End of season time off from kicking

• Building up volume. Consistency not as important. Get foot on the ball. Kick straight-ish.

• Work on weaknesses. Start playing around with adjustments.

• Work on game specific kicks. Directional punts, kickoffs. Field goals with snap and hold.

• Start scaling back on repetitions in preparation for the season.

• In-season weekly schedule.

The amount of time spent in each period is subjective to what a kicker needs.

Assistance with Strength Training

We are not looking to replace your college strength coach. We simply talk to kickers about what they are doing and when they are doing it. Then we suggest tweaks as far as timing and volume. Weight room and running work are means to an end…that end being the best possible kicking performance on the field. If your training is making you a better kicker, keep going. If you are spending significant time and energy on training, and your kicking is same or worse, adjustments are needed.

Preparation of NFL Prospects

College specialists should know what NFL coaches are looking for as early as possible in their college career. There is a difference between being “good” in college versus being dominant in college while generating NFL interest. We teach skills that are used in the NFL. We teach how to bring professional mindset to training. We prepare athletes for what they will encounter at combines, pro-days, mini-camps, and NFL roster competitions.

College and pro kickers utilize similar skills to get the job done on the field. But the environment and expectations of NFL is significantly different from college.

Sport Psychology/Mindset Training

You have heard people say, “kicking is all mental”. That is somewhat true. Once you get the actual physical skills down, then yes…the difference between you and kicker with similar skill set is mental. Being better prepared mentally gives you an advantage in competitions where statistical difference between kickers is very small.

Missing a game deciding kick, also referred to as “choking”, is what pops up in people’s minds when we are talking about mental toughness and kicking. But mindset training is so much more than preparing yourself for a game-deciding kick. Mindset training includes routines and strategies that you use before and during practices that increase your percentage of good days and decrease number of your bad days. Once your good practice days outnumber your bad practice days, you will have confidence to make stressful kicks, perform at important tryouts, and beat other kickers with similar skill sets.

You become mentally tough by:

• Knowing what to focus on before kicks

• Developing routine that promotes good days

• Having a thought strategy for after kicks in practice and games

• Knowing what thoughts are distracting and how to move past them

• Recognizing uncontrollables and learning how to ignore them

• Learning to control your breath and your eyes to focus yourself

If you talk to successful NFL kickers, you quickly realize that there are patterns and common mindsets that top performers share. All you have to do is do what works for the best and avoid habits that are shared by the rest.

Training Cost:

• In Chicago: $150/1-hour session, $270/2-hour session

• On your College Campus: $250/football practice + travel cost

505 Ridge Rd.

Kenilworth, IL 60043

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