Special Teams University

Like all great things, there’s got to be a start. Special Teams University has got it’s start in the Midwest with UFL long snapper, Kyle Stelter. With the help of professional and collegiate athletes, Stelter has been refining the skills of long snappers, kickers, and punters at all levels of the sport.

I was lucky enough to get a glimpse of Special Teams University in action. We traveled out to Baldwin, Wisconsin on a warm weathered Sunday morning with remnants of the early morning rain still left on the ground. The athletes began with charting. The process is done so coaches can evaluate players in order to develop their skills. Once players are evaluated, the coaches suggest different techniques for the athletes to work on.

It’s not just camps that Stelter uses to deliver instruction. He also takes video submissions from athletes and gives feedback with advice towards strengthening special teams’ skill sets.

You can view more photos in our photo album on Facebook.

The Paul Allen Project

On my way through the cities today I turned on the FAN to get some info on the latest dealings of our local sports teams and Paul Allen was describing the things that are important to him and his career. He referred to his blog “The Paul Allen Project”. It’s forever bookmarked among the great sites I frequent and you should consider doing the same. Check out his blog via The Paul Allen Project.

Gophers Full of Pride

Hockey is to Minnesota as Soccer is to Brazil. Whenever people from another state find out that I’m from the great midwestern state that boasts of 10,000 lakes, they ask if I played high school hockey. For the record, I didn’t. Nonetheless, hockey is a bloodline of Minnesota sports and it’s with great pride we send our boys to play for Hockey Gold in the most prestigious collegiate tournament on ice. Now I’m not going to pretend I’ve been following the maroon and gold all season, but I will state my patriotism  towards all that is Minnesota. As I cheered for the St. Thomas Women’s Basketball team in the National Championship, I also cheer for the Golden Gophers in the Frozen Four.

Distinguished Sport

I was recently hired to film and edit a video for a student athlete from Orono High School in Minnesota. This young lady had much to show when I came to shoot video on an unusually warm winter afternoon in Richfield, MN. Though the outside elements were beautiful, we were still fortunate to play in a wonderful dome facility. Jordan was the perfect athlete for a video editor because she had many highlights to choose from and therefore left no room for dull and unnecessary footage. I personally enjoyed seeing her ability to pass accurately on the run. She seemed to have exceptional speed and throughout the game she easily ran passed defenders with her long stride. I can’t wait to see which college will benefit from having this smart and talented student athlete play for them. Though I’ve been intrigued by the sport and had an interest to play in college, I had never studied the sport nor knew the incredible history it possesses. My curiosity led me to Google where I was directed to the following information.

Lacrosse: What’s it all about?

The sport originated in North America and can be dated back as early as the 15th century. For those of you who failed math class and you others who need a refresher, that’s about six hundred years. Therefore, it has been dubbed the oldest sport in the United States. If you have back problems, sit down for this next piece of information. Games were played for two to three days beginning at dawn and ending at dusk. I’d imagine a good night sleep followed. They needed the whole day because makeshift goals created with rocks or trees were generally 500 to 800 yards apart and the playing field didn’t have any sidelines! Some goals were known to be several miles apart and games could consist of 1,000 players. There’s more to the sport and you should check it out. If you have any other interesting remarks about the game, please leave a comment below.

It Comes Down to Special Teams

The value of special teams cannot be ignored though we historically scoff. Our eyes were glued to the television. Randy Moss, Chris Carter, and Randall Cunningham were highlights of every sports talk broadcast and the Vikings were destined to go to the Superbowl as predicted early on in the season. The Atlanta Falcons had forced a tight NFC Championship game at the Hubert H. Humphry Metrodome, but the home team had an opportunity to increase their lead with two minutes left in regulation. Gary Anderson was the first NFL kicker to be perfect on all field goals and extra points in the history of the game that year. Deep down, every Minnesota fan knew the Hall of Fame Prospect kicker was automatic from 38 yards and our hearts suspended their beating as the ball was snapped in reverent excitement. Much to our disappointment, the Vikings kicker, “he who shall not be named”, missed his first kick all season and the Atlanta Falcons would score on the ensuing drive to tie the game. To spare you the melodramatic climax of the NFC Championship, the Atlanta Falcons went on to beat the Minnesota Vikings in overtime.

Maybe this is a disjointed memory for you, but every football team has a memory that parallels this one. A missed kick or a botched snap has cost a team the most crucial game in their history. Why is that? Special Teams are special. The ratio of scoring on a special teams play per snap is much higher than the ratio of scoring on a non-special teams play. The football covers more yardage per snap for special teams plays than not. The most recent NFC Championship between the San Francisco Forty Niners and the New York Giants epitomizes the tremendous importance of great special teams play. A muffed punt and a fumble by Forty Niners’ punt returner Kyle Williams created two scoring drives for the NY Giants in the final moments of the game.

Don’t forget that special teams also have their moments of greatness. Without Adam Vinatieri, the Patriots’ Dynasty years would have crumbled to mediocrity much like it did when its franchise QB, Tom Brady, was injured.  *Vinatieri led the NFL in scoring in 2004 with 141 points (31-for-33 on field goals, and a perfect 48-for-48 on points after touchdown or PATs). His best game of the season came against the St. Louis Rams, against whom he scored 16 points (4 field goals, 4 PATs), and threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Troy Brown on a fake field goal attempt. He went on to score a field goal and three extra points in the Patriots 24-21 win over the Eagles in Super Bowl Thirty Nine.

Special Teams U

How can you increase the value and minimize special teams failure for your team? I came across the answer on this website of a local specialist and instructor for special teams. Coach Kyle Stelter at Special Teams University  has worked with all levels of high school and college athletes.  He started Special Teams University after watching many high school and even college teams struggle at specialist positions. Check out his website for more information and don’t forget to schedule a one on one session with him this summer before your football season kicks off (pun intended).