"I started my kicking career with KICKNATION before my senior year of high school. After making the team at UTSA and having a below average first season, Chris inspired me to reach my full potential and showed me how to do that. I then became one of the best kickers in college football and the all-time leading scorer at UTSA. Now, as an NFL free agent, I wouldn't train with anyone else, and I'm glad I had Chris to get me started."
- Sean Ianno - NFL Free Agent, UTSA Grad
"Upon graduation, I only had one offer to a D2 school, which was only offering a partial scholarship.
I did not punt in high school, nor had I ever tried to. I was a receiver and kicker for my high school team, but my college team wanted me to learn. It was after my first year of college, in my process of transferring, that I met Chris. He was instrumental to me in this process. he helped me discover my passion for punting, and opened up a door for me at Texas Tech University, which has enabled me to pursue my dream! I will always be grateful for the training and the time he spent with me, helping me grow and develop into the punter I am today. KICNATION and Coach Chris give that extra edge beyond the game, but get to know you as a person and a player."
- Taylor Symmank - former Record Setting Punter for Texas Tech Red Raiders Class of 2015 / Current Minnesota Viking
"To any mom or dad willing to take a chance,
I was a 4 year letter winner at the United States Naval Academy, and I can say with 100% certainty that wouldn't be the case without Chris and our team at KICKNATION. My kicking journey started on a hot summer day in Houston as a 14 year old kid, and it is still going strong as a 25 year old Naval Officer. Chris has been there for me as a high school junior who thought he was being overlooked, to a senior in college the night before the Army Navy Game who was struggling to turn a punt over. Being part of KICKNATION has been life defining, and any one willing to make the investment will surely reap the benefits of the best coaching in the America."
- Pablo Beltran, United States Naval Academy, '15
"Coming out of high school I was primarily a field goal kicker.
Coach Chris and KICKNATION simplified the fundamentals for me and took my punting and kickoffs to the next level.
I attribute the majority of my success to what KICKNATION and Chris taught and reinforced to me throughout my entire career.
You will not find a kicking coach that works harder for and cares more about the success of his athletes.
Coach Chris and the whole KICKNATION family are truly passionate about what they do, and the resume of their kickers and punters directly reflects that.
I want to thank Chris and the KICKNATION family for their commitment and effort towards my success. I could not have gotten to the level I did without them.
I am now proud to say that since I retired from football, I am on the other side of KICKNATION and part of the team giving back with what I learned along the way and building success in others..."
Matt Fodge
Oklahoma State Punter
2008 Ray Guy Award Winner
"I would like to give a huge thanks to Chris Shaw, KICKNATION for coaching, training, and pushing me to be the best I can be. Ever since we met back in high school these guys have worked with me and brought my skill level of kicking and punting to a totally different level. When you ask who the best in the business is, there is no other than KICKNATION. I have had a great experience in the past with y'all Chris and the KN Team and hopefully looking forward to having many more years of training for the pros. Thanks for all the hard work and dedication y'all gave to me. Love you guys."
Drew Alleman
LSU Kicker - 2010-2012
"Working with Chris from high school and into the NFL I credit my success both on and off the field to him. The fundaments, drill work, and attention to detail given by him are tailored to each players needs, providing a one of a kind work environment. His teaching principles gave me the tools necessary to succeed at the highest levels of athletics. Without the knowledge I gained through Chris, I would have been unable to effectively pursue my childhood goals. While success originates from an individual's determination and work ethic, Chris provides the tools necessary for players to thrive at the highest levels of competition. I am forever grateful for the personal time and effort Chris dedicated to ensuring my success. Each award, honor, and trophy I received partially belongs to him as none would have been possible without his oversight."
Owen Tolson
CPT Owen Tolson
Battle Captain
4-5 AMD BN
Camp Arifjan, Kuwait
Army punter and kicker 2005-2007, holds all punting records in school history
Ranked #7 punter in the nation for 2007 with 45.0 yd punting average
One of five punters selected nationwide for the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine
College Football News All-American 2007
Phil Steele's All Independent Team 2005, 2006, 2007
Dallas Morning News HS All-Area Team, 2004
Dallas Morning News #56 of Top 100 College Recruits, 2004
"I have been working with Chris and since my sophomore year in high school. Since then I have been the starting kicker at Texas Tech University for 4 years on a full-scholarship. I have completely transformed as a specialist in the 6yrs I have been working with Chris and KICKNATION. The fundamentals, skills, and drill work that I have taken from my years of camps and personal training with Chris have conformed me into the kicker I am today. No matter how many times I have worked with KICKNATION, I have always been able to take a different tool or observation to help me become that much better of a kicker. Not only has Chris been my coach on the field, but also my mentor off the field. He has opened his family to me and shared his past experiences to help me be successful in my career. I believe in KICKNATION, and appreciate everything they have helped me accomplish!"
Donnie Carona
Texas Tech University K/P 2008-2011
"I have been working with Coach Chris and the KICKNATION team since high school and they have been a huge part of my transformation from a high school kicker to a Division 1 starter (University of Toledo). Coach Chris and Coach Clinton stayed by my side helping me grow throughout my high school,early college and junior college years and is a big reason why I received a full ride scholarship to The University of Toledo. I have kicked with Chris for more than 6 years and although I have had some difficulties, like any kicker at times, he has always taken the time and has the knowledge to adjust me back to the kicker I knew I could be. He focuses on the little things and pushes drill work that, if done persistently, will bring anyone success. Overall, Coach Chris, Coach Clinton and the KN Team are a great group of guys that have gone through everything a kicker can go through, so I could always relate to them and talk to them about any issue on and off the field. I recommend KICKNATION to any kicker who is looking to take their game to the next level."
Ryan Casano
University of Toledo, Kicker 2009-2011
"Our son has worked with Chris Shaw for four years.
He has come from an awesome soccer style kicker to a refined collage ready combo kicker, earning all-district 1st team his senior year of high school football.
Chris stresses how important it is to get proper training, and the passion must come from the kicker and not the parents.
Chris’ coaching style will not only get his kickers mentally and physically to the elite level, but protect them from repetitious injury.
His structured game preparation, pre-game routine, and game focus made several solid game performances for our son.
I will tell you he is a great kicking coach.
He has immense pro network and knowledge, and implements it to his kickers to get results.
The essential fundamentals, drills and developed builds a solid foundation.
There are a lot of coaches out there that talk a good game, but Chris is very fundamentally and mechanically sound in his teaching and coaching.
Thank you Chris!"
- Rob & Krista Sackett
"Chris,
We would like to commend you on an excellent program that you provide to kickers in the area. Regardless of the number of kickers involved in any session you are able to find a way to make sure that each individual benefits regardless of their skill level and the skill level of the other attendees. Your camps are always well organized and staffed making the time and money spent more than worthwhile. These venues allowed Drew to compete against the top specialists in the country and helped him understand the level of excellence he needed to achieve to be able to advance to the next level of competition.
We also appreciate you working with us to provide a coach to work with Drew at his convenience. Since he is a multi-sport athlete it is often difficult to attend scheduled group sessions. Regardless of whether Drew works you or one of your coaches, KICKNATION, is always very responsive to address his specific needs while still improving his overall technique and confidence level.
You and your organization are unmatched in the interest you take in your kickers. Even though you are involved with a large number of athletes you always take the time to know what is happening with the individuals and manage to keep in touch, provide guidance and communicate KICKNATION opportunities without the standard "sales" pitch to only promote your sponsored venues. It is very apparent that you truly care about each athlete as an individual and are interested in each of their successes now and in the future.
We will appreciate your involvement with Drew and our family for many years to come."
Hobert & Terri Brown
Parents of Drew (Nebraska 2014 commit)
"Coach Chris,
Just wanted to take the time to send you a note saying thank you for all that you have done for Taylor. My only regret is that we did not get hooked up with you earlier. Taylor had always been a pretty good athlete in general (garnishing All State honors as a kicker and receiver) and we had also attended several Kohl's and Sailer camps over the past few years to try and get some recognition and added instruction in an effort to better his chances at acquiring a D1 scholarship. He did well and was ranked fairly high on their list but when it came down to the signing date there was just not that much interest being shown out there. We had even signed up with a recruiting firm through one of the camps and had videos made and sent out but still really not much interest as far as possible scholarship. We contacted several coaches and did receive a couple offers saying we could come to the program and try out as a walk-on, but nothing very promising. It was getting close to the signing deadline and as this was our first rodeo didn't really know all the ins and outs and were getting a little panicky.
It had always been Taylor's dream (as I am sure it is 1,000 other kids out there) to play at the next level. I thought we had done all the right things. I was hoping that with the contacts and camps and his rankings from all these places that we had put all our time and money in so to speak, would pay off or at least give us some advice or advantage, but that was not the case. We did finally receive some interest from a couple D2 schools and Taylor ended up signing with SAU as they told him that he would have the opportunity to play both kicker and receiver. It turned out to be both a good and bad experience in some regards. He was able to go in and win the KO, FG and also punting jobs as a freshman, but never got the chance at receiver. This part was good because he had alot of opportunities in real game situations to perform and it also made him decide that if he was going to be just a kicker and punter that he wanted to do it at the D1 level and to start focusing more on just the kicking/punting part.
Luckily we were able to find you at this point and with all your help his dream is becoming a reality. You have been so much more than just a coach. You honestly care about each and every one of these kids and do whatever you can to help them. Your ability to relate with them and figure what makes them tick so they can achieve their best is remarkable. I have proof in these two pictures I sent you on his punting technique. He was a decent punter at SAU and was ranked 3rd in the conference( even with the form he shows in the first pic) but the form he is showing in the 2nd pic from a recent Texas Tech practice... I mean "WOW" that transformation in less than a year's time is hard to believe.
You have three things that I feel put you at the top of the peak in what you do and way ahead of anyone else out there.
1. Your experience and coaching and just being able to get into the kids heads to learn and perfect their technique (evidence by the before and after pics I sent you)
2. Your contacts. I mean once we got on board with you I was totally blown away. I mentioned all the other camps and recruiting firms we were a part of in the beginning of this letter because I thought surely that was the way to go because they were well known and would have plenty of contacts. I was so wrong. You have so many contacts and deal with so many coaches on a very personal basis. I've joked with you before that I can't believe these coaches actually listen to you and believe you, but it's actually much more. They honestly trust you and what you say. That trust can only come from the fact that you have been right on in the past and that your reputation is untarnished.
3. You honestly care for these kids. They are not a number to you. You want them to succeed as much or maybe even more sometimes than they do and not because it helps you and your reputation but because you know the positive effects it will have on them and how much it will prosper their lives and future.
As I said in the beginning of this letter, my only regret is that we did not find you sooner, my time and money would have been much better invested. Thank you for everything. We are looking forward to your continuing work and development with Taylor and hopefully a bright future at Texas Tech as well as the continued development of our younger son Jared and whatever the future may hold for him.
Thanks again and God Bless,"
Dr. Sam Symmank
"Chris,
Wanted to send you and your staff, specifically Coach King, a note of gratitude for the work that you have done with Jordan Tobolka, long snapper. Jordan is living his dream as the Long Snapper for SMU. Kicknation opened the door for Jordan at SMU, helping him refine his skills to a level that allowed him earn the Long Snapper job for a D1 college football program.
As a graduate of Dallas Jesuit, he ended his career by recording 161 consecutive successful snaps. As a walk on at SMU, he earned a starting spot and the successful consecutive snap streak continues.
The Coaching staff at Kicknation go way beyond other Kick and Snap programs. Not only do they teach proven techniques of the specialty of the athlete, but take the opportunity get to know the athletes and guide them through issue that they might face in High School, College and beyond. They become fans of the athletes they coach, supporting them with conversations, texts and emails, encouraging them to be successful. Beyond the athletes, Coach Shaw is always available to the parents to answer questions and advise.
Lots of options available to athletes and parents these days, but the success of my son is the reason I would highly recommend Kicknation to any Kicker, Punter or Long Snapper!"
Ted & Tricia Tobolka
Parents of Jordan
"What do you do when you have a kid that is asked to fill the deep snapping role at a major high school football program and has never snapped a football? Call KICKNATION! Our son Mark was a backup tight end at Denton Guyer High School, and was approached by the coaches in December to become the deep snapper for the 2012 season.
We got online and found the first camp available which was with Chris Shaw at KICKNATION. Six months later, Mark was the starting snapper for 16 games at Guyer, including winning the Texas State 4A Division I State Championship. Chris and his snapping coach Aaron King put their collegiate and professional football experiences into practice training my son to be the best he could be, both from a technique standpoint and a mental standpoint.
Mark is now the starting snapper at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. He had other opportunities to play at the college level with Coach Chris’ help in the KICKNATION college consulting roadmap program. When it came down to it, Hendrix was the right choice for Mark for many reasons, not just football.
From the beginning of the process, Coach Chris always stressed "fit" for our son; now he is very happy with his college choice from both school and athletic standpoints. Most recently Mark snapped for the winning field goal with 1 second left in a game for Hendrix. How do you have the skill and mental toughness for this? Call KICKNATION!"
Scott Hickey, parent of Mark Hickey
"I would like to highly recommend Coach Chris Shaw and KICKNATION. We are located in Brownwood, TX. Being 2-3 hours from major cities and my son also playing wide receiver and backup QB, our time to get to high level special teams coaches was difficult. Coach Chris even came to us in Brownwood for private training. This personal touch was greatly appreciated and created a strong bond as not only player to coach but also friends. Coach Chris's knowledge of the fundamentals of the kicking game helped my son develop the consistency that set him apart from some other highly ranked kickers. Coach Sean Snyder at Kansas State stated that it was this consistency that led him to offer a full ride to Kansas State to Matthew. Right now, my son is practicing to represent Team USA in the USA vs the World game and realize one of his goals. Another goal of playing D1 football will soon be realized as he is working hard to earn the starting spot, even as a freshman.
Thank you again Chris for helping Matthew and being not only a great coach but also a friend."
Take care and God Bless!
Steven McCrane (Father of Matthew McCrane, Kicker, Kansas State Wildcats)
"I have been meaning to write you for some time now. I still receive you emails from Kicknation. To make a long story short, my son Kevin tried for several Div l schools for punting, received many responses from colleges he was intersted in, invites to come try out, etc. but no actual offers from Div l schools.
He did receive several scholarships-offers from several Div ll schools, 2 from Ok, 2 from Ark and 3 from TX, until he was just tired of going to all of the invites, with some interest from TX Tech & A & M, Sonny Cumbie & Dat Ngun, when they were recruiting there. The best offer he got was from Abilene CU, as a starting freshman punter from coach T when he was there last year. But anyway, Kevin decided not to pursue football kicking, which startled me to no end! The end of my world came crashing down, as I thought his dreams were the same as mine since he did sports starting at age 4, ha! Boy was I wrong, I learned it was not about what his dad wanted, it was about what HE wanted. Amusing lesson to learn, but life is still really great. He was just ready for his next phase in his life he said.
He is now going to A&M and loves his life there. But what impressed me was all the information we gleamed from you and your kicking camps were right on. I took many notes from your link and camps. The grades, as you pointed out, were so important from what the coaches told us, a potential players behavior, the time the school would invest in players. His grades made it easy for colleges to not have to use their money for recruiting, but still coaches did favor better students. They much preferred a good kicker who was also a good student over a troubling, misbehaving student to be. I do believe any promotions - exposure Kevin received thru your camps actually did help a lot! Exposure and name recognition via KickNation was a given. Most of his offers did come way later than national signing day, as he waited for calls that never came, but they sure did later in the spring-early summer. The coaches really wanted to speak with potential players one on one, as you had told us. Having a 'link' for coaches - recruiters was the way to go, helped so much in the recruiting game! Unofficial and official visits helped but if they were not interested in you, we could tell they were blowing smoke but we realized to just move on to the next school. One big piece of advice Kevin got from yall was to Dream Big and Work Hard, that summed it all up. That working hard advice and not giving up really contributed to his growing up, maturing, and seeing how one can succeed in life, not just sports. We still follow the kickers and punters that made it into collegiate sports, and Kevin and I still speak of kicking coaches he met and helped him and college coaches he kicked for and met. Met a lot of great people in this sport that he and I won't ever forget.
So, I want to say to you Thank You so very much for all my son Kevin and even I as a parent learned from you, your assistant coaches-helpers and Kicknation! Life is great sir ! May God bless you and yours."
Respectfully,
Jerry Gonzalez (parent of Kevin Gonzalez)
"It is amazing how one person can have such a great impact on a young man's life. But, that's exactly what happened after Ben spent his first three days training with Coach Chris. Ben had a "eureka" moment. What followed was an ongoing relationship between a coach and a young man that fostered a transition from an elite soccer player who kicked adjunctively, to a focused football specialist who became a bona fide candidate to kick at an FBS-level program. Coach Chris guided Ben's approach to diet, strength and conditioning, training routine, and the mental aspects of the game. Ben was a good kicker and was being noticed by programs around the country following his sophomore and junior seasons. Coach Chris took that raw talent and tweaked, refined and strengthened it and Ben took an already good game to a whole new level. Ben's distance and confidence improved dramatically. While he had garnered All-State, All-Texas, All-District, All-County, and All-Greater Houston recognition throughout his three year varsity career, all of us were stunned when Ben was named to the U. S. Army All-American team his senior season. Ben would not have received that recognition had he not been mentored by Coach Chris. Now, Ben gets to take all that he has learned, and will continue to learn from Coach Chris in the coming years, to one of the most storied and successful BCS programs in the country when he leaves for Austin to attend the University of Texas and become a member of the Longhorn football team.
Coach Chris has an uncanny ability to connect with young men at a level they can relate to, and get the absolute best out of them. He focuses on the whole person, not just the athlete. His follow-up and commitment to those he coaches and their families is particularly noteworthy. We are extremely grateful for his influence, not just on Ben, but on our entire family. "
Michael K. Pruitt, Esq., FACHE and Dr. Renee M. Pruitt
The Woodlands, TX
"I want to thank you for working with Ryan. He has developed into a much better kicker during the time he has spent working with you. Your attention to detail in all aspects of kicking has led to his marked improvement. I look forward to seeing Ryan’s continued progress as he trains with you while he is a member of the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Talk to you soon."
Bobby Bustin
Kilgore, TX
"I highly recommend KickNation and SnapNation to all kickers, punters and long snappers who are wanting to take their skills to another level. I've observed Chris Shaw and Aaron King doing an amazing job teaching and nurturing kids of all ages and at all skill levels and I've found both to be extremely knowledgeable in each segment of the kicking game. In today's college sports landscape, it is difficult for specialists to be properly evaluated and gain exposure to schools because of time restraints. Chris Shaw has a proven track record as a consultant to many of the top football programs. He spoke highly of our son to Texas Tech and his recommendation along with video shot from a private lesson with Chris landed our son a preferred walk on opportunity. The KickNation and SnapNation programs are well worth the money and time invested!"
WK Brenner
Plano, TX
"We began our search for a kicking coach during Cale's Sophomore year. A friend who had worked with several kicking specialist sent me an email with a well qualified list of kicking coaches. He did, however; tell me his son really connected and learned a lot from Coach Chris Shaw with KickNation. I called KickNation and arranged a one hour trial session with Coach Chris for Cale. After the first session, Cale got in the car and was very adamant that Coach Chris is who he wanted to work with. I asked him why and Cale said he was certain he would learn and become the best kicker possible working with Coach Chris. Two years later, as Cale enters his Senior year I could not be more pleased with our decision to solely rely on KickNation to get Cale where he wants to be as a kicker . To sum the past two years of working with KickNation up into one word would have to be "TRUST". My son believes in Coach Chris."
Grady Brewer
Prosper, TX
"Just wanted to thank you guys again for the great camp that our grandson got to attend in Stillwater, OK this summer. He is a 5th grader at Tulsa Union and kicked his first extra point today!! This was his first attempt for him and his team!! Thanks, again!"
F.C."Jumbo" Eaton, D.O.
North Arkansas Regional Medical Center
"I want to highly recommend Chris Shaw at KickNation for your son’s kicking needs. My son
didn’t start punting until he was a Junior in High School. Unfortunately, we used another kicking
coach his Junior year and didn’t begin using Chris until Senior year. Chris quickly made a
connection with Michael and convinced him he was built to be a punter but he was way behind,
but with hard work and a plan, he could improve. After working with Michael for about 3-4
months, he convinced Michael to try and walk on in college at a Big 12 University. Chris and his staff gave
Michael the confidence and more importantly the work ethic to succeed. Three years later,
Michael is living his dream of playing big time college football. His confidence, attitude, work
ethic and organization is a direct link to working with Chris and getting the opportunity to walk
on in college. Thank you Chris and your staff for your continued support and work with Michael. Believe me,
there are others out there just looking for your money, but Chris is looking out for your son and
will shoot straight with you. Trust in others, is a great thing to have. Thanks Chris!"
Mike Reichenstein
1-inch Kicking Block
