Most of his new clients are soccer players, many of whom are undersized and some of whom might be intimidated by crossing over into a different sports culture. Every one of my college guys are over 200 pounds. “I want them training with the linemen and linebackers, to add bulk. I want them (involved in) power and explosion training, in and out of season. ![]() I require them to gain 1-3 pounds per month. “It’s more than just practicing technique, it’s the whole process. “My program is 365 days (a year),” he said. Zima lets his clients know up front they must be fully committed. “He’s been the really important stepping stone that I needed to take this to the next level.” “He’s flipped the switch in my mind (and made me realize) that I can turn this into something,” said Noll. Noll, who earlier this year set a Berks record for career field goals, says a day doesn’t go by when he doesn’t receive an instructional or motivational text from Zima, or that he doesn’t send the coach one seeking advice. He’s an advocate for specialists in a sport that often overlooks them, or takes them for granted. Zima doesn’t just offer tips on technique – he invests himself in his kickers and creates a personal connection with them. He’s known by coaches throughout Pennsylvania, and specialists from Maryland, Delaware or New Jersey will drive 90 minutes or more for a private weekend session to tighten things up. Zima, a straight-on kicker and lineman at Allentown Central Catholic in the late 1970s, always wanted to get into coaching but his corporate job in organizational management tied him to a desk. “It’s impressive to watch him take a kid from A to Z, and the way he breaks it all down,” said Wyomissing coach Bob Wolfrum, who hired Zima as his kicking specialist coach three seasons ago. They know they’ve found a player who’s been trained under the watchful eye of John Zima, the guru of Berks County kickers.īerks has been a hotbed of kicking specialists over the last decade and most of the guys booming kickoffs into the end zone and hitting record field goals – Jonah Bowman and Owen Pendergast of Wyomissing, Matt Hook of Fleetwood, Hunter Rubright of Wilson and and Jake Roth and Matt Noll of Conrad Weiser – have a connection with Zima. If the answer is yes they know they’ve found someone who’s been well-schooled in technique, prepared mentally for the demands of the position and physically capable of producing at the next level. He’s spoken to me about how having this thought in his mind has totally changed the way he behaves in class time.Any time a college football coach inquires about a local kicker or punter the first thing they ask is: “Does he work with Zima?” He really seemed to understand and show interest in the discussion we had about putting yourself in other people’s shoes: “for example, think about your teacher who has to stand in front of 30 students for every period each day, when we know it’s already quite stressful looking after just 2 or 3 people”. I think the turning point was probably half way through the year when we spoke about Empathy- one of our five core mentoring values. He’s come forwards in leaps and bounds and I’m told by the Deputy head that “he hasn’t been on his radar” for a while! ![]() Amazingly, by the end of the school year my award for ‘Most Improved student’ went to him. When the boy was referred to me, staff were hoping for a change in his behaviour so he wouldn’t be removed from the school. I began mentoring a young boy in year 8 and was told that he came with a bad reputation right from primary school and unfortunately carried it right through year 7.
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