In every football game, the offense is inevitably going to find itself in a tough position. Usually that is somewhere along the lines of 4th down and out of field goal range. In this situation, coaches call their special teams over and prepare the punt unit for the next play. Statistically speaking, your average professional football team will punt the ball 3-7 times per game. In Division 1 College football that number could be anywhere from 4-9 punts per game and up to 10+ times for some of the more offensively challenged high school teams. In these situations, you want to have a guy that can boot the skin off the ball. This is where Gavin Wale comes in. Gavin is one of the top ranked punters in the entire Country! He has been ranked as high as the #1 prospect for the class of 2019. Before his last kick hit the ground, ScoreStream was able to reach out to Gavin for a short Q&A.
SS: How did you begin playing sports?
GW: I began playing soccer when I was three. It was there that I realized I had quite the leg and knack for kicking. Since then, I’ve tried just about every sport in the book and ended up kicking footballs.
SS: If you weren’t playing football, what would be your go to sport/activity?
GW: If I wasn’t playing football, I would definitely still be playing soccer. I always dreamed of playing in a World Cup.
SS: Suppose the other team calls a time-out before a field goal attempt, how do you keep your cool?
GW: I think of every kick as a competition against the other team’s kicker. It helps make the situation seem much smaller than it actually is, regardless of the pressure.
SS: It’s game day, what is your go to method for getting in the zone?
GW: Throughout the day, I try to take a few moments to close my eyes and visualize myself doing everything I can to help the team win. Before the game, I listen to music to keep myself focused…”In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins is a classic for me.
🏈 Check out Gavin’s youtube account here to see some of his kicking highlights 🏈
SS: What lessons have you learned from playing that you carry along in every day life?
GW: Between kicking and football, I have learned that nothing will ever be given to you. Everything in life is earned and there is NEVER an excuse to not be the hardest working guy out on the field, or in life.
SS:Do you practice your tackling during practice?
GW: Sometimes I try and jump in during drills, but usually I’m off perfecting things with my long snapper.
If you enjoyed reading this make sure to keep up with Gavin and the high school scores at Coronado High School on ScoreStream this year! You can follow him @gavin_wale on Twitter.
Want to follow high school and club sports in real-time? Download the ScoreStream app for free here: Itunes or Google Play