Special Teams Guide to Better Install Drills, Practice Organization, Field Goals & PATs

with Tom Radke,
St. James Academy (KS) Head Football Coach & Special Teams Coordinator;
2020 & 2021 Kansas 4A State High School Football Champions;
2020 & 2021 Kansas 4A Football Coach of the Year;
2020 Kansas City Chiefs’ Eric Driskell Coach of the Year;
Piper High School (KS) Head Coach from 2006 to 2010;
St. Thomas Aquinas (KS) Assistant Coach from 2004 to 2005;
played college football for Iowa State University

Tom Radke, head football coach at St. James Academy, knows what it takes to build a football program up to win state championships and position it for long-term sustained success.

The highly acclaimed Coach Radke relies upon an experienced staff of knowledgeable, dedicated coaches who are all on the same page and stay true to the Thunder’s mission statement goal of playing ‘Physical, Fast, Fearless Football’ in every phase of the game.

With reliable assistants and coordinators who oversee the offense and defense, Radke leaves nothing to chance when it comes to another, often overlooked phase of football – Special Teams.

In this video, Radke offers an inside look at how to build and develop a special teams unit that can execute their assignments in a dominating fashion and fulfill its potential as a critical component of a championship team.

Coach Radke taps into his deep well of knowledge to share the secrets of building superior special teams’ – including must-see presentations that cover topics such as: organizing your ST practices to maximize time and hone key skills, the best drills to use in the ST install process and a tested game plan for improving your field goal and PAT units.

This video arms you with real world information and game-tested information that will help you make an immediate, positive difference in your own program’s special teams’ units.

Kicking Game Philosophy & The Importance of Field Position
Coach Radke lays the groundwork for how a special teams coordinator should approach special teams. Radke shares his kicking game philosophy and outlines why it’s critically important for a special teams coordinator to look at special teams analytically – as this approach dictates the steps you need to take to get your special teams where they need to be from an execution standpoint.

Providing an excellent explanation of why a coach with his experience and pedigree of success still serves as special teams’ coordinator, Radke outlines how the ST coordinator’s role allows you to not have any excuses for mistakes in the kicking game. (In other words, the buck stops with the head football coach/special teams coordinator.)

Coach Radke also shares insight on other key areas of special teams, including: the impact of field position on games, specific coach responsibilities for special teams tips for developing a special teams depth chart and more!

Special Teams: Install Plans, Drills, Kicker/Punter Workouts
Offering critical information you’ll need for installing your ST schemes, Coach Radke provides a complete overview on practice plans, weekly install charts and the best drills to use for ST skill development.

In addition, Radke highlights an extremely useful ST scouting report and provides an up-close look at his kicker and punter workout charts. Radke also utilizes game film clips to highlight examples of proper technique and offers coaching points to improve the performance of kickers and punters.

As a head coach who also serves as special teams’ coordinator, Radke shares his unique perspective on the best ways to ‘steal’ practice time whenever possible to get players extra ST reps and improve in key areas such as kicking, holding, snapping, returning and more.

This is a must-watch video for all football coaches at every level of competition, whether you are a young, hungry assistant or a veteran coach.

Coach Radke’s video provides viewers with the rare opportunity to learn from a championship-winning, highly regarded head football coach – a coach with a long list of prestigious accomplishments – yet, he still serves as an example of a man who holds special teams in the highest regard.

Coach Radke is a long-time, battle-tested head coach who is willing to invest time, and effort and rolls up his sleeves every day to put in the work necessary to fulfill his duties as a hands-on, detail-orientated special teams coordinator!

54 minutes. 2025.