Who We Are & How We Coach

Over 30 years ago on the practice fields at Virginia Tech a friendship was forged between Bill Renner and Tom Taricani. As teammates, their love of punting and kicking grew in what was the nation’s premier camp for punting and kicking instruction, 4th Down Sports. Bill Renner’s book, Kicking The Football, has garnered praise from all levels of those who aspire to greatness with these disciplines. The multiplied thousands of athletes that have come through the 4th Down Sports teaching progression have enjoyed enormous success on all levels they have aspired to. Many coaches have been taught this teaching progression and have opened up camps themselves trying to emulate the success that 4th Down Sports has experienced the last 22 years.

Having been fortunate enough to train and work with some of the best kickers and punters in the country through the past 23 years we have learned the 5 primary areas that separate those who reach their potential and those who do not:  Solutions, Training, Attitude, Mechanics, and Performance. Our coaching regimen then comes down to placing that STAMP into each athlete that we train. Solutions for Training, Attitude, Mechanics, and Performance. Potential driven athletes always possess and walk in a Solutions mindset. This doesn’t occur in an event rather the process that becomes a habit.  Permitting oneself to fail IS part of the growth journey. Training your mind is just as important as is training your skill discipline. Training your attitude is a lesson in character development. Training your mechanics only ceases when you do. Finally, training your performance to be successful comes only as the belief and trust that were established in advance of the performance itself.

Drill work alone trains the mind, which in turn trains the body. Trained reflex skills are always performed subconsciously. With that understanding, competition with kicking and punting is always turned inwards. Being your best will enable you to be the best. Statistics are a reflection of what’s been accomplished. Focus is a requirement of what you need to accomplish in the moment. Trust, commitment, and releasing the outcome will place you in the best position to be successful.

Paul Woodside
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 703.200.8756
You only know what you learn and you can only perform what you’ve learned to know. Knowledge is liberating or it is debilitating. If you’ve only ‘learned’ failure, your performance will only manifest that. The same goes for success, if you know you will be successful, then you will be. Critics, those on the sideline of life who make a living short-cutting others, will be quick to jump on an athlete’s poor performance. Discouragement is to tear down. Encouragement is to empower. With a trained reflex skill which years of patient drill work in addition to the physical requirements, which would you rather have in your corner. As a walk-on to West Virginia University in the Fall of 1981, Paul rewrote the WVU record book, was a 2 time All-American, and was enshrined into the WVU Hall of Fame in 1999. Paul still holds to 2 NCAA records (most field goals in a season inside of 40 yards-23, and best percentage of field goals inside of 40 yards-100%). Paul simply had people believe in him. Recently featured in the best-selling book by Stefan Fatsis, “A Few Seconds of Panic.” In addition to Paul working with the kickers at Before U Kick., Paul enjoys spending time with the love of his life, his wife Teresa.
Bill Hildbold
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 703.231.3888
Coach Hildbold coaching legacy has taken him through the sports of football, wrestling, and soccer and winning championships at each level. In addition to his coaching, Bill Hildbold has served as an advanced math teacher and Director of Student Activities in his over 30 years experience in the public school system. This is crucially important to understand the value that this experience he brings to the table. While Coach Hildbold is sound in both kicking and punting instruction (son Joey was a 4 year starting punter at Notre Dame), his greatest strength revolves around his objectivity. While an athlete obviously goes to a kicking camp for instruction, what is often lost is the ‘big picture.’ Having an athlete understand the process and role that academics and athletics take place in their lives invaluable. Coach Hildbold is able to integrate his experience for the athletes in such a way so they will see that life actually begins when the competitive athletic endeavors conclude. Coach Hildbold is the Director of Operations for Before U Kick and is teaching/coaching at Brunswick/Middletown High Schools in Fredrick, MD.
Jason Malecki
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 703.675.8270
Jason Malecki’s development into a nationally recognized kicking and punting instructor was born with his long term relationship with Coach Renner. While Jason was at West Springfield High School in northern VA, Coach Renner personally trained Jason and developed Jason to “coach himself.” Learning that the athlete is ultimately responsible for their performance on the field, Jason received a full scholarship from Boston College where he excelled as a 4 year starter. Working his way through the professional maze, Jason led the professional league in Europe with punts inside the 20 for Amsterdam. A career ending injury transitioned Jason’s playing passions into the world of coaching. Jason’s no-nonsense style has brought the best out of multiple collegiate and high school kickers and punters across the country. Jason is currently the Senior Punting Instructor for Before U Kick and works for Lifeline Fitness in the mid-Atlantic.
Jeff Hays
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 719.339.6336
The son of a renowned Texas football coach, experienced as an athlete and coach at High school, intercollegiate, professional, and international levels, and tied to the University of Texas through family and his Master’s degree, Jeff Hays brings a proven track record of integrity and excellence as a coach and professional in world-class organizations. Mr. Hays began his professional career at his alma mater as an Air Force Academy graduate assistant football coach. After completing his Master’s degree at the University of Texas at Austin, Hays returned to the Air Force Academy to serve as an Assistant Professor of Biology. He later served the Air Force Academy football staff as varsity kicking coach, Recruiting Coordinator, Junior Varsity Head Coach, and Academic Program Director. He coordinated a national recruiting program and coached their kickers to the best seven year period in school history. Upon his retirement from the Air Force, Mr. Hays served as high school activities director and kicking consultant for the Denver Broncos Football Club. He managed an coached kicking camps throughout the nation, mentored individual specialists, and volunteered with local high schools. Mr. Hays is currently a cost analysis and project management consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc.
Alex Callas
Now starting his 44th season as a football coach, Coach Callas has had the unique opportunity to have a career coaching football on all levels from High through Professional. His most recent assignment is with the Westfield HS Bull Dogs (Northern VA) where he begins his 18thseason as the program’s specialist coach. During that period, Westfield has produced some of the finest Punter/Kicker and Snapping talent in Virginia that has directly contributed to 4 Virginia 6A State Championships. Coach Callas has trained a number of snappers that made the rosters for the following programs; UVA, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia Tech., James Madison, William and Mary, Louisville, Towson State, Salisbury, Pittsburgh and the Oakland Raiders. He has trained countless other mid-Atlantic Region High School long snappers and brings a track record of success that is welcomed by Before U Kick.

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