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The Chris Rubio Award

September 29, 2011 By


Well, the big announcement has been made and now you all know about The Chris Rubio Award presented by Herbalife 24. The world of Long Snapping will be changed forever. Never has a Long Snapper been honored to this degree at the high school level (or college level for that matter).  THIS IS HUGE!

I gathered you might be a bit confused, so I decided to clarify it a bit for you. Of course, you can find out all the information on the actual website here, but I wanted to double it up for you.

TROPHY:

  • Similar to the Heisman, in that it will be given out every year and there will be two trophy’s. One trophy will go home with the winner and one will stay with Herbalife. 
  • The trophy (look up and to the right) stands approximately one foot tall, weighs 30 lbs. and is bronzed (the one you see on the picture/website is just the clay mold of it, new photo coming soon). 

CEREMONY:

  • There will be a ceremony at the Herbalife Banquet Hall in LA Live (right next to Staples Center) highlighting the three finalists. 
  • The three finalists and one parent will be flown to Los Angeles, CA and put in a hotel for the weekend (Dec 17) by Herbalife.

TO BE ELIGIBLE:

  • You must be an athlete that plays high school football at the varsity level, regardless of state division, or age. You DO NOT have to attend a Rubio Long Snapping / Chris Sailer Kicking camp to win this award.
  • You will notice there is a watch list already of the top Long Snappers in the country. You do NOT need to be on this list in order to win. The list can adjust over the time frame.

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • You must be the starter for your high school varsity team. 
  • You must not have more than one bad snap all season (snap that gets by the punter or the holder). 
  • You must do both punt and p.a.t. snaps. 
  • If you have to snap and block for your team, that is looked at in higher regard. 
  • The amount of tackles is taken into consideration with the voting. 
  • You must have started in 80% of the current year’s games for your varsity team. 
  • A Long Snapper’s physical size is NOT taken into consideration in the voting. 
  • Other positions played are NOT taken into consideration for voting. 
  • To qualify, you may be viewed by Chris Rubio in person, send in film, have a high school head coach’s recommendation, college special team’s coach recommendation or sports writer’s recommendation to be considered eligible. A panel of voters assembled by the Chris Rubio selection committee will vote for the winner.
VOTING:

  • A panel of voters assembled by the Chris Rubio selection committee will be voting. The panel will include: Chris Rubio, Herbalife representatives, past and current NFL Long Snappers, past and current NCAA Long Snappers, past finalists for the Chris Rubio Award, and Sports writers and columnists. Therefore, if you are one of the final three for the award, you will be on the voting committee forever. 
IMPORTANT DATES:

  • Last Week of September: A watch list will be announced highlighting athletes that have been recognized as a top Long Snapper through this part of the season. The eventual winner does NOT have to be on the watch list to win the award. This is a simple recognition of those that are in the lead.
  • November 21, 2011: Three Finalists are announced. The finalists will be determined by total votes. 3 points (1st Place Vote), 2 points (2nd Place Vote), 1 Point (3rd Place Vote). In the case of a tie, Chris Rubio will break the tie with his vote.
  • December 17, 2011: The winner will be announced at the Herbalife Banquet Hall at L.A. Live in Downtown Los Angeles, CA. The winner will be determined by total votes. 3 points (1st Place Vote), 2 points (2nd Place Vote), 1 Point (3rd Place Vote). In the case of a tie, Chris Rubio will break the tie with his vote. *All statistics will have to be verified by your high school head coach before you can be announced as a Finalist.

INFORMATION:
I know you already follow me on Twitter (if not, focus up) and now you will also want to be sure to follow the High School Football Awards Twitter account here for updates and like the Facebook page here for up to the minute information. You can also access the site by ChrisRubioAward.com or HighSchoolFootballAwards.com (both hit the same sight).

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Chris-Rubio-2Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Article Archives, Athlete, Athletics, Chris Rubio Award, Deep Snapper, Exposure, Long Snapper, Motivation Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

What Rubio Long Snapping is really all about…

September 28, 2011 By

For about ten years now, I have been working extremely hard to make sure Long Snappers get the best instruction and most exposure out there possible. In my opinion, I have done a pretty good job. Every single year, my numbers have grown with the amount of athletes put out to colleges. With the onslaught of social media, Rubio Long Snapping has completely dominated with the blogs (you are currently embracing), Twitter (over 1,000 followers!), Podcasts and YouTube (more than 125,000 hits of just my guys!). What’s even more impressive to me, is that my return rate (you see me more than once) is nearly 100%! Proves that you like what you are getting and want more.

All of my Long Snappers are like my kids and I treat them all the same way I would want a “coach” to treat my children. The way I speak to them is pretty much identical to the way I speak to Cruz, Alec and Damon. Those of you that doubt me, ask anyone that has witnessed me with my boys. I am a little rough around the edges, but ohhhh do I get my point across:)  -one day you need to ask me about a story with Cruz not wanting to take a shower when he was young.

Many of my Long Snapper’s have become very tight with one another through the various camps, events, lessons, Twitter and Facebook. If you are ever privy to this banter, you will understand. It is amazing to me to see this evolution of the kids from competitors to friends to competitive friends. (Rumor has it, there might be even be a group of them that started a fantasy football league) All my Long Snapper’s, and their families, have even become a major factor in my personal life. Think back to my marriage to Jolie, meeting those that I surround myself with, the Baby D contest or even Permed Mullet Guy (if you don’t know, you are really missing out). I truly love how tight knit Rubio Long Snapping has become in a short amount of time.

I am very fortunate to have to deal with Long Snappers and I know it. They are fantastic athletes (given) and people. Jolie always asks me, “How come your guys are so nice and polite?” Of course, I tell her it is because of me and she immediately rolls her eyes. Then, I tell her it is because Long Snappers aren’t used to being the center of attention and are happy to be a group. Ten years ago, there was no identity for Long Snappers. Now they are a gang, in a good way of course, and I love it. Think about it, Long Snappers used to be a side note at a camp and now they are the camp. How often do you almost forget there are kickers even present? I hope you are smiling, ’cause I am too:)

Long Snappers aren’t the only ones that have formed a group. The parents of the Long Snappers have aligned with one another. Whether it is making t-shirts for the moms, carpooling kids to camps, continuing to keep in contact with me, and each other, well after their child has graduated or simply going out to support another Rubio Long Snapper on a bye week, the parents of my Long Snappers have become very tight and I think that is tremendous. I have even heard that a group of 2012 parents are planning a cruise together. Now that is fantastic!

You are probably thinking to yourself right now, “Ok Rubio, this is all fine and dandy, but what’s the point?” My point is that even with all of the fantastic numbers spelled out for you in the first paragraph, there is one thing that I am the most proud of in regards to Rubio Long Snapping and what separates me from others. It is a relatively simple thing, but very powerful. Now, I want you to take the first letter of each paragraph to form a word and you will see that I am most proud that Rubio Long Snapping has become a ______________.  Here’s to a great fall of 2011 and an even better 2012!

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Chris-Rubio-2Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Article Archives, Deep Snapper, Exposure, Long Snapper, Motivation, Parenting, Relationships Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Tips for Long Snappers

September 21, 2011 By

Being a former Long Snapper that has been told he “worked the system better than any other human being in the history of the world” and by dealing with hundreds of them per year, I tend to know a bit about the subject. Therefore, I have created a list of pointers for all of the Long Snappers out there. Here you go:

No TV Time
Long Snappers only play about 10-15 plays per game. Hence, not a lot of TV time…..until you read this blog! Couple ways to work around this one…..

First, when you are not in the game (about 99% of the time), stand next to the head coach. That cat is always on the tube. Make sure your helmet is off and you are looking sharp. That will get you a ton of tv time during the game. Be careful though, if the coach or that manager who holds the cords next to the coach spots your antics….you are finished.

Second, Long Snappers are smart. And, in being so intelligent, you know you want the big time spots….highlight footage that will air countless times over the next couple of days! This one takes some work and hustle (shoosh, it will be worth it). You really have to watch the game and not the stands (stadiums are like a fish bowl of lovely ladies come game time). In watching the game, eventually you will see a big hit or catch come towards your sidelines. Immediately jog, no running unless chased is my rule, to the commotion and help the teammate up. This serves two purposes….1) you will get on the tube for highlights and possibly even plays of the week. 2) When picking your teammate up, you arm will be flexed for the crowd. Bam! You’re welcome. 
Third, walk (this is key to max jumbotron footage) off the field with your kicker. Given, you will have just snapped a great ball and your kicker will want to thank you for making his “job” so embarrassingly elementary. When he comes to you, embrace him and proceed to walk off the field, slowly, with him. Cameras are always on the kicker after the kick, so if you hang out with him, they will also be on you. Sailer and I were legendary for a very slow stroll, possible slight back massage, wave to the camera or a tap on the bum as we left the field. It got so bad my senior year, that the coach actually tried to reprimand me for taking up too much screen time. Key word: tried. 


No Gear
A Long Snapper is basically like the Rodney Dangerfield of the football team. They get no respect. Therefore, you tend to not get a lot of the top gear: abundance of cleats, wristbands, extra socks (trust me, you’ll need them), better off-season shoes, etc. This can be changed…..There is one man that controls this booty (pirate terms, not physical) and that is the equipment manager. First thing to know about the equipment is that it is usually free to the school per the sponsors. For instance, if your team is sponsored by Nike, then Nike will give the school eleventy billion pairs of shoes. Second thing you need to know, ALL equipment guys believe they have paid for all of the equipment out of their own paycheck and are beyond stingy with it. I mean to the point of shocking. You are nodding right now if you are a college Long Snapper and will be if you are a Long Snapper in high school.Since you have an abundance of free time (not a lot of meetings or practice), you need to befriend equipment guy. He just wants to be loved and not be taken advantage of. You need to realize that every single person wants something from him. By being the one guy that doesn’t want something from him, you will make yourself unique.

Offer to help him with some of his jobs (most can be done sitting, so you can embrace). You would be amazed at how much they expect him to do in a short amount of time. He will love the fact that you helped him and guess what… he will make sure you get the best of all the equipment and maybe even a little extra for your buddies and ladies back home:)

No Press
A Long Snapper rarely gets any press (unless you are a Rubio Long Snapper, then you are embraced) and that is simply unfair and wrong. Of course, there are ways around this and here they are……

After you have stretched, done your drills and snapped perfect balls during the live time of practice, there tends to be a good deal of downtime. One way to rectify this is cruise around and check out the other positions. Bad move. First off, very boring and it pisses the other guys off. See, they are all very salty it takes them so long to master their craft that it bothers them to see you breeze through yours. Also, the coaches see you watching and they will immediately put you to work. The last thing you want to do during practice is hold a bag or be the fake center to the qb drills. What you need to do is hang out with the press. The press is always at practice and usually the same group of people. You see, they have assignments and usually the same person will have the same assignment all year. A little friendly banter with these chaps will go a long way. 

Do not ask them to write a story. It will come to you. Eventually, they will be tired of writing the same old, same old stuff about how some fast guy ran somewhere or some big guy tackled someone. Just gets old and stale. They will eventually need a fluff piece to win back the hearts of their readers. Who should they choose to write about? Yup, that friendly stallion o’ the gridiron that is always hanging around with the great personality:) Trust me, it happens to Long Snappers.

That’s all the info I am giving out right now. I am fully expecting to see my Long Snappers dressed in the finest gear, while holding a newspaper with their story on the front cover all while getting some massive coverage on the TV:)


Chris-Rubio-2

Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Rubio has been featured in the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the USA Today, Deadspin and countless other publications.

Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world, Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 18 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 1,700 Long Snappers earning full scholarships and preferred walk-on opportunities to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Article Archives, College, Humor, Long Snapper Tagged With: , , , , , ,

“I Don’t Have……

September 14, 2011 By

“I don’t have…. the size to be a top Long Snapper” – I will be sure to mention that to Jeff Palmer (Oregon, 5’10” and 190 lbs) or Mike Famiglietti (Western Illinois, 5’10” and 190 lbs) or even Casey Hales (first Long Snapper I worked with who was 5’10” and 180 but holds the record for most starts at Duke). No more excuses.

“I don’t have…. the room to practice my Long Snapping” – That’s odd considering I have given you countless drills that can be done in a room the size of a bathroom. No more excuses.

“I don’t have…. a big enough school to be recruited from” – Let me discuss that one with Drew Ferris who went to high school at the San Diego Jewish Academy (160 total students) and is now playing for the University of Florida. In case you are wondering, Drew is the only D1 football player ever to graduate from the San Diego Jewish Academy and it is not known for being a football powerhouse. At one time, Drew’s school was the only all Jewish school in the country that had a football team. No more excuses.

“I don’t have…. anyone to catch my snaps.” – In high school, I snapped to a tree or a tire. In college, I snapped to my bed turned on it’s side. Now, you even have The Rubio Target. No more excuses.

“I don’t have…. the grades to go to college” – Have you really been trying? I mean really trying? Go in and speak with your teachers. SHOW them you want the good grades and are willing to work to get them. Spend more time studying than doing anything else and you are fine. No more excuses.

“I don’t have…. a head coach that will help me with the recruiting process” – Be proactive. You make the calls. You send the emails. You do the work. In addition, if you have been to any of my camps or read any of my Long Snapping blogs you should be well ahead of the game and already know what to do and how to handle yourself. No more excuses

“I don’t have…. the flexibility to be a Long Snapper” – When I was at UCLA, after my very first physical, the doctors and trainers told me, in all seriousness, “Rubio, you have the worst flexibility of any athlete we have ever had here.” Did that hold me back? No. Not to mention, nowadays you can simply search yoga on YouTube and find over 125,000 videos. No more excuses.

“I don’t have….. anyone supporting me” – You have me. I am always there for you and countless people can tell you that. Need more? Download the Long Snapping podcasts and I am in your pocket and in your head….anytime. No more excuses.

“I don’t have…. ANY MORE EXCUSES”  

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Chris-Rubio-2Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Article Archives, Long Snapper, Maturity, Motivation Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

An Unfair-y Tale

September 7, 2011 By
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a person named Frank. Frank was just like any other person his age, he spent a great deal of time day-dreaming. Thoughts would pierce Frank’s mind like a knife and he would be forced to wrestle them into either the real world or let them float on by.
 
One day, a particular vision came into Frank’s head about being someone and doing something very few people in the world could do. Frank thought about being a top athlete and knew it was the thing for him. Frank told his good buddy, Dan, and they both proceeded to devour any bit of information they could about the subject and decided it really wasn’t that hard. They both could definitely do it and would go full speed into the process. They had the means and the desire. Nothing would stop them in fulfilling their dream to be a great athlete.
 
They started with a lesson. They both enjoyed the time with the instructor. The instructor was personable, made everyone feel welcome and definitely made sure everyone acquired some knowledge about the sport. Unfortunately, Dan was not so into it as Frank was, but that did not stop Frank and the lessons continued for both. Frank had a goal and they would achieve it.
 
Day after day, month after month, year after year, Frank would summon Dan to do the drills. To focus with him. To read with him. To stretch with him. To eat with him. To watch videos with him. To go to camps and combines with him. Dan did exactly what Frank wanted, if for any reason, to keep the relationship alive. After awhile, Frank could feel that Dan was drifting away from their dream and decided to look the other way and pretend it simply was not true. Hear no evil, see no evil was Franks’s motto. If they were this close, there is no way they could stop!
 
Camp after camp, Dan became less and less interested and it became more and more like work instead of fun. Dan even contemplated telling Frank he was burnt out and done, but did not want to hurt Frank’s feelings and/or lose the relationship. You see, at one point, they were actually the best of friends. But now, they were almost enemies. Frank didn’t even notice since he was so focused on the goal of being a top tier athlete.
 
Finally, after several years of lessons, camps, combines, events, films, trainers, stretching, eating, working out and countless hours of drills, Dan had had enough. Dan was not feeling well mentally or physically and was done. Done. He wanted no more. It was not fun anymore. It was not even tolerable. It was treacherous and was something that became dreaded. This thing that was once exciting and new, was now bland and exhausting. It was becoming obvious to all around, especially the instructor, that Dan simply was not into it anymore.
 
Something needed to be said and it needed to be said now. After one particular camp, the instructor pulled Dan to the side and asked Dan if he would like him to say something to Frank. Dan looked down, paused for quite some time, rose up with tears in his eyes and said, “No, that’s ok. I will speak to him. He’s my dad.”
 
 

Please note: this is a fictional story that I have made up. However, it could be very true and I don’t want to ever see it happen. This is why I always keep my lessons, camps and events fun and loose yet still extremely productive. I am firm believer in a happy athlete will be a good, if not great, athlete. Like I have stated before, one must wonder if my top kids are smiling because they are the best or are they the best because they are smiling?

Parents, please make sure your kids are happy with their athletic endeavors. Yes, you must push them and keep on them, but you must also support them and make sure they are following their own dreams and not yours.

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Chris-Rubio-2Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

Rubio_Card_frontMAGNET

 

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Filed Under: Deep Snapper, High School, Long Snapper, Maturity, Parenting, Relationships Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

You’re The Long Snapper

August 31, 2011 By

Both sides would agree, it was a great game. The offenses, defenses and special teams all did their jobs. Fittingly, this battle was coming down to the last play of the game.

Your team had been driving down the field running their two minute offense flawlessly. Little gains here and there to keep the ball moving and the clock stopping. The offense became stagnant, as they often can do in these situations, right at the 10 yard line. It seemed with less field to play, came less opportunities to score.

It was the 4th quarter, the game was tied, you were on the seven yard line and there was one second left. The previous play was meant to end the game but your trusty wide receiver turned out to be not so trusty. The ball was practically in his hands when he lifted his eyes to see the safety coming dead at him. That spooked him enough to make him forgot his main job: to catch the ball.

Your coach decided to put the fate of the team, the school and the community in his field goal unit.

You are ready. You were always ready by third down, let alone fourth. You were standing right next to the holder and kicker. You were a unit and you were their leader. They knew it and so did you. You were confident.

The coach grabs his hat, throws it down in disgust after the missed opportunity to score and yells “FIELD GOAL, FIELD GOAL, FIELD GOAL!” He grabs the kicker’s helmet to give him some last minute advice. He doesn’t even look to you. You don’t mind. You don’t need any last minute words. You know your job and you know what to do. You are ready and you are confident.

You jog on the field and notice your legs feel heavy and your hands are moist. The pulsating of your heart begins to beat through your pads. You are certain it is visible to others.

You slow your jog to a walk and locate the ref. You see him wipe the ball down and place it on the turf. You approach the ball like it is your prey. You have done this dance before. You have a routine. You know it hands down. You are ready and you are confident. You place your left foot into it’s spot, followed by your right. It is though you are strapping into ski boots. You bend your knees a bit. Your legs feel even heavier and you wonder if your knees can withstand the weight.

The crowd noise has become deafening. With your feet locked into place, you turn to see the holder and the kicker. The holder is down and the kicker is beginning his steps. The holder slowly mouths the words to you “This is all you.” You nod, bring your eyes back along the imaginary line the ball will follow as it leaves your hands, and turn to face the ball. The crowd noise is vibrating the stadium and your chest. It continues to get louder and louder and louder. It hurts.

You reach out with your right hand to grab the ball. The noise is suddenly…….gone. You put your left hand on the ball. You can only hear the beating of your heart. It is on a rhythm and that rhythm is picking up pace. You bend down into position. You look through your legs. The crowd is gone. The team is gone. The rest of the field is gone. Everything besides the holder is darkness. All you see is your holder. You maneuver your fingers on the ball to find that perfect spot. You are ready and you are confident.

Your holder looks at the kicker. The kicker gives him a nod. The holder slowly turns to you. You are ready and you are confident. He puts up his hand and the ball immediately, almost on cue, starts the process back. Your form is perfect. Your entire body is working in unison. The ball releases from the very tips of your fingers. It all feels effortless. The ball rotates through the air in slow motion. You see every….single….revolution. It hits the holder’s hands and BOOM, the whole world comes alive again. The noise is deafening, the speed is amazing. The ball is kicked and goes through the uprights.

The team goes crazy. Everyone is jumping up and down. You look around to find your group. You wink to the holder and the kicker as if it was just another day at the office. The team, the crowd and the community are ecstatic. People are rushing the field.

The Head Coach leads the way. He is rushing out towards you. He is getting closer and closer. His eyes are as big as apples. He is approaching you at record speed. He is less than five yards from you. He gets closer and closer. He goes right past you to celebrate with the kicker. He doesn’t even look at you or acknowledge your existence.

You don’t even bat an eye or turn around. You don’t need the praise. You don’t need the glory. You know who started the game winning play and without you, none of it was even possible.

You know who you are.

You’re the Long Snapper.

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Chris-Rubio-2Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

Rubio_Card_frontMAGNET

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Filed Under: Deep Snapper, Long Snapper, Maturity, Motivation Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

What You Do….What They See

August 24, 2011 By

I speak with a lot of college coaches throughout the year. We hang out together and we speak about a lot of different things. Being the kind of guy I am, I like to do a lot of listening and observing….lots of it. Often, I will sit back and watch a coach watch an athlete. In doing so, I have noticed that coaches tend to do a lot of hidden “watching.” Not in a weird way or anything, they just really, really like to eyeball a prospective recruit. And, after communicating with many of them over the years and just being able to figure things out on my own, I have come to the conclusion that they see and decipher things you are doing that you might not even be aware of. Therefore, I decided to create a little chart to help you out. It will be broken down into two parts and will be labeled as WHAT YOU DO vs WHAT THEY SEE.

What You Do: Walking to greet them
What They See: An athlete’s gait (basically means strut and/or the way you walk) is a huge one for coaches.

  • Do you look awkward and/or nonathletic? Do you have your head down? Are your shoulder’s hunched? Are you shuffling along? All of these are Code Reds for a college coach. Hold yourself up high and be confident in your strut. You would already know this one if you had read this long snapping blog.

What You Do: Getting water. Hanging out in the locker room. Eating with your friends.
What They See: How you interact with your teammates.

  • Are you social? Too social? Reserved? Rude? Passive? Aggressive? These are all things coaches want to see. Most coaches really like a kid that is social but not too social. Bottom line, have fun but don’t be a jerk. Rule of thumb, if you wouldn’t do it with me standing right next to you, you probably shouldn’t be doing it.

What You Do: Hanging out with your family
What They See: If you are rude or not to your parents/siblings.

  • Trust me, they get you are a teenager and unless you have reached the age where you actually start embracing your parents again (patience parents, it will come) they understand the dynamic. Saying that, they want to see if you are a donkey or actually a decent human being. You can tell a lot about a person by how they treat their parent(s) and coaches know this. Now, you don’t have to be over the top as that will show you are too dependent on them (or the parent needs to spread out) but you also don’t have belittle or spit venom at them either.


What You Do: Grabbing the football
What They See: How flexible or athletic you are.

  • Not even kidding, I have witnessed a ton of coaches focus on when an athlete reaches over to grab a ball simply to see how he bends. Do you look like a 115 year old man or are you fluid? Also, I have witnessed even more check out how a kid catches a snap or fiddles with a football to see his coordination level. I have seen coaches lock onto a kid simply because he looks athletic and not awkward catching someone else’s snap!

What You Do: Running
What They See: If you have that certain type of speed they are looking for.

  • Ok, so you saw this one and said, duh Rubio. But did you know, many coaches know a Long Snapper is not usually going to be a gazelle out of the blocks so they want to see how you finish the play. They look for something called closing speed. Closing speed is when you are finally at full throttle (let’s pray it is less than a quarter mile to this point), you see where the punt is, zero in on the returner and then head towards them. Many top athletes will almost hit a sixth gear at this point and coaches LOVE that in their players.

What You Do: Stare at them, nod at them, have fujidadobs (pronounced foo-ja-da-dobs)
What They See: You are distant, you are fake, you are clueless.

  • Are you even paying attention to the coach? Skip this one and write your own ticket to never playing for that team.
  • Are you looking them in the eye? They want to make sure you have the confidence to stare them down just like they are doing to you.
  • Are you nodding? Coaches know the I-am-going-to-nod-at-every-single-thing-you-say-so-it-looks-like-I-ameally-paying-attention trick. You look like a weirdo and you aren’t fooling anyone. Throw a nod in every once in awhile, but continuous nodding makes you look like a bobble head.
  • Are you in full-on fujidadobs mode? I have good friend named CP. His family (I believe) came up with the term fujidadobs. Every person in the world has done it and the trick is to not do it often or in public. Fujidadobs is the process of being so enthralled in something that you completely zone out, let your mouth open and become glassy. Really bad cases of fujidadobs will involve drooling. If you are still confused, turn on Animal Planet or any show about building the biggest something (plane, tanker, megaloader, tractor, bridge) in front of a male and sit back and watch them. Within five minutes, they will have a huge case of fujidadobs. 
  • Bottom line, focus on the coach and listen to what they are spraying but do not zone out. If they ask you a question and you have no clue what they have even said, you are going to look like a complete idiot and not someone they want on their team.

A coach sees everything….everything. Their job/money/life is based on who they recruit. They control you, but you almost control them as well. Therefore, a coach is going to want to recruit a very athletic, physically good looking, well mannered person who listens. And, this Über athlete should be someone that he would be comfortable with babysitting his child (Lord help us) or dating his daughter (I don’t care how hot she is, run for the hills). 

_________________________________________________________________

Chris-Rubio-2Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Article Archives, Coaches, College, Long Snapper, Maturity, Motivation, Recruiting Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Nutrition, Part One

August 17, 2011 By
Throughout the year, I receive a ton of questions about lifting and nutrition. I know the basics on these topics but not in depth like someone more qualified such as Brian Van Hook. Hook is a long time friend of mine (think junior high) that is a great human being and just happens to be certified by the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) as a Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES). If you ever been to our Vegas Events, Hook is the massive human being taking photos and assisting me throughout the weekend.

I recently asked him to write a couple guest blogs on certain topics that I want him to cover being that he is the expert and they are right up his alley. Expect them to be very basic, my request since not everyone knows what all the technical terms are, and sprinkled over the next couple of months. He will cover supplements, how to lose weight, how to gain weight, etc. You can follow Hook on Twitter by click HERE and feel free to check out his site HERE

With no further delay, here is Hook’s first guest blog:

NUTRITION, PART ONE
Do you eat breakfast? If the answer is NO don’t even think about asking me about supplements or to make you a diet plan of what you should eat on a daily basis!
I have new athletes and their parents ask me all the time what supplements they should be talking, and if I could make them a diet plan to help them gain or lose weight. It’s a 50/50 shot they will answer “o yea” I eat breakfast every day. They then proceed to say they have cereal every morning. People, cereal is not a good breakfast for an athlete (yes, this includes whole wheat Cheerios).

The following is a copy of a hand out I give to all new youth athletes I work with when training them throughout the year. It’s actually not even mine; I copied it from Mike Boyle (one of the best S&C coaches in the country)

Breakfast Option #1: Worse Case Scenario
2 glasses of chocolate milk, something is better than nothing!

Breakfast Option #2: Lazy Mans Breakfast
Protein shake: Supplies protein and can be made in less than 2 minutes. Just add water and ice cubes. A spoon full of Fiber is also a great addition (FIBER: Plain Metamucil or a WalMart brand will work fine)
**I personally use Gold Standard 100% Whey by Optimum Nutrition with Almond Milk (I’m allergic to dairy milk) if I’m running late and don’t have time to make my egg’s and toast.  And post workout I use Muscle Milk after every workout. The Gold Standard is better, but the Muscle Milk tastes great with water (Muscle Milk has a higher fat content, so I try to reserve it for after workouts only). I mix my morning shake with frozen blueberries and ground flax so I can’t even taste “Gold” protein.

Breakfast Option #3: Fast Food Breakfast
2 egg McMuffins at McDonalds with low fat milk. This is actual pretty healthy & high in protein. NO DUNKIN DONUTS! They use fake eggs. NO BURGER KING! They use high fat croissants. Don’t substitute Sausage McMuffin for egg, the sausage drives the fat and calories way up.

Breakfast Option #4: A Good Breakfast
A good breakfast starts with eggs and not cereal. 3-4 eggs with whole grain toast is a great breakfast. Add some fruit (berries or bananas) if you can. Berries are the best, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries are all high in antioxidants.

If there is anything more you would like to see posted please feel free to comment below. Keep working hard…..Van Hook_________________________________________________________________

Chris-Rubio-2Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Article Archives, Deep Snapper, Long Snapper, Nutrition Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

You are a Long Snapper if…..

August 3, 2011 By
I deal with Long Snappers. Lots and lots of Long Snappers. To say I know them well is the understatement of the year. In the past couple of weeks on Twitter, I have been spraying about certain “personality traits” I have noticed amongst my Long Snappers. One particular comment set the Long Snapping world into a tizzy. This wonderful, and true statement, was:
 
 “A true Long Snapper can’t do a head first slide, climb a fence and/or do a proper somersault.”
 
Given, many o’Long Snapper has disagreed with me and said they, in fact, could do all three (please note: I have not seen one do all three AND have actually witnessed a top tier Long Snapper cut himself, on his belly, attempting to climb a fence).
 
Needless to say, I have been creating a list (couple have been put on Twitter) that I am certain will be continuously updated (feel free to add your own on this blog’s comment section). Here you go. Enjoy:
 
You are a Long Snapper if…
·     you can’t grab a football without immediately placing your hands on it the way you snap
·     you have waited for a significant amount of time for an elevator instead of just taking the stairs
·     you have burned your mouth on pizza, yet continued to eat the pizza
·     you tend to over-think things
·     you have thrown up from eating too much.
·     you have ever searched and searched for a chair simply so you can sit down instead of standing while working
·     you have a ton of female friends (and usually end up with the hottest one as your lady friend)
·     you have blacked out from eating too much
·     you have spilled on your shirt and proceeded to lick it up rather than use a napkin
·     you are a phenomenal dancer
·     you are always tugging at your shirt to pull it away from your belly/chest (this one is a flat out epidemic amongst Long Snappers)
·     you are smart – if you weren’t, you’d be a kicker:)
·     you have tried to hide a “good ball” at a camp so no one else would use it.
·     you like ranch dressing….on everything.
·     you have tried to snap other objects besides a football (rocks, pine cones, children, etc)
·     you have the ability to power through a brain freeze to not waste a good Slurpee
·     you have entered a belly flop contest.
·     you can throw as good, if not better, spiral than your starting quarterback
·     you think you can punt
·     you tend to walk very slow
·     you have more knowledge about Long Snapping than your head coach and, odds are, so do your parents
·     you are superstitious
·     you have responded to a waitress with the word “Yes” when she asks what type of cheese you would like on your burger.
·     you have the air conditioning in your car always turned on
·     you immediately sit in a car and point the vents directly at you showing complete disregard for all other occupants.
·     you have never ordered anything less than a large…in anything.
·     you tend to scratch your stomach a lot (side note: a true, true Long Snapper has been know to let his scratching get carried away and has been seen with a finger in his belly button at times and, yes, they will always smell it)
·     you don’t realize how heavy you actually breathe and often tend to grunt
·     you have raged while watching a football game on TV because they didn’t show the snap.
·     you have snapped a ball at a party
·     and last, but certainly not least, you have used being a Long Snapper as a pick up line with the ladies_________________________________________________________________

Chris-Rubio-2Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Article Archives, Athlete, Deep Snapper, Humor, Long Snapper Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Two Rubio Long Snappers Signed as Free Agents

July 26, 2011 By

The NFL lockout officially ended on Monday morning and two long time Rubio Long Snappers were picked up almost immediately! Congratulations go out to Corey Adams of Kansas St and Christian Yount of UCLA. I have known and trained both of them for over 6 years and I can tell you that you simply won’t find two better and more loyal guys. How highly do I think of these two fine young gentleman? Put it this way, they were on a very short list that were invited to my wedding.

Here is some background on both….

Corey Adams played his high school football at a very small school outside of Denver, CO called Lewis Palmer HS. He was the first player ever offered a scholarship from there to play football (side note: well done to Kansas St). He was a TOP 12 member and the number one Long Snapper in his graduating class (2007). He went his entire four years at Kansas St without a single bad snap. Corey has helped out at the January and May Vegas Events for the past four years and has always done a terrific job.

Fun Fact: It was actually a little tricky making Corey’s high school highlight tape as his punter was too scared to catch his fast snaps. The punter was often caught on tape backing up to 18 yards or simply dropping them.

Check out this newscast of Corey in high school and look for a great cameo in it!

Christian Yount played his high school football at Tesoro HS in Coto de Caza, CA. He started snapping simply to get a spot on the bus (double side note: nice life changing decision). He was a TOP 12 member and the number one Long Snapper in his graduating class (2006). He was the first Long Snapper to ever be offered a full scholarship his junior year in high school. He grayshirted at UCLA and was a two time Playboy All-American (triple side note: he was also the first winner of the award).
 Fun Fact: Christian once had a football coach tell him that Long Snapping was a bad idea, he was wasting his time and they don’t give out scholarships for just that position. That guy was obviously like Nostradamus as Christian was the only one on his HS team to receive a full ride and he seems to have done pretty well for himself.

 
Best of luck to these two and I look forward to writing many more of these blogs about future Rubio Long Snappers headed to the NFL….will the next one be about you?

_________________________________________________________________

Chris-Rubio-2Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Article Archives, Long Snapper, Motivation, NFL Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

A Long Snapping Fairy Tale

July 20, 2011 By

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away there was a man named Rubio. One Saturday, many moons ago, he was doing his usual which, of course, meant molding a youth or two into modern-day heroes, otherwise known as Long Snappers. As he concluded his session of enlightenment, he meandered off the field and noticed a confused, but eager child. This child, appeared to be around ten years old, was doing something that immediately caught Rubio’s eye. He was playing a good ol’ game of catch with his dad. No big deal? What was odd is that he was playing catch upside down and backward.

Rubio took a double take and couldn’t help but stare. Could there really be a random youth performing the glorious art of Long Snapping on his own just a mere hundred feet or so from the older gladiators o’snapping? Rubio stood and watched and watched and watched (side note: little creepy now that I think about it). The child was doing his best but was definitely beginning to get frustrated. He would drag the ball, launch a ball, wobble a ball. All  the while, his father smiling and encouraging. Suddenly, Rubio found himself perusing towards the child. The youngin’ had just launched one over his father’s head and was becoming overwhelmed.

Rubio simply could not take any more of it. If this little rascal was willing and able, then gosh darn it, Rubio would have to make sure he knew what he was doing! There is no need for bad Long Snappers in the world you know.

Rubio got to the child while his father was about 15 yards back, turned around, picking up yet another wayward snap. The kid was flabbergasted with his snapping and a little shy to Rubio (double side note: I am pretty sure I would be too if I rolled up to me out of the blue when I was ten). Rubio explained to him who he was and what his job entailed. Right around this time, the father came back to see what was happening with his child and this random male. The father was a little taken back about the big, bald, man speaking to his son but quickly relaxed once Rubio explained the situation.

Conversation continued for a couple minutes and information was exchanged. Days went by and the father called Rubio to set up a lesson. The first sessions were interesting. The kid was very small, but willing to listen and had a very spunky attitude. Rubio loved his fire. The young Long Snapper was quiet but when he spoke, he sprayed venom. Rubio was enamored with his attitude.

Months passed. Years passed. The young Long Snapper’s form became impeccable. He went from the worst at a lesson, to someone Rubio could use as an example of what to look like to be perfect. He went from the young one, to the old one. He went from quiet and a follower, to vocal and a leader.

He grew. Maturity grabbed his body and threw him into manhood. His Long Snapping became dominant. He worked even harder and harder. He became more and more focused. He never backed down from a challenge and had no problem initiating one to prove his dominance. He was “there” with his Long Snapping.

This frustrated, small, reserved, quiet Long Snapper became one of the most dominant in Rubio Long Snapping history. Who is he?

 

Click HERE to see who this true story is about…….Will the next fairy tale be about you?

_________________________________________________________________

Chris-Rubio-2Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Deep Snapper, High School, Humor, Long Snapper, Maturity, Motivation Tagged With: , , , , , ,

In or Out?

July 13, 2011 By
When I was just a youngin’, I used to spend a good deal of time at my grandfather’s  home during the summer (his antics have been mentioned at the end of this blog). While being “watched” by my grandfather and Macaw (mentioned in this blog), I used to spend a lot of time outside (they have a huge yard). After a bit of time, I would get hungry and thirsty (five mins after I started playing…remember I was large and embraced elastic) and want to roll back in. My grandpa, who was as deaf as you could be, would rage anytime he heard the door re-open. 
Grandpa / Big Al


So, after one or two times, he would storm down from his upper living room and meander to the front door. He would stand at the door, looking like Big Al from the Country Bear Jamboree at Disneyland, stare down at me, and say “What the hell, Christopher!!! Either you are in or are you are out!!!” I would mumble a bit and say “Huh, what do you mean Grandpa?” His response was “Enough of all the noise (please remember, a bike could hear better than him). EITHER YOU ARE IN OR OUT!!!” And, right at that moment, I would have to make a decision that would last the rest of my life – or until lunch….Macaw was a softy:) Well, being a young boy and wanting to check out his massive yard (even had a creek!), I would say out. He would not bat an eye, shut the door, turn the knob and click….door was locked. Done. I was out and that was that.

Great story Rubio, but what’s the point? Like my Grandpa said to me at the door, I need to say to you right now. Are you in or are you out? Not necessarily being in regards to a house, but to your Long Snapping. Sit back and really think about yourself and your glorious craft. Are you in or or out with your snapping?

Are you just going through the motions and out?  Does this sound familiar: showing up at a camp or two, snapping some average balls, acting like you don’t care if someone beats you in a competition, never doing any drills on your own, waiting for someone to ask you to snap?

Or….are you in? Coming prepared to each camp, snapping some great balls, always doing your drills (come on man, how hard is it…I have given you tons that you can do in an air-conditioned room!), begging people to catch your snaps and really, truly wanting to be the best Long Snapper in the country?

If you fit more into the first category, you might as well stop wasting my time, your time and your parent’s money. Like I always say, if you are going to do something, you might as well go full speed and do it right!

So, what is it? Are you in or out?

_________________________________________________________________

Chris-Rubio-2Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Article Archives, Humor, Long Snapper, Maturity, Motivation Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

An Open Letter to Parents

July 6, 2011 By

Been thinking about doing this one for awhile and just needed the right time of the year. Well, that time is upon us and here you go. This blog is going to be an open letter to parents of graduated senior Long Snappers.

Dear Parents,

You did it! You have produced an upstanding young man that also happens to be one of the best Long Snappers in the country. That is quite an accomplishment to say the least. I know the past couple years have been, let’s just say, interesting. Most likely you have gone through the “I don’t want to be seen with you” stage to the “I need to be seen with you for money and to borrow a car” stage to the “I actually don’t mind your presence that much and kinda enjoy hanging out with you” stage. Well done.

Now comes the hard part, letting them go. There is going to be a fine line in letting them really lead their lives to the fullest and being flat out absent. You need to be there for your child but don’t hold his hand. Guide from a distance is the best way to put it. Since you are a parent of a Long Snapper and Long Snappers play football, there is a pretty darn good shot your son is already heavily involved in the “voluntary” summer workouts. Your son will need you only for motivation right now. His life is going to be a cross between really fun (new place and new people) to really bad (summer workouts mean they push them as hard as possible knowing they have a couple months to be healed) and he is going to need a little push every once in awhile. Keep on him and don’t let him miss a workout. You don’t want him pissing the coach off this soon in his career. They are like me, they remember everything.

During season will be simple due to their schedule. They will be so busy, they won’t have time to miss you, their friends or their home-life. That is a good thing. Keep up with the calls and such. Send them a little treat every so often. Gift card, simple note, baked goods. Doesn’t have to be a big thing. Just something that shows them you are behind them and will always be there for them. They will love it and be the envy of others. Trust me. 

Off-season is going to be very rough for them. They have no football (except conditioning – think summer time but worse since you have even more time to heal) so they will have a lot of free time on their hands. The free time is when they get into trouble with their thinking (too much of it which equals woe is me attitude and wishing for familiarity of home and past friends) and girls (too many of them and one will try to lock on…why wouldn’t they, your son is a Long Snapper!). Between January and May is the time when I would highly suggest a family trip out to the school if possible. He will need some family at this time, even if he doesn’t admit. Also, at this point, he should be acclimated enough to actually show you around and not look like a completely lost moron. Get him through this part of his first year and you should pretty safe the rest of the time. The rest of the time at school will be his second, third and fourth time through the process. This first year is the toughest. If you get to June and he is solid, you are sitting pretty.Do not let them transfer. It rarely works out. If they bring it up, shoot it down immediately. Do not let them fall behind on their grades, it is a rough road to get back on track. Do not let them come home every weekend, they need to spread their wings and learn to survive on their own. I don’t care how much they beg, don’t let them do it.

When it really starts to hit the fan, remember this and feel free to pass this along as it works for the parents and the kids: You are not the first person to go through this process and you definitely won’t be the last. If others can do it, so can you! I have used this phrase a ton in my life and I hope it can help you as well.

Rubio

 

Rubio Professional

_________________________________________________________________

Chris-Rubio-2Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Article Archives, College, Deep Snapper, Graduating, Graduation, High School, Long Snapper, Maturity, Parenting, Relationships Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

You’re a Long Snapper? That’s Not Even a Position!!!

June 22, 2011 By

If you are a Long Snapper or connected to one somehow (side note: if you aren’t, I double embrace you for reading this blog) you have undoubtedly heard a statement like the title or even worse before in your glorious upside down and backwards life. Imagine my world when I try to explain my job to someone….you know how many times I have heard, “Oh, I thought the center just did that”

The issue arises in how to deal with these people. The above person is just ignorant and just doesn’t grab the whole football concept. They should be simply dealt with by providing a quick explanation so they are enlightened and can now live a full life.

Those that are just plain mean and degrading should be dealt with differently. I like to handle them in two ways that I have found work well for me.

  1. IGNORE THEM. Give a slight little you-are-a-moron-and-you-know-it smirk and a possible nod so they realize how lame they really are at this point in their life.  This usually upsets them since they are not getting a rise out of you.  If they continue and aren’t grasping the fact that they need help, I will let out a big, fake, over the top chuckle. Sometimes, I even throw in a good “woooo” while losing my breath and a knee slap to really lay it on thick.This person is very similar to the old elementary school scenario where the little boy likes the little girl so he hits her. He doesn’t know better and is simply looking for a response. No response equals him spreading out and moving onto the next person he likes/wants to harass. If the person continues to bother you, it is time to move onto the second option.
  2. PLAY CATCH. I used to do this a good amount in college when the guys would give me a rough time (for some reason they were a little salty that my practice was only five minutes. Hey, not my fault Sailer and I could master our skill so darn quickly). Tell the joker to catch a snap if it is such a lame position. Play it up a bit, “Come on, if anyone can snap, than surely anyone should be able to catch a snap.” Now, put them at 8-10 yards. They will say it is too close. You say you aren’t warm. Focus on every single thing I have ever taught you and LET IT RAIN! If done properly, you should knock the wind out of them:) This is where they will try to do it and look like a idiot. Game over.

My grandpa (the stories I could tell you about this man would be amazing and have to be on cable) gave me some good advice for situations like this. Little background on him for reference:

  • Passed away almost 20 years ago.
  • Lived across the street from a golf course. Still drove there so people could see his monstrous Cadillac.
  • Cadillac, sans seat-belts in back, would have so much Armor All on seats that sitting in the back would be like being in a pinball machine since you would slide back and forth to crash into sides. Don’t worry, at least he would yell at you to stay still while you careened back and forth.
  • His method of parking was idling until he hit whatever was in front of him “That’s what bumpers are for you _______”
  • He taught me how to twirl spaghetti only three times on my fork….Me, “Why only three times grandpa?” Grandpa, “any more than that and you are an _______.” Appreciate the detailed explanation.

He said, “Christopher, when you find out that someone doesn’t like you it is one of the greatest days of your life.” Given, I asked why and he responded with “because as soon as you know someone doesn’t like you, you no longer have to be nice to that ________ and can move onto better people that are worth your time.” What great spray and advice that I have used countless times in my life.

Be proud of being a Long Snapper. Very few people in the world can actually do it and do it right. If anyone attempts to mock you with a comment such as…You are not athletic, It is not a real position, It doesn’t take talent, Anyone can do it, You’re technically not on the team, You are not a real football player, You don’t even matter…. realize they are just jealous and ignore them. Of course, if that doesn’t work, grab a ball and simply play a nice, little game of catch:)

Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Rubio has been featured in the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the USA Today, Deadspin and countless other publications.

Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world, Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 14 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 1,000 Long Snappers earning full scholarships and preferred walk-on opportunities to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Article Archives, Humor, Long Snapper, Motivation Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Are You a Rubio Long Snapper?

June 10, 2011 By
Often on my Twitter, I will reference someone as a Rubio Long Snapper. One would think a Rubio Long Snapper is someone that simply has attended my camps and/or lessons. Not true at all. There is a criteria and not everyone makes the cut. You think you are a Rubio Long Snapper. Let’s see…..a Rubio Long Snapper is…..
  1. someone that wants to get better. You are not at a camp or a lesson simply to go through the motions. You want to be the best and won’t stop until you get there.
  2. someone that is willing to listen and I mean really listen. I am not talking simply nodding your head when I speak to you. That is ignorant since you won’t even allow yourself to learn and I can spot it a mile away. It is actually insulting and is remembered by me when a coach wants to know what type of person a particular Long Snapper is. A college coach will want to have someone on their team that is coachable and not just going through the motions. I can see it a mile away, they can see it a state away.
  3. someone that will trust me. Getting into a Long Snapping position is not always the easiest, most flattering or most comfortable but it will get you to perfect form. Suck it up. You are fine and it will pay off. Trust me.
  4. someone that is out to have a good time. Don’t get me wrong, I want all of my Long Snappers to get better….and they will. But, they will also have a good time. I am major believer in the fact that an athlete will do better when they are relaxed and not filled with tension as I have previously stated within my blog.Think about it, have you ever noticed that my top Long Snappers are always smiling and having a great time? One has to wonder: are they smiling because they are good OR are they good because they are smiling?
  5. someone that knows when to turn it on and off. This goes for having a good time and being competitive. I want you to win and I want you to dominate but I want to realize our position. One of the best things about being a Long Snapper is that is done within about five seconds. You need to be mentally focused and ready for five seconds. Not hours. We are not playing chess or solving cancer….we are snapping a dead animal fast. This is not rocket science. Do not treat it as such. There is no need to be ultra aggressive and a practice hero all the time. Focus, snap, relax. Focus, snap, relax. Take a deep breath and enjoy life. Things could be worse. You could be a kicker:)
  6. someone who is supportive of other Rubio Long Snappers. Yes, you want to be the best and destroy others for the five seconds you are snapping the ball but as soon as that five seconds is over, you should be supportive of your “opponent.” Long Snapping is an interesting little position because the only person you are really going against is you! Your competitor has literally no affect on you (side note: if he does, you need to stop focusing on him and focus simply on yourself)
Recently, I was uploading all of the videos from the 9th Annual National Kicking and Snapping Spring Event and noticed something very interesting. I must have viewed thousands of clips but it was actually the very last one that really caught my eye and inspired this blog. Within the clip, I saw the epitome of a Rubio Long Snapper. Here is a little background on the one minute and twenty-nine second clip I want you to watch: black shirt is Josh Antol out of CA and green shirt is Kelly Mason out of IL. They both outlasted 100 Long Snappers to get to this point, the Finals Round where the winner earns free camps for one full year! The clip is actually the very last snap of the entire weekend. Watch the film and then continue reading….
The best part about this film is not the wonderful form of both snappers (pat on my back), not the speed (pat), not the accuracy (pat pat), not the crowd, not the cameras clicking like it is going out of style or even the woman yelling in the background.
To me, the best part part of the entire life-changing film is at precisely 1:24. At that exact moment,  you see Josh Antol (the second place finisher) and Scott Daly (sitting down in front, the #1 in the class of 2012 and already committed to Notre Dame) immediately go directly to Kelly to congratulate him with an embrace. Antol could have pouted and stormed off. Daly could have thought he was better than the whole process and not even been there. They listened to get their bodies to this point, the competed, they had fun, they respected one another and they were supportive all within minutes. What Antol and Daly did at 1:24 is, by far, the most impressive thing I saw that entire weekend.
Those are Rubio Long Snappers.

Are you one?

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Filed Under: Article Archives, Deep Snapper, Long Snapper, Maturity, Motivation Tagged With: , , , , ,

How to Choose The Right College

June 3, 2011 By
So you finally finish your junior year of high school and are really starting to focus on the next step of your life….college.  Choosing the right college for you (and only you) is a major decision and should not be taken lightly. Like they say, college is “four for forty” meaning it is a four year experience that will affect you for the next forty….better choose wisely.
Here are my thoughts on how to pick the right school for my Long Snappers:

  1. NEVER, ever, ever choose a school based on the coach. Yeah, yeah, yeah I know he loves you and has been so nice to you and his 3rd grade daughter absolutely loves her elementary school and he and his wife just redecorated the house and blah, blah, blah. That coach gets a better offer and he is gone. Gone. I was at UCLA for five years and had only ONE coach finish with me that started with me. Shocking? Actually quite common. With coaches leaving for greener pastures and other issues, stay clear of choosing a school simply for a coach.
  2. Make sure your choice is a school that you could see yourself attending if you did not play football. God forbid you get injured or a coach leaves which makes you sad (refer to #1), you should be able to handle your school sans football. Football only swallows your time for certain months of the year. When season is over, you will need to be able to find yourself on the campus and the community and be happy.
  3. Remember where you are from and what you are used to. Make sure you understand that the USA is a very different place state by state. Whether it be the climate (humidity), types of people (polite or rude), restaurants (Five Guys) or even customs (y’all). America is a vast place and if you are not familiar with your surroundings it can be a shell shock that will make you want to head back home…..which you do not want.
    I am not saying you shouldn’t go out and explore or move away. I embrace something new for my guys. I am just saying you should understand what moving away entails. Think ahead so you don’t have to move back. Yet again, you don’t want that within your college career.

    Take your time with your college decision. It is something that will have a great deal of affect on you for a long, long time. You will meet a ton of interesting people and might even end up working with them. Nah, that couldn’t happen…could it?

Sailer and I at UCLA circa 1997 dominating the kicking and snapping world
Sailer and I at 9th Annual Event in 2011 dominating the kicking and snapping world

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Filed Under: Article Archives, College, Graduating, High School, Long Snapper, Maturity, Recruiting Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Are You Helping or Hindering Your Athlete?

May 24, 2011 By

There is a very simple, tiny little factor that can make a terrific athlete (Long Snapper in this case) an absolute disaster. It isn’t something you can touch, buy or even give to someone. It is a feeling and it is often brought about by a person that loves the athlete the most. The feeling is TENSION and the person(s) often inflicting it are the PARENTS.

Athletes can be tense from self inflicted pressure (rarely) or, more often than not, from an outside source (parent/guardian).

An athlete that is working, truly working (camps, lessons, doing drills on their own, watching film, etc) to become the best KNOWS what rides with each “step” they take in life. They know the implications, they know the ramifications and they know the factors that will enable them to reach their goals within their sport. They got it. Trust me, they know. They do need a little motivation now and again (notice I say motivation which means being positive and not negative) but they do not need to be harassed.

When a parent rides an athlete and nags them, they will make them tense. Very tense. Being tense is not the same as pressure. Pressure is something that every athlete, and person, will have to deal with in life. It is a given. Whether it is a game winning snap, a public speech, a deadline or making your paycheck stretch, you will experience some sort of pressure….so why would you want to add on to that pressure for your son/daughter with tension?

So, how do you know if your athlete is tense? How do you know if your athlete is really into his/her sport and doing it because THEY want to or because YOU want them to? Here are the two biggest ways I have noticed…..
1. Sit back and see who approaches who to get some practice in to get better. Are you asking THEM to get some work in or are they asking YOU? If you find yourself pressing the issue, you might want to pull back a bit. Odds are they are doing it for you, are stressed out and are filled with tension.
2. After each particular key play (a snap in this case) do they focus on what they are doing or do the immediately look up to see your reaction? If an athlete tends to look up immediately for approval from a parent, they are usually running very tense and will never be fully happy or succeed to their fullest extent.

So, what should you (a parent) do? Watch your kid in sports, let them see you NODDING in approval, let them hear you giving them PRAISE and being POSITIVE.

Or don’t.

The choice is yours.

I have been working with top athletes for over a decade and I have NEVER seen one perform better when they are tense. If you simply don’t have the ability to nod (side note: you seriously might want to work on that) I recommend just staying back a bit. Definitely come and support your child but just keep a good distance. Instead of watching from the sideline, watch from the top of the bleachers. Don’t even let your kid know where you are sitting. Spread out. You’ll still be able to see what is happening and relay back to them what you saw.

An athlete will ALWAYS excel at a higher level when they are confident and relaxed. There is enough pressure on them at the camps, competitions, events and games without someone else adding tension to the equation. Be supportive, not suffocating and watch the results skyrocket. No matter how independent a non-adult athlete feels they are,  they will always follow your lead and feed off of you.  Be worth following.

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Chris-Rubio-2Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

 

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Filed Under: Article Archives, College, Deep Snapper, Football, High School, Long Snapper, Maturity, Motivation, Parenting, Recruiting, Relationships Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Rubio, Can You Give Me Some Pointers?

May 11, 2011 By

That is probably the most common question I receive through email, phone, Twitter and Facebook and the answer is, of course, YES!

But, I don’t.

Why? Cause life doesn’t work that way. Do you simply want an answer or do you want the right answer? Confused? Let me explain.

I could easily give you some cookie-cutter, plain Jane answer to appease you, but what good does that really do? If you want me to give you a specific answer and one that actually works, I need to see exactly what I am dealing with.

Think of it this way, would you call your mechanic and spray him about how bad your car is and how it needs to be fixed but then NOT bring it into them? No. You would get the car to them so they could see it, decipher the problem and rectify the situation.

The same goes with me. As soon as I see you live (video’s fine, but it is harder for me to explain unless you are right next to me. At that point, I know you’ll get it), I can fix your issues within a matter of seconds. Don’t get me wrong, I can easily give you some generic answer to make you feel better but it won’t make you better. Side note: those that give you a quick answer right off the bat, most likely don’t know what they are talking about and are just trying to make it look like they do.

I can fix any single problem you have with Long Snapping and I can do it quick. This is my job and I take it very, very seriously. You want to be more accurate, more consistent, snap faster, block better, etc? Check, check, check and check. No problem at all, but let me see you first. I want to make sure you are getting a correct answer the first time (as I am sure you do too).

Remember, there are no shortcuts to greatness. Rarely does someone just have an immediate knack for Long Snapping. Every single one of my top kids started the same way….not knowing what they are doing. They began slow, worked hard on their form, their mental attitude and Bam!, they now know what they are doing with their Long Snapping. They worked smart and not just hard. You can spend all day pushing on a door to get out of a room but if it says to pull you might want to re-evaluate your methods.

Kind of funny how Long Snapping is just like life, huh?
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Rubio_Card_frontMAGNET
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Chris-Rubio-2Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Article Archives, Deep Snapper, Long Snapper Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Rubio Long Snapper Reid Ferguson Receives Full Ride Offer

May 7, 2011 By

Long time Rubio Long Snapper Reid Ferguson (2012, GA) has been offered a full scholarship from San Diego St! Reid started his career with Rubio Long Snapping at the beginning of his freshman year in high school and has been dominating ever since.

Reid is someone that has worked extremely hard for what he has earned within his football career. His form is darn near flawless and his large frame enables him to snap an absolute rocket. He plays for a powerhouse in Georgia so he is used to the spotlight and definitely seems to be his best when the pressure is on. Here is a clip of him at the 9th Annual Event in Las Vegas:

If Reid decides on San Diego St. he would be taking over for former #1 Rubio Long Snapper Aaron Brewer and would be coached by Tony White who is a former teammate of Rubio from UCLA back in the day.
Congratulations again to Reid Ferguson!UPDATE: Reid has also earned offers from Tennessee and LSU!

NEW UPDATE 6/20: Reid has committed to LSU!

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Chris-Rubio-2Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Article Archives, College, Deep Snapper, Exposure, Long Snapper, Motivation, Recruiting, scholarship Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

You

May 3, 2011 By
Why you? Why not you? Do you think you can do it or do you doubt yourself?

There are many reasons the best athletes are the best. One of the key factors is that they know they are. Nothing stops them. Tell them they can’t do something and they will go out of their way to prove you wrong.

How many times has someone told you that you can’t do something?

You are too small.
You are too heavy.
You are too slow.
You can’t get a scholarship.
You can’t snap in the .7s.
You can’t be accurate.
You can’t snap AND block.
You can’t go to college.
You can’t make the pros.
You don’t have the drive.
You don’t have the flexibility.

You don’t have the grades.
You don’t have the ability.
You don’t have “it”

Or do you?

Prove the world wrong today. Prove….them….wrong. Go out, with confidence, and dominate others. Control your future and do it now.

I KNOW you can do it………………Do you?

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Chris-Rubio-2Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Article Archives, Deep Snapper, Long Snapper, Motivation Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,