Coach, Please take some time to listen to your Long Snapper

2015 Spring Rubio bannerCoach…Please allow me to warm up before you want me to snap live in practice. Think about it, would you really have your starting QB sit for 30 minutes and then tell him to throw a perfect 45 yard post? I didn’t think so.

Please take my craft seriously. I know you don’t think much of it, but I do. To me, Long Snapping is a main part of who I am now and who I plan to be in the future.

Please don’t just give me some lineman pads because I am on the line. I need to be able to move my arms. They actually make pads for my position. I swear they do. If you can find money in the booster fund for QB pads, maybe there is some funds for me as well.

Please don’t just rush past my snaps on film. Just like  other players can learn from film, so can I. If you don’t want to watch, maybe just allow me some time to watch on my own. I want to get better, allow me to do so.

Please treat me, and my position, with respect. I deserve it and so does anyone that plays Long Snapper. It is not the easiest thing to do and should be highly respected. If you think I am off on this one, try playing a game without a Long Snapper and see how that works out for you and the team.

Please trust me when I tell you that people actually do get recruited for Long Snapping nowadays. It is not like the old days when colleges just “found someone” on the team to do it. Don’t believe me? Look HERE

Coach, please listen to me.

– 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.

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What Coaches Will Ask a Recruit

Everyone always wants to know the key questions a coach will ask their son/daughter when they are getting recruited and the truth is, it’s the basics…

  • “So, what’s up?”
  • “How is school?”
  • “How is the weather?”
  • “How are your grades?”
  • “Would you be interested in coming to _____________ to get your degree and play some football?”

Right now, you are thinking “this is a joke, Rubio.” No, it is not. The coach is not looking to solve the world’s problems by speaking to your kid. He is simply trying to see if your kid is a moron or not.

Seriously.

They just want to hear the athlete speak, make sure he/she is not an idiot and someone that can operate on their own without mommy/daddy speaking for them.

So, you want to prep your kid? Just speak to them.

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2015 Spring Rubio banner

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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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3 Things That Will Upset a Coach

Starting a text with “I have a question

  • JUST ASK! Now, you have wasted the coach’s time and have put him in a bad mood right off the bat. Just come out with your question right off the bat. All he is going to say is “Ok” and then you are going to ask the question. He will be busy enough, so he doesn’t need to double up questions.

Starting a text or email with “I know you are really busy but….

  • If you know the person is busy, why are you bothering them? You will just end up upsetting them. You don’t want to be known as that kid.

Bragging to them about meaningless things

  • There is no need to tell them you are the top Long Snapper at your high school. We should hope so for the love of all that is holy. Definitely no need to brag about being the top Long Snapper at a camp that had ten kids at it. That would be like Sailer bragging he has more hair than me…not really saying much:)

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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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What a Preferred Walk-On Needs to Ask

You got a preferred walk-on spot to a major university? That is great news BUT know what you are getting into….

  • They (coaches/school) will most likely try to bring in more than one preferred walk-on. They will do this for competition. ASK IF THEY ARE BRINGING SOMEONE ELSE IN
  • They will want you to get on campus soon. ASK WHAT IS THE EARLIEST YOU CAN BECOME A MEMBER OF THE TEAM. You will want to get there asap to get a jump on the rest of the athletes that will be competing with you for the scholarship.
  • They will tell you that you can earn the scholarship. ASK EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO EARN THE SCHOLARSHIP (use the word EXACTLY so you can hold them to it)
  • They will tell you that you can be put on scholarship immediately if you start. ASK EXACTLY WHEN YOU WILL BE PUT ON SCHOLARSHIP. Will it be after the first game you start, the next quarter/semester, or the next year? (Yes, use the word EXACTLY again so you can hold them to it).

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ASK RUBIO “My coach just….”

Dear Rubio….

My coach just took another job at a bigger school. What do I do now?
-Angry Long Snapper

Angry Long Snapper…
I have actually answered this question a couple times recently due to coaches leaving or being fired. Bottom line, just go out and do your job. It most likely will happen again in other positions. The coaching change will not impact how you snap the ball. That is what is most important: how you snap the ball to enable your team to win. You chose the school, not the coach. If you did choose the school based on the coach, you have obviously NOT been paying attention to what Sailer and I have been saying for years.
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Dear Rubio….

I have recently committed to snap for a coach that could possibly be leaving the University after this season. He wants to take me with him to the bigger college and snap over there. The problem is that although the current school is a HBCU I feel like I would feel more at home and do better with my studies there instead of the bigger school.

-Snapper From the Deep South

Snapper From the Deep South….
Stay with your commitment. The coach wants you to go to make his job easier. If you go with him, he won’t have to start from scratch and recruit another Long Snapper. He knows you are good and will do a solid job…that is why he recruited you.

I always say, pick a school that you can see yourself being happy at IF you weren’t playing football. You will have a lot of downtime in the off-season and if you aren’t happy, you will want to transfer and that RARELY works out. Stay with the smaller school.
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8 Things Every Parent Can do to Help with Recruiting

Follow these easy steps to make your son and/or daughter a more recruitable athlete…

 

  1. Do NOT overstep your bounds. If I have said it once, I have said it a hundred times….the coach will be recruiting your son and/or daughter, NOT you.
  2. Be very supportive of your son and/or daughter. I know they are going through their teenage years and this one can be tough, but remember, you were once a teenager (even if they don’t acknowledge) and times can be tough.
  3. Make sure your son and/or daughter will actually have a chance to go to college. There are tons of hoops to jump through nowadays, and you want to make sure your child has them all covered.
  4. Create a nice, clean highlight tape that is available on YouTube. Remember, you do NOT have to be an award winning director to create a great video.
  5. Review possible questions that a coach might ask your son and/or daughter. Role play if you will. Make sure your child speaks clearly, slowly and is looking you in the eyes.
  6. Do research on schools and try as hard as you can to take some trips to the schools on NON sports days. Sure, every school looks amazing on game day, but that is not reality. It will only look like that about six weekends per year. Go to the campus on a Tuesday, see what is really like. Go during different seasons so you can truthfully understand the different weather the area might have.
  7. Be sure your son is getting the right type of exposure from the right people. Just because someone tells you something, doesn’t mean it is true. Ask around, ask other parents. Do your homework.
  8. Allow your kid to be on social media, but make sure they know you are monitoring them. Nothing personal to the athletes, but they are young and they are dumb (sorry, it’s true and the reason I know it’s true is because every single adult was also, you guessed it, young AND dumb once as well) and they will make mistakes. The only difference is that when an adult used to be young and dumb, only the people that saw them do something ignorant knew about it. Now, with the onslaught of social media, the world can know about it in less than a second. Even saying that, there are so many benefits to social media for them to be off of it (one of the first questions a coach will ask me, “is the kid on Facebook? Have him friend me so I can contact him”).

 

 

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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 15 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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Key Questions to Ask a College Coach

I have been getting a lot of emails, texts and calls about what to say to a college coach once you get a hold of them or they of you.  Some pretty basic questions to ask, but, I have to warn you, you might not like the “answers.”

Question you should ask but WON’T get a straight answer:

Player – Coach, are you recruiting anyone else at my position?

This is a great question but more likely than not, the coach will lie to you and say no one else. And, they have no reason to tell you. Think about it, would you be completely honest with a girl if you asked her to prom and she asked if there was anyone else you were considering asking? Didn’t think so.

Questions you should ask and NEED to get a straight answer: 

Player – Coach, if I am preferred walk-on, when exactly will I report to camp, does this include my admission to school and when exactly when will I be put on scholarship?

Major questions to ask and you definitely need to find out the answers. You want to be brought in asap and if you aren’t, you need to find out why. Most likely they have another guy they didn’t tell you about and this could be an issue moving forward. Next, you want to make sure it is very clear when you will be put on scholarship. Is it going to be right after your first start? Is it going to be a semester after your first start? Is it going to be when the senior graduates? Is it going to be one year after you start? Use the word exactly and find out the specifics with the coach. Don’t let them fluff an answer.

Question you want to ask but SHOULDN’T EVEN BOTHER expecting a straight answer:
Player – Coach, will you be there all four/five years I am in school?

The coach will answer YES but there is no way he is being completely honest with you. If something better coaching wise comes up, they are gone (and they should be…this is their job and their livelihood). Remember, never, ever choose a college based on the coach.

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Top 5 Things a Coach Looks at When You are on the Field

Here are the top 5 things a coach will look at, in addition, obviously, to your athletic ability, when they are scouting you on the football field….

  1. Are you looking to the crowd, specifically mom and/or dad, after every single play? There is nothing more frustrating for a coach than to see a player who needs constant reassurance from his parents throughout the game. Trust yourself and be confident. You will be able to speak with them after the game. It’s not like they can even help you during the process so focus on you and the game. 
  2. Are you hustling? If you aren’t hustling on the field, that means you won’t hustle in practice or in the off-season. They want an athlete that goes full speed and, by the end, of the game, is done.
  3. Are you taking plays off? Goes along with #2. A coach despises a player that, quite obviously, will take a play off here and there. What happens when the play you take off goes your way? The play is done and so are you.
  4. Are you interacting with teammates? When you come to the sideline, are you cheering your team on? Are you motivating? Are you putting people down? Are you focused on the game? Are you looking in the crowd? Are you arguing with coaches?
  5. Are you making mistakes? This one can be tricky, because if you are hustling, going full speed and not taking plays off, it will be hard for them to even tell IF you have made a mistake on the field. Obviously, coaches don’t want you to make a mistake, but like they say, if you do, make it a hundred miles per hour.

Remember, if a coach actually comes to a game to recruit you, he will be completely focused on the little things throughout the entire process. Essentially is job and his life is on the line. He recruits poorly and he is fired. He will watch you like a hawk and see everything. Make sure he sees the right things and he leaves with no doubt you are the man for the job.

_________________________________________________________________

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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Top 7 Things a Coach Asks Me about a Possible Recruit….

How are his grades? (No grades, no college….pretty simple concept, I would hope)

What type of person is he? (Long Snappers have a lot of free time and they want someone they don’t have to worry about)

Would you let him date your daughter? (In other words, can they trust you)

Is he coachable? (Nothing upsets a coach more than someone who thinks they are better than coaching that hears what they are saying and not listening. Trust me, they, and I, know the staring through someone trick)

Do you think he has “it?” (If you don’t know about this, you don’t have “it”)

Does he have video on YouTube? (the only time they bring up another video service, like Brand H, it is with disgust and DVD’s are pretty much obsolete)

Would you hang out with him? (Pretty much rolls with #2, #3, #4 and #5)

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, they don’t ask too much about a recruit’s athletic ability. They will know all about that from talking to me and your football coach. A coach, at any level, and agents, will want to know about things that usually aren’t on paper since those things will play a major role, in the long run, in how you do on the field.

_________________________________________________________________

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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RUBIO LONG SNAPPING: SPRING CAMPS

WHO CAN ATTEND?

Spring Long Snapping Camps are open to ALL Long Snappers. You do NOT have to be invited to attended and any Spring Rubio Long Snapping Camp. These Long Snapping Camps are open to Long Snappers from 8th grade (younger with permission from Chris Rubio) through college.   – The winners of each camp receive a FREE admission to the May Vegas Event put on by Rubio Long Snapping (travel and accommodations excluded).

Please note: Yes, you will be ranked when you attend this camp and yes, Rubio will be at the camp.

WHAT ARE THEY?

These camps are one day camps that offer instruction, film and classroom session, Long Snapping Discussion, NCSA recruiting meeting, Nutritional Discussion and Competition. Attending these camps gives you top notch instruction and the chance to be added to the  Rubio Long Snapping Player Ranking Section of the website.

WHEN ARE THEY?

  • February 24th, CA
  • March 3rd, TX
  • March 17th, IL
  • April 13, NC
  • April 14th, GA
  • April 28th, CA

SCHEDULE (subject to change)

Long Snappers:

  • 8:30 – 11:10 Instruction
  • 11:00 – 1:00 Film/Lunch
  • 1:00 – 1:45 Long Snapping Discussion / or NCSA Recruiting Meeting
  • 2:00 – 4:30 Filming for YouTube, Competition and Evaluation

Click HERE to register as a long snapper for one of the above camps.

Note: Spots are limited to ensure quality instruction. Sign up early to avoid missing out.

LOCATIONS

  • February 24th, CA
  • March 3rd, TX
  • March 17th, IL
  • April 13, NC
  • April 14th, GA
  • April 28th, CA

WHY ATTEND?

  • To get the best instruction and the most exposure possible in the world as a Long Snapper.
  • To be ranked with Rubio Long Snapping.
  • To receive a Rubio Long Snapping shirt.
  • To be filmed for YouTube
  • To have the chance to win FREE admission to the Rubio Long Snapping National Spring Event in May in Las Vegas (travel and accommodations not included)

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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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Q & A about High School Football Recruiting

As soon as the football season begins to come to an end, questions start to really creep into a recruit, and their parents’, heads. To begin, if you are a Long Snapper, it is still very early in the recruiting process. Many things can happen from now until you actually step foot on a college campus to start your career. Here are some top questions I am getting through email, text, Twitter, Facebook and even Instagram.

1. Is it me or has recruiting been slow this Fall?
– You are correct and it (recruiting) is always slow in the fall. I call it the “First Thing’s First” period of time. College coaches are obviously coaching during the football season and they are spending a massive amount of time doing so with their current team. Up until about late November, they are more worried about what their current team is doing instead of what their future team will be doing. Therefore, when late November rolls around, most coaches have a pretty good idea whether or not their current team is phenomenal or if their current team is pretty much out of the picture and they can start recruiting next year’s crop of talent. Bottom line, if you are a solid recruit, get ready for a wild ride.

2. Should I transfer since my coach just got fired for not winning?
– Absolutely not! I know you didn’t choose your school based on the coach, so that shouldn’t even matter. Unless you have a massive issue (think Penn St.), you will have to sit out a year and won’t be able to play right away. Therefore, you are asking a future school to pick you up, scholarship you and wait. All the while, when they most likely already have a current athlete on scholarship within your position. Coaches are not into “burning” two scholarships on the same position, especially for a specialist. Think about it, would you pay for a car that you aren’t using? Didn’t think so and neither would the coaches.

3. I have several schools that are recruiting me now and I know many others will be coming on board, should I apply to all of them since application deadlines are right around the corner?
– Absolutely not UNLESS you are CERTAIN you can get in on your own academically and without athletic assistance. It is easier for a school to recruit you later in the process, even after the application deadline, and get you into school IF you have not already been denied admittance. If you have already been denied, they have to pull some MAJOR strings to get you in and they hate doing that unless you’re the stud of all studs.

4. Is it a problem if a school starts to recruit me after the application deadline and I didn’t apply to their school?
– Nope. It doesn’t matter. They (the coach) will literally walk your application to the admissions office and have it expedited through the process. The whole operation can easily take less than a day.

5. If a coach wants my film, how should I get it to him? DVD or online? 
– A couple years ago, I would have said both, but today, I am heavily leaning towards simply online. Online is faster, quicker, it won’t get lost, they don’t have to carry it and they can see it anywhere, immediately, if they have their cell or iPad (which is everywhere they are). And, when creating your online highlight tape, be sure to use YouTube and not any other video sharing services. I continue to hear coaches say they only want YouTube since there is NEVER a problem with it’s service.

Click HERE to have this blog read to you.

Bryce Haynes of Ohio St. signing his letter of intent
after a long and rewarding recruiting process.

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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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Athletes and Dating

High School can be an amazing time for an athlete. They can experience the challenges of some difficult classes, bonding with teammates that will become great friends, playing under the “Friday night lights” and, finally, dating, and possibly, locking into a steady significant other.

Depending on your point of view, the last three words of the above paragraph can either put an enormous smile on your face or make you want to cringe and kick a butterfly. The whole “my son, who is a tremendous athlete, just got a girlfriend and……..” is as old as athletics itself. The issue is how to deal with it.

Now, there are two ways to look at this and I have spoken to coaches about it as well….

  1. One side can be excited for an athlete that locks into a significant other as it can control and tame them a bit. If you have a significant other, you are less likely to be hitting the streets raging with your friends and get into mischief that way. An athlete that is tied down tends to be a bit more subdued on the weekend and, therefore, can get into less trouble.
  2. The other side is not a fan of an athlete having a significant other as it usually means more drama. And, with more drama, comes more mental anguish. The last thing a coach wants is their prized recruit wondering what he did wrong and how he can fix it with his date. The coach wants you focused. And, to clarify, that means focus on school and football.
So, the issue for the athlete is whether or not to get a significant other?  Let’s be honest, it is going to happen. Athletes tend to not have too big of an issue obtaining dates. Not sure if it is the confidence, the dashing good looks, the potential for a ground breaking hug or the ability to be a party trick, but Long Snappers always seem to be with a date(s). Part of the job if you will. Therefore, it’s going to happen.

Then, the issue for the parents of said athletes is whether to let it (flock of dates/locking down to a significant other) happen or “attempt” to put the brakes on it with their parental powers.

 
I say let them experience life and do what they are going to do. Let them have fun. Let them see what the bad ones are like so they know how to hold on to the good ones. They may even be that one in a million case that ends up with their high school sweetheart. Bless their heart if they are and more power to them. Plus, if you (the parental figure) try to halt it, they will push back harder. Remember, you jumped from birth to parenting without going through the high school years so you don’t know what they are going through at this stage in their lives.
 
I may sound cold-hearted but it is reality and I have seen it countless times with my Long Snappers throughout the years so I am tad biased. Too many times I have seen this happen…
  • a phenomenal athlete locks into a significant other
  • said athlete “knows” it is the real thing
  • said athlete becomes obsessed with their partner
  • they end up letting it consume too much time in their lives
  • they become distracted from their studies, their sport and lose focus
  • they get passed up on the depth chart and continually make excuses as to why they aren’t playing more or at all. 
  • they graduate (sometimes they don’t)  and, for the rest of their lives, wonder what if?

Bottom line, you (the athlete) are young and you should go out and have some fun. Date, enjoy life, lock in if you feel the need BUT remember that unless that significant other is paying your way through college, you might have to cut the strings and live your own life a lot sooner than later.

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 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 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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