Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Hollis.
Hi Mike, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
As a kid, I had a passion for kicking footballs and became the kicker for the teams I played for. I was fortunate to have a personal kicking coach that taught me all that know about kicking. This knowledge combined with hard work and dedication eventually landed me in the NFL where I played 9 years and was once voted All-Pro and represented the AFC (of the NFL) in the 1998 Pro Bowl in Hawaii.
A few years after retiring from the NFL I decided to start a local (Jacksonville) kicking academy and brought on my personal kicking coach (Jim Gaetano) as the head coach in “ProForm Kicking.” Jim and I both grew up in Spokane Washington, and we both now consider Jacksonville to be home. After 15 years of running ProForm Kicking Academy, we’ve helped many young, college, and pro athletes become better at their skills.
We’ve helped some high school kids go on to play in college (all levels), we’ve helped some college athletes go on to play at the pro level (all levels), and we’ve helped older athletes who’ve gotten back into kicking, become successful. We’ve also worked virtually with athletes from other countries and assisted with them becoming successful with their kicking.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all. As you can imagine, there are a small number of kickers, punters, and long snappers (comparatively to the average market), and this number of athletes is pretty niche. Marketing has been a big struggle as there are now a lot of other kicking coaches in this market.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
ProForm Kicking Academy offers one of the most detailed kickings, punting, and long/short snapping academies in the nation. With the ability to train within a private environment inside a 75,000 square foot sports facility, all athletes can train year-round… despite the weather conditions! This environment also allows the athlete to focus on form and technique, maximizing the potential for perfecting their swing.
ProForm Kicking coaches (Mike Hollis & Jim Gaetano) have 35+ combined years of recognizing proper and improper movements within the kicking and punting motions… not only by visually seeing them but by experiencing them as well. Both coach Hollis and coach Gaetano have kicked thousands of footballs at ALL levels of football and have learned to identify and correct any problems they have encountered. That is what separates an average kicker from a great kicker… and ProForm Kicking Academy will assist in that transformation!
Kicking and Punting are very intricate skills and require incredible attention to detail! Many relate kicking motions to the golf swing and there are very close similarities. However, kicking and punting involve full body movements which make these skills even more difficult to master than even golf! So, we’ve come up with a very unique analogy to relate a different sport most comparable to the way we believe kicking and punting really are! Learn how we use the mechanics of “Horse Polo” to teach proper kicking and punting fundamentals!
Having experienced playing at the highest level of football for 9 years and being chosen to play in the Pro Bowl in Hawaii, I know firsthand what it takes to be an All-Pro Kicker in the NFL! I have learned the proper fundamentals from my long-time mentor, and senior ProForm Kicking Academy Coach, Jim Gaetano. Coach Gaetano and I have also helped develop NFL athletes like kicker Nick Novak of the San Diego Chargers and All-Pro Punter Brian Moorman of the Buffalo Bills, as well as a number of AFL and Division 1 college level kickers and punters!
Here at ProForm Kicking, we are extremely detailed in our technique philosophies and we are very prideful in the success we’ve had, not only with our personal achievements but our coaching as well! We take on a much different approach to the “common sense” type of kicking as we focus on a process that allows the athlete to take advantage of 100% of their body kicking the ball, which ultimately leads to more power and consistency using a much more “smooth” technique!
There are hundreds of kicking and punting instructional videos on the market today, developed by a variety of athletes who have played at various levels of football. Because of the level of personal kicking and coaching success, and our different philosophies, ProForm Kicking Academy offers a variety of video clips that are unlike any others out there! Learn the most productive and efficient way to kick and punt, with “Pro” Form Kicking!
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was always involved in sports. Always had a lot of friends that I played sports with and that kept me busy. Always a fun-loving kind of guy, always happy. My interest has always been helping others.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.proformkicking.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/proformkicking/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProFormKicking/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProFormKicking
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ProFormKicking
- Other: https://proformkicking.gumroad.com/
