By sports reporter Terry Boehmker, NKyTribune
Trey Gronotte of Crestview Hills, a recent graduate of West Point’s U.S. Military Academy, will report later this month to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to start training to become an Army field artillery officer.
Gronotte, who scored 95 points with his leg for the Colonels’ 2019 undefeated Class 5A state championship team, will lead a summer clinic for place kickers at Covington Catholic High School on Saturday, July 19, just a few days before he reports for active duty.
West Point recruited Gronotte, who set an Army team record last fall by converting all 54 of his point-after kicks in his senior season.
He now wishes to impart his knowledge to future sportsmen.
Throughout June, the 22-year-old second lieutenant participated in six place-kicking training sessions. The all-ages camp on July 19 will wrap out his first Gronotte Kicking Academy summer calendar.
He claimed that the last six lessons had been incredibly fruitful. These little children arrive with such a positive attitude and a want to learn. What really excites me about doing this is seeing their happiness as they expand their range over the course of an hour.
Gronotte claimed that he worked with kickers from high school and collegiate teams as well as 9-year-old beginners during the first six sessions. He even has a handful of high school soccer players that want to use their football skills.
A large number of them have registered for the $200 camp on July 19, which is only open to 20 people. A videotape of their training sessions with Gronotte will be sent to each camper, who will use it to highlight areas that require improvement.
“I want to help these kids become better kickers than I was,” he added.
Gronotte said that when he was younger, Shane Popham, a friend from the area, helped him hone his place-kicking abilities. Popham resumed his football career at Wake Forest University after setting a record as a kicker at CovCath.
Gronotte remarked, “I went to see Shane play at Wake Forest a couple of times.” Shane urged me to try kicking the summer before my freshman year at CovCath, so we went to Thomas More (a football field) and that’s how I found out.
After Gronotte became the team’s place kicker last season, Popham, who now resides in Connecticut, attended a number of Army football home games at West Point.
During the Army-Navy game, Gronotte kicked 10 field goals, including one from 39 yards out, and converted all 54 of his point-after attempts. Additionally, he recorded 16 touchbacks on kickoffs in the final 11 games for the Black Knights, who finished with a 12-2 record after winning the Independence Bowl and the American Athletic Conference title.
“I was fortunate to start this past year on a good Army team after I got to college, just honing my skills and learning from special teams coaches and other kickers on our team,” Gronotte said. It was an enjoyable season, and now that my resume is out, I hope that people will believe that I am knowledgeable.
Popham’s nephew Gregor, a 10-year-old from Northern Kentucky, was one of the kickers Gronotte worked with during his June sessions. He is rather younger than the teenagers who are thought to be the camp’s target demographic on July 19.
According to Gronotte, the majority of kickers on high school teams are stuck and attempting to educate themselves by watching YouTube tutorials. High school students are interested in receiving one-on-one instruction from someone who has experience and knowledge of the subject. I’m attempting to assist with that.
Registration for Gronotte’s camp closes on July 10. Give 859-240-9469 a text to reserve a spot.