What Parents Can Say After Their Kicker Misses
After a miss, short and warm beats smart and detailed
Most parents want to help after a missed kick and are unsure what to say. The simplest guide is to say less, say it kindly, and let your kicker lead the conversation about the kick. This post gives phrases to try, questions for later, and a way to talk about stats without adding pressure.
Start with what misses look like in the pros
In the 2025 NFL regular season, kickers made 85.6% of their field goals, so about one in seven did not go through. Even Ka'imi Fairbairn, who made 44 of 48 that year, missed four. Those are professionals with full-time coaches, and those kicks come from an average of about 40 yards. A high school kicker is not behind for missing one.
Please do not hold your child to NFL numbers. We show them only to make a point: a miss is a normal part of the job.
What to say, and what to try instead
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| "What happened out there?" | "I love watching you play. Want to talk now or later?" |
| "You can't miss those." | "That's one kick. I saw how you got set for the next one." |
| Quoting a percentage in the car | Quiet, music, or snacks, whatever they choose |
| "Coach should have called a different play." | Nothing. Keep adults' opinions of the staff out of it. |
| Replaying the kick | "What would you like to work on this week?" asked the next day |
The next day, and the day after
After a night's sleep, one open question works well: "What did you notice?" Then listen. If they want to talk about mechanics, point them to their kicking coach rather than offering advice. Your job is to be the person who still shows up for the next practice.
Talking about stats without adding pressure
Statistics can help, and they can also feel like a scoreboard on a kid's whole self. Try these ideas.
- Ask which numbers they want to see. Let your kicker choose, or skip them.
- Look at many kicks, not one game. Suppose a kicker's true make rate is 85%. After 20 attempts, the chance their percentage reads 80% or lower is about 35%, and the chance it reads 90% or higher is about 41%, purely by luck.
- Do not trust last year's number. Among 23 NFL kickers with at least 20 attempts in both 2024 and 2025, the link between one season's field goal percentage and the next was weak (a correlation of 0.16).
- Compare a kicker with their own past, not other kids. For a fair look at difficulty, see why field-goal percentage can tell the wrong story.
Be careful with what you post
A missed kick clip or a stat line can live online for a long time. Ask your kicker before sharing anything, skip posting misses, and leave out details such as a school schedule or a child's full name where you can.
When it lingers
If your kicker seems down for weeks, stops enjoying practice, or dreads games, tell the coach and talk with them about what they need. A licensed mental health professional can help if it starts to affect sleep, school, or daily life. This guide is coaching education, not treatment.
Data: nflverse (CC BY 4.0), regular seasons 2024 and 2025; calculations by FKS.
Disclosure: FootballKickingStats.com is part of the A-Game network.
Sources
- nflverse play-by-play, 2024 and 2025 regular seasons (FKS calculations: league and Fairbairn percentages; first-year to second-year correlation across 23 kickers with 20 or more attempts each season; 200,000 simulated seasons at an assumed 85% make rate, independent kicks).
- Simulations are an illustration, not a prediction for any athlete.