Today we’d like to introduce you to Brad Namdar
Hi Brad, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Thank you for the question, and to describe, “My Story,” regarding how I started in athletics and to where I am today in athletics, it is a wild story that has had so many turns, moments of adversity, moments of opportunity, and I hope that my story – (this specific story) will motivate people in believing that you can always pursue your goals, passions, and opportunities regardless of what comes your way if you believe you can.
I had a unique athletic journey to say the least, I played many sports (both team and individual sports) growing up in Plano ,Texas. I started figure skating when I was six-years-old, and was a State Champion figure skater when I was 8-years old, I started martial arts when I was 8-years old, and earned my black belt when I was 12-years old, I also played recreational basketball.
However, out of all the sports I played growing up the two sports I loved playing the most was football and soccer.
When I was in 7th grade I began playing club soccer for a select soccer team called Andromeda S.C., and then in 8th grade I started playing football (with pads/helmet) for Frankford Middle School in Plano, Texas (while also playing club soccer at the same time).
It was no secret that I was never the biggest player physically, the strongest player on the field, but I always focused on what I could do to be the best player I could be when I was on the field, regardless of which sport I was playing.
Though the connection of soccer and football had a strong relationship with me. As a soccer player, I had the unique and natural ability to kick a football at a basic/above average level, and that unique ability bumped me up from the 8th grade “B” team to the 8th grade “A”team; I also played Quarterback as well.
After being moved up to the “A” team, I wanted to see how far I could go in kicking/punting, and spent the next several years in high school focusing on mastering my kicking skills.
I will never forget how almost every other day from 8th grade to 12th grade, I would carry a ball bag with 10 footballs in it, walk a mile to a park close to my house, practice my kicking/punting skills for a couple of hours, and then afterwards walk back home carrying the same ball bag of 10 footballs for another mile.
This routine (along with kicking every night kicking in a kicking net my parents got me to use in our backyard) resulted in in me eventually becoming the starting Varsity FG Kicker for Plano West Senior High School as a junior, and in my first game as the Varsity Kicker, I kicked the game tying FG in 1st overtime, then the game winner in 3rd overtime, and went on to have a perfect season my junior year never missing a extra point or field goal.
It was then where I started to receive serious athletic accolades, awards, and began to be seriously recruited to play college football as a field goal kicker and punter.
The following season, I completed my Senior year with another strong showcase, and at the end (after two years as the starting PK/P at Plano West Senior High), I never missed a extra point or field goal.
On the soccer side of things, as a club soccer player, I had the opportunity to play at the college level and was scouted at various club tournaments, showcases, and exhibitions.
I always felt that the grit and toughness mindset you have to have in football complemented my performance on the soccer field, and vice-versa; the touch, technique, and tactical play in soccer complemented my football kicking/punting.
At the end of my senior year, I had decided to attend Texas Tech University, was a member of the football team as a field goal kicker/punter, and had the opportunity to play college football under the late/great legendary Head Coach Mike Leach. At TexasTech, we won the 2008 Gator Bowl.
The following season, I decided to transfer to SMU, and I had the opportunity to play for another legendary NCAA legend Head Coach – June Jones, where our program won the BBVA Compass Bowl.
While I was a student-athlete at SMU – I was also the “Estagio” (Coaching Apprentice) for FC Dallas under Schellas Hyndman (MLS Head Coach) and Oscar Pareja (Academy Head Coach).
I also (at the same time during my undergraduate studies) was coaching at St. Marks School of Texas, The Cooper Fitness Center Soccer Pro, was the Founder and CEO of Dream Big Soccer, and a private kicking/punting coach.
I loved working with Kickers and Punters. It was natural to me, and it was a speciality position requiring specific training, skills, and techniques; before I knew it, I was coaching many Middle School and High School kickers and punters in Dallas, Texas.
I am proud to say I was able to coach my kickers and punters to play at both the NCAA Division 1 level, as well as, in IVY League.
After I received my Masters from SMU in Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management in 2014, I spent the next year as a H.S. Teacher/Varsity Soccer Head Coach in DISD.
At the end of the year, due to my resume and success in the soccer coaching world, I was presented with an opportunity in 2016 to be a college soccer head coach (for two college programs -men’s and women’s) at Mountain View College.
After again, another season of success both on and off the field, being a head, soccer coach, I decided to take a break from athletics and pursued endeavors in starting my own business, served on various civic committees/organizations, but I always missed the athletic world (or felt I should have returned back to it earlier).
I missed soccer, and I missed football. I had to leave both sports behind when starting/running my businesses.
Then, six years later, (2022) I received an opportunity to be a soccer GM for a NPSL soccer team called the Denton Diablos, I accepted the position, and due to the success of that endeavor, I received another huge opportunity to become the youngest professional soccer GM in the country for the Texas Outlaws of the MASL (Major Arena Soccer League) for the 2023 – 2024 season.
I was back in soccer but … I had not been kicking, or working with kickers for a few years at this point…and began to miss it, and I started to wonder if I still could kick a football.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My athletic playing career and my most recent professional football playing career has not been a smooth road to say the least; but it also hasn’t been the bumpiest either.
Everyone in life has different experiences, forms of adversity they have to face, but the most important thing is how you handle adversity when it comes your way.
While I was the GM of the Texas Outlaws (2023 – 2024 season) I didn’t know it, … but something would happen that I never would have expected.
The two worlds of football and soccer that I once loved / was always involved in, would collide again, and provide an opportunity for me not only to be involved in both sports again,… but this time to play professionally.
I will never forget how it all started, one day in March of 2024, I was in the Texas Outlaws front office, and for some reason, I came to a stunning realization, where I thought to myself, “…. you know Brad, many of the players on the soccer team are around your age, some are older than you, and they are still playing. Brad…maybe you could still kick footballs again?”
At first, I shrugged off that thought, and moved on with my day to day business as the GM. Then, a week later, (still in March of 2024), during a photo shoot we were doing for the Texas Outlaws for a few of our sponsors at South Ranch, I met a gentleman by the name of Don Nabb, who had a lot of experience in the world of professional football.
I had mentioned to him how I wanted to kick again (as well as I said I still could), went out and made a video of my current kicking capabilities, bugged him for a while to look at it, and then a month later, I was kicking in my first ever professional football game in April of 2024 for the Frisco Fighters in the IFL (Indoor Football League).
I performed well enough for the Frisco Fighters, to have more opportunities to kick again!
From April 2024 to June 2024 I was able to play for four professional football teams, play in three different professional leagues, compete for a National Championship, and I was getting better and better every day (not to mention I was still the GM of a professional soccer team).
It was great to see the game from both worlds, one, as a player, the other as a GM.
I enjoyed playing again, but then I was hit with a big moment of adversity I never dreamed of.
On June 22, 2024, while I was playing for the Tucson Skulls in the IFL, I suffered an injury in our game vs. San Diego in the 3rd quarter which required me to leave the game.
I was so upset, I was playing well, we were in the lead, and then I suffer the first serious injury of my life which required me to go to the ER, and have my leg evaluated.
How was this fair? How could this happen?
After I went to the ER, was seen by the doctors, and went through various x-ray’s/tests; I was given some good news,… I could still kick again! But, I would have to have surgery (which I never had before) go through physical therapy, rebuild my muscles, and work on my kicking mobility.
This was a tough pill for me to swallow…but instead of giving up, feeling like this opportunity had past me by, or that my second opportunity to kick again was now gone, I decided to take on this challenge head on, and keep on going.
(By the way, the trainers at the Tucson Sugar Skulls were awesome and made sure they were with me the entire time after my injury at the E.R. and while I was in Tucson before heading back to Dallas. So Shout Out to the Tucson Sugar Skulls training staff!)
During my journey I received so much support from the fans, sponsors, and countless other people.
The Football Stick, which is a kicker/punter sport specific tool/product supported me, gave me some tips through my PT stage, and kept encouraging me.
I highly recommend The Football Stick product for any player, coach, parent, or program for their kickers/punters at all levels to master their kicking/punting technique.
Another supporter of mine was/is SLMV Apparel which creates athletic/leisure apparel. They made sure I not only had ample quality apparel for my training and PT, but also got me working with Jaime Luna a local sports physical mobility expert.
These are just a couple of examples of those who have and are helping me through my PT/recovery phase.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am proud to say that I am now also known (among my other experiences) as a professional football player and a kicking coach again.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is a goal or something you obtain while maintaining the integrity/pathway required to obtain that goal/achievement you set out to accomplish.
For me, success will be when I am able to kick at my optimal level again, and in a professional game again.
I know what I am capable of when I am at my 100% .
I want pursue kicking at the highest level possible, and who knows, maybe this opportunity happened for me to rebuild my leg to have the opportunities I never had before?
I know it helps me when I talk to people about adversity, as well as when I coach kickers and punters.
In the end, I know my journey is not over and every experience that I have is a positive experience because you learn so much throughout the journey of life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @bradnamdartx
- Facebook: @bradnamdar
- Twitter: @bradnamdar
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BradNamdarKicking
Image Credits
Tuscon Sugar Skulls Photo (GPOP)
