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Getting kicks from her kicks

A Spring Hill teen delivers the best kick in her age group in the national skills competition.

By DEREK J. LaRIVIERE, Times Correspondence
Published January 25, 2008

ADVERTISEMENT [Family photo] Spencer Valdespino, a Spring Hill resident and the Tampa Bay Bucs representative in the recent 2007 NFL/Pepsi Youth Punt, Pass & Kick competition in Indianapolis, placed second among 32 participants overall in the 12-13 girls division.

Accompanied by her family, Spencer Valdespino took a few steps onto the RCA Dome field in Indianapolis.

This was the same field on which Peyton Manning and the rest of the defending Super Bowl champion Colts would be hosting the San Diego Chargers later that day in a highly touted AFC divisional round contest.

This was the same field that had previously been walked upon by countless stars over the course of the season.

Now, that same field was playing host to the 2007 NFL/Pepsi Youth Punt, Pass & Kick competition. The national finals included both boys and girls divisions in four age groups.

Spencer, the Tampa Bay Bucs representative in the 12-13 girls division, was awestruck.

"When I first walked in, I didn't realize anything," said Spencer, a Spring Hill resident, "but after a couple of minutes, it just hits you all at once."

One youth represents each NFL team. Spencer, who had never advanced to the national finals before, was competing against many who had. Even with her inexperience, she was able to finish fifth in punting, 14th in passing and first in kicking to put her among the best in the country.

With 32 competitors in each division, Spencer immediately vaulted to the top of the pack with the fifth-best punt in her group. The punt of 96 feet, 5 inches gave her momentum heading into the passing event.

Her toss of 88 feet, 5 inches placed her in the middle of the pack in that event and had her reeling, but with the kick event to finish things off, Spencer was relaxed and still having as much fun as ever.

She had reason to be confident with kicking being her best event.

With 31 girls looking on, Spencer launched the best kick of the competition.

She was one of only four girls to surpass 100 feet, delivering a kick of 107 feet, 4 inches. The kick was enough to place her second overall to St. Louis Rams representative Jessie Dorge.

"It's exciting to realize that you can get that close," Spencer said. "You don't know where you are between events, so it's tough to tell how you are doing."

She earned the trip to Indianapolis thanks to her performance in October in the regional competition at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Even then, her father, Al Valdespino, was optimistic that her performance would land her a top spot at the national venue.

"Her total numbers were very good in Tampa," he said. "She's still got two more years to try this, and she's very hungry."

Spencer, an eighth-grader at Notre Dame Catholic, excels in almost every sport she tries, including golf, basketball, volleyball and soccer.

Through it all, parents Al and Debbie Valdespino have supported her dreams of one day making it big as a professional athlete.

"I am definitely going to try this again," Spencer said. "I feel like now that I have been there, I can be that much better when I go back."

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[Last modified January 24, 2008, 21:05:02]