Heading into high school, Dima Petrov had a tough choice: continue with soccer, a sport he had played most of his life, or take his kicking talents from the pitch to the gridiron full-time.
Now, as a sophomore kicker and punter for Hanover High, it looks like he made the right decision.
The Hanover native was a standout performer at a national showcase in Austin, Texas, last month, hosted by Kicking World, which bills itself as “the leading football kicking, punting and snapping instruction provider in the world.”
Petrov was one of 105 athletes from around the country who were invited to the showcase after performing well at a camp during Kicking World’s camp tour earlier this year, which featured more than 1,300 participants.
65 athletes out of the 105 invited to participate attended the two-day event, which featured competitions in field goals, kickoffs, and punts.
Notably, the Bears’ sophomore special teams ace was among the top 10 punters on day one, with an average punt of 42.4 yards and an average hang time of 3.67 seconds.
Petrov’s stellar day one did not end there, as he was also the runner-up in field goal kicking. He was perfect on his boots through 55 yards, hit a 60-yarder, and was 9/11 overall.
The type of performance Petrov had at the showcase earned him a spot on Kicking World’s recruiting list, one of just nine athletes from the event to help bolster their future recruitment chances.
“Dima had a fantastic weekend at our 2025 National Showcase,” said Brent Grablachoff, a coach and the owner of Kicking World. “We expect big things out of Dima and feel he will evolve into a collegiate-level kicker and is someone that the New England and Northeast college football programs need to jump on early.”
Kicking and punting were not always on the radar for Petrov, who first attempted a field goal in eighth grade after one of his friends jokingly asked him if he wanted to try to kick for the football team. One day, Petrov saw the coach of the middle school football team and some players out on the field after a soccer practice, and, as they say, the rest is history.
He hit his first-ever kick from extra point distance that day, and even one from as far as 40 yards out, and ended up joining the team midseason.
After middle school, Petrov’s big athletic decision came knocking because both sports have fall seasons.
“Soccer was my passion, but at the same time, I really started to enjoy kicking,” he said, noting that he went to his first kicking camp around a month after first kicking a football.
Ultimately, after conversations with family and coaches, football won out, and Petrov joined the Hanover High varsity team as a freshman and had a season he said that “went pretty well.”
As a sophomore this past fall, Petrov was perfect on extra points (31/31) and field goals (5/5), and he recently received All-State honors as a place kicker by New Hampshire Football Report for his efforts.
“Dima has been pretty impressive. The first time I saw him kick in eighth grade, I was kind of blown away by his ability,” Hanover High football Head Coach Jon Gentine said.
Gentine praised Petrov’s work ethic and willingness to hone his craft.
“I think it’s fair to say, and I think most of the coaches would agree, you don’t see a kicker like Dima come around every day. In fact, you don’t see a kicker like Dima come around in years,” he added.
December’s showcase was Petrov’s second appearance at such an event; he was invited as a freshman as well.
“It was amazing, it always feels great to get invited to those kinds of events, especially by somebody like Coach Brent, who has been in the game for a long time,” Petrov said.
The 16-year-old special teamer’s participation in the showcase also allowed him to soak up knowledge from other skilled peers and coaches, something that will definitely help him achieve his goal of playing at the collegiate level.
“My goal is to play for a big school eventually,” Petrov said, even mentioning the possibility of donning a Dartmouth College jersey.
It is a goal his high school coach said was undoubtedly attainable.
“All of the things he’s doing right now will help him move in that direction, and if Dima continues in the direction that he is and he continues to work hard as he is, I don’t see why he shouldn’t be able to achieve that goal,” Gentine said.
As Petrov continues to work toward playing at the collegiate level, he is grateful for the support he has received thus far.
“I’m incredibly thankful for all the people who have and continue to support me throughout my journey: my family, teammates, and coach Jon Gentine,” he said.