During my time at junior golf tournaments, a few recurring themes emerged at these events that merit some emphasis with the summer recruiting season fast approaching. First, juniors and their parents should know that there are many opportunities to play at the college level. There are over 2000 college golf programs—many...
Remember to keep your profile and calendar updated. Coaches are interested in you!
Want to visit a college coach next week while you are out of school on spring break? Know before you go….. What is a dead period? During a dead period a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents, and may not watch student-athletes compete or visit their...
Who will qualify for the Division I NCAA Championships? This is what everyone plays for in college golf! I visited the Wolfpack Classic this past week and spoke with some coaches and players about their expectations and preparations for post season. They all agreed on one thing: This is a very exciting and anxious time of year for student-athletes and coaches. However, they have to qualify first!
Over the next couple of weeks, there are many automatic college golf team NCAA berths up for grabs by winning a conference championship. There is one caveat on the men’s side regarding the .500 rule. Effectively, men’s golf requires that a team be above .500 on wins and losses as well as either win their conference championship or receive an “at large” bid.
There is still a lot of college golf to watch over the next couple of weeks. You can find upcoming tournaments and conference championships for division 1 men’s and women’s golf by clicking here!
Go watch an event and see what it is like to play at the next level!
Keep your profile updated and post your schedule. Coaches are looking!
And check out their recruiting schedules as well!
From a Golf World article on recent Georgia Tech All-American and PGA Tour rookie, Ollie Schniederjans.
GW: Given the current depth of talent, there’s such a thin line between competing on the weekend and missing the cut. From what you gathered, what separates the two?
“All the little things add up. It is a thin line. Sometimes you miss a cut and feel like you were in the mix. Other times you might feel off and still make it.”
Ollie went on to say, “For me personally I feel like everything is right there. I think the biggest thing is improving on the greens. As I started to last week, I need to get the putter heated up to get me to the next level. If I can gain shots on the greens, that will set me up to have a lot of chances to win”.
When college coaches recruit, they are analyzing which junior golfer will figure IT out before or early in college. What is IT? Scoring. But how do you score? You probably do drills and work hard, but all too often you are saying, “I’m so close yet my scores are not reflecting my golf?”
Read Get IT Done for the The Answer!
What is Your Competitive Advantage? What do you do well? What do you have to offer a college team/coach? Where do you stand out in the crowd? When college coaches are watching you, they are certainly interested in your score. Never lose sight that their job is to win championships. (I’m...
Help yourself get Seen! If you had a Ferrari in your driveway, how would you sell it? You could put a “for sale” sign in the window, but only those who drive by (and are actually looking) will see it–limited exposure and wishful thinking. Could the college coach/team that you want randomly walk by you...
About 7 years ago, Barry Cheesman asked me if I knew of anyone who might recruit his friend, Michael Colgate. I had not gotten into coaching, but knew several coaches. Unfortunately they responded “full or he won’t be able to play on our team”. Michael was not going to play Division I. However, he did not...
During summer golf, many of you are in different places: Signed for college, verbally committed to college, fingers crossed for an offer soon, have no idea, just starting the college recruiting process or maybe just getting started with playing competitive golf.
No matter where you are on the path, find some helpful tips below!
I get this question at least once a week if not more. “My child can beat or did beat that other junior several times last year. How did they get recruited to that team?”
The Answer: Every situation is different. You never know who might have known someone. It is possible that that junior wrote and called and kept showing up at events where the coach was located. Maybe the coach had a roster change. Maybe the other junior has great grades. Maybe that junior visited many years before and stayed in touch. Or better yet, why guess… Go politely ask the parents. Maybe they will share their experience and you can get some ideas or helpful hints. Remember, there are never any guarantees. Things are very fluid with the rosters.
I’ve shared a few of my experiences from college coaches below.
When I was coaching, I asked many coaches how the above scenario happened with them. Here are a couple responses:
Coach A responded: “I saw Junior A randomly when I was out recruiting another junior and they just caught my eye. I happened upon Junior A again and again. The family visited several times so that we could develop a relationship. After getting to know Junior A, I decided to take a chance. I just had a good feeling and Junior A surpassed my expectations, worked harder than I imagined, made our line-up during the spring term, made the honor roll and the rest is history.”
Unfortunately, I heard this as well from Coach B: “I needed another player to fill my roster and got a call from a friend who thought Junior B would develop. Junior B had a high academic profile. We talked about what was possible on the phone. I thought we were both on the same page. Junior B struggled athletically, academically and became a disruption for the team. I will be more careful next time, but for now I am going to trim my roster.”
As you just read, there is a little bit of luck involved in becoming Junior A with Coach A. Nothing wrong with being lucky in the right place at the right time. You can increase your odds of being in the right place at the right time by getting in front of the college coach more. (If you do not see their recruiting schedule, ask me to ask them for it.) Let the coach know you will be at the same event and ask them to watch you for a few holes.
Make more options for yourself and prepare to be surprised. Please make sure you are being seen by coaches of teams at your level or even at a level where you will shine. Keep as many options open as possible by playing in front of and visiting schools of all levels.