Are Coaches Going to Recruit You?
With yet another delay in the 2020 recruiting process for Division I Programs, how will you get the attention of the coaches you want to play for during this extended dead period?
Your scores in junior and amateur tournaments and your national ranking go a long way in gaining attention from college golf coaches. However, the decision to offer someone a scholarship is not made until the coach can get to know you, your game and your family. This occurs while watching you compete, talking to you over the phone, and getting to know you during your campus visit. Every coach and program has a different recruiting philosophy. What I can offer you is my personal experience as a coach during the recruiting process and specific insights I found valuable.
Does the player have potential? The first thing I do is look at the player’s best and worst tournaments. After watching a junior golfer compete, I’m able to compare what I see in person and what was portrayed on their resume. Sometimes there is a distinct difference with the potential I see in person versus what has been put on a resume. I never want to make a judgement on someone’s potential without watching them practice, play or compete in person. Did I have the luxury of traveling all over the country to watch every recruit? Absolutely not. But I always tried to give everyone an opportunity to prove themselves. With this extended dead period, it’s crucial to portray yourself authentically with your communication with all coaches so they get to know who you are as a golfer and a person.
Is the player coachable? Please see our previous blog post about being coachable. Coachable players are passionate about competing, great listeners, willing to do the work and have great attitudes!
Does the player exhibit course management skills? When I’m watching a potential recruit, I am more interested in watching a player when they are not playing their best and over par versus playing well and under par. How does the recruit respond to adversity? How does the recruit respond when playing in tough conditions? Does the recruit have grit or do they give up and become less focused and allow the situation to get the best of them? Does the player maintain composure and make smart decisions to turn double bogeys into bogeys or a bogey into a par? Does the player become impatient and make avoidable mistakes, or worse, not use effective strategies to get back into the game?
What kind of family support does the recruit have at home and on the golf course? I have never just recruited a player, I am recruiting the entire family. Does the recruit come from a positive and supportive environment or is there unneeded pressure and stress for the recruit to perform? Is the recruit playing junior golf because they love to compete or are they playing for different reasons? As Dr. Mo Pickens says, “Is the parent a ray of sunshine or a dark cloud watching their child compete?” For anyone who is supporting their children through this process, please be that ray of sunshine!
How would this junior golfer fit within my program? The best college golf coaches build winning cultures. In order to have a winning culture, the coach has to invest in recruits who are not only great players, but good people. Sometimes character is overlooked because of someone’s talent, but coaches who invest in a player with good character will always maintain that positive culture and environment needed for championships. I can guarantee if you consistently make bad decisions on and off the golf course, you will have a tough time finding a place to play collegiate golf regardless of your scorecard. Good character reveals itself in the small, often overlooked details. How early does the player arrive at the course? How clean and organized are his/her clubs? Does the player reflect and make adjustments? Does he/she engage with their competitors before, during and after the round? How does the player interact with coaches, other adults and their family?
What are the player’s academic and athletic goals? Every player will have different goals, and that is expected. Coaches look for players who have established goal setting skills. “I want to finish in the top 10 in my freshman season.” or “I want to be an All- American.” are both great goals, but how do you plan to meet those lofty goals? What is the specific roadmap you have created to make those goals a reality and not just words spoken? What can you do daily, weekly, and monthly for success? A coach would love to see you engaged with process and outcome goals, but also the recruit understanding that outcome goals are only achieved by focusing on the process.
Is this player a multi-sport athlete? Many coaches will view this differently, but I always loved to recruit who was a multi-sport athlete. Some Coaches feel that a multi-sport athlete could be a drawback due to lack of experience or lack of a focused commitment to the sport of golf. I believe that multi-sport athletes have untapped potential and if coachable, passionate and committed to golf, can and will be great collegiate golfers!
Offering a scholarship or a spot on their golf team is a huge commitment for coaches. While score and rankings are important, there are many other critical factors that coaches consider. Addressing these factors is an individualized process that takes an experienced eye. I look forward to speaking with you about how you can maximize your chances of playing collegiate golf.