As the September 1 deadline came around last week several questions were raised about coaches contacting players. To clarify, the September 1 deadline rule is as follows (this is for Division 1 coaches):

Starting September 1 of junior year, Division I coaches can send printed and electronic communication (handwritten letters, emails, faxes, text messages, instant messages, direct Facebook and Twitter messages) directly to a recruit and their parents/guardians. They can also can make unlimited phone calls to recruits and their parents/guardians.

To further clarify, prior to the Sept 1 of junior year deadline, DI coaches are only allowed to send camp brochures and questionnaires.

Recently I have had several families ask me about instances where a coach contacted them before the September 1 deadline. The only thing a coach is allowed to do is send camp info or basic questionnaires. They can reply to your email to say thanks and send you their questionnaire, then no further communication is allowed from a coach directly to a player. You may email them or make phone calls and hope they answer, but a coach can not reply or return your call. They are allowed to contact your coach who can relay messages and help you set up an unofficial visit or a time to call the coach. This is how many players are able to connect with coaches and make verbal commitments before Sept 1 of junior year.

With golf being a smaller, non-revenue sport the coaches aren’t under the radar as much as they are in bigger sports like football and basketball but this is still a very strict rule that the majority of coaches will abide by in every way, even reporting themselves to their compliance if they make a small mistake. What happens is the coaches who abide by the rules will get looked at by families as not as interested as the coach who makes contact before they are allowed to do so. Many families think “this coach must really want me” as opposed to thinking “this coach is breaking a rule”. Keep in mind, this could be an indication of a lack of integrity for future issues that may arise if your child ends up playing for that coach.

For those players who may have received handwritten letters or emails from a coach before September 1st of junior year, don’t allow that to sway your opinion of other coaches who wait until that date. This is where you can take the initiative to be proactive and get the coaches your swing or high school coach’s contact info and give them a chance to contact them within the rules. While technology and players committing early have led all coaches to try their best to get an advantage, consider the fact that many coaches will strictly stick to the rules even if it means losing a recruit.

One thing to keep in mind is that a player is not a prospective student athlete until they enter the 9th grade so these rules do not apply until that point.