Recruit PKB: Happy Father’s Day

"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person. He BELIEVED in me" - Anonymous We all know that I couldn't write a Mother's Day article and not do one for Father's Day, especially since I am a proud "daddy's girl". Don't worry though, I haven't gone completely "sappy" in all of my articles. But as I get older and work with more and more junior golf families, it has certainly led to a better appreciation for what my parents did for me during my golf career. I just hope that by sharing my experiences with the girls, they will have a better understand of the opportunity they have to play golf, travel and compete. I believe true appreciation, gratitude and awareness are key components of a strong, mentally tough competitor. It's not the case for all girls who play golf, but typically the [...]

By |2017-09-13T11:46:30-04:00June 3rd, 2014|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments
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Recruit PKB: Happy Mother’s Day!

With Mother's Day around the corner I thought this would be a great chance to give all of those golf mom's some recognition for what they do. Because many times it tends to be the dad who does most of the coaching and caddying, the moms don't always get the credit they deserve. Many of their responsibilities are pre-tournament or behind the scenes such as getting the junior golfer to practice everyday, signing up for tournaments, booking travel, packing, providing snacks and being the cheerleader. From my own experience, my mom always made sure I had snacks on the course. Sometimes it was a superstition factor that decided what she would pack, such as marshmallows, other times it was grapes, granola bars or a sandwich. She helped plan my travel as a junior golfer and made sure I packed what I would need on the road. When [...]

By |2017-09-13T11:46:30-04:00April 28th, 2014|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments
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Recruit PKB: Upcoming Schedule

A very important step to remember is to email coaches with your upcoming schedule. Heading into the spring and summer months is a great time to get this done. Coaches have no way of knowing where you will be playing unless you tell them. So if you want them to come out and watch make sure you let them know where you are going to be. Don't wait until the end of summer to send them your results, make the opportunity available for them to come out and watch you play. For 2015 recruits, coaches are able to reply to your emails so it's a great idea to ask them where they plan to be this summer or if they have any suggestions for tournaments. This way you can try to play in tournaments that you know they plan to attend so you have a higher chance [...]

By |2017-09-13T12:14:13-04:00April 7th, 2014|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments
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Recruit PKB: Just Say No to Negative Self Talk

Every time you hit a bad shot, have a bad hole or make a mental mistake stop for a second and ask yourself this question. What would I tell my playing partners if they did the same thing? I highly doubt you would tell them "that was stupid" or "geez what were you thinking" or "you're terrible". More than likely you would tell them "it's OK" or "shake it off" and not really have much emotion towards their shot. You may feel bad for them if they are having a rough day but you would never put them down or belittle their golf skills. So why do that to yourself? Why beat yourself up about a bad shot or mental mistake? Shouldn't you be as quick to boost your own self up as you would be to do it for somebody else? We can all be our [...]

By |2017-09-13T11:46:31-04:00March 30th, 2014|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments
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Recruit PKB: Be Different

We were all made to be unique individuals. We all look different, think different and act different. But as a middle school or high school student it can sometimes be difficult to accept the things about yourself that are different. It is so tempting to want to fit in and be part of the popular crowd. But, the truth is, the people who learn to embrace the things about themselves that make them unique tend be the ones that go on to be more successful than those that don't. They are more confident and secure because they know who they are and they know that their uniqueness sets them apart from everyone else. I promise that what you think is popular now will mean very little a year from now and especially once you get to college. Growing up it wasn't necessarily "cool" to be a girl [...]

By |2018-07-19T10:39:11-04:00March 17th, 2014|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments
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Recruit PKB: Find Your Mantra

According to Wikipedia a mantra "means a sacred utterance, numinous sound, or a syllable, word, phonemes, or group of words believed by some to have psychological and spiritual power". Mantras are personal and self-motivating. They are words that inspire an athlete to excel and stay focused. Every athlete should have their own mantra. It can be original or one that is borrowed. It can be one word or a whole sentence. But it must be something that you can remember and always turn to when you need it. It must inspire you to get through whatever obstacles you struggle with both on and off the golf course. Here is a great article on some mantras from athletes in the 2012 Summer Olympics. Two of my favorites from this list are "breathe, believe, and battle" and "if you think you can't, you won't and if you think you [...]

By |2017-09-13T11:46:31-04:00March 3rd, 2014|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments
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Recruit PKB: Happy New Year

As we all ring in the New Year I'm sure many of you have set some goals/resolutions for yourself. A new year feels like the start of something fresh, a time to change bad habits, a time to commit to being a better you. The majority of people will set an outcome goal they want to reach (lose weight, eat better, work less, work harder, spend less, etc...). They become so focused on the outcome, i.e. the future, that they forget about the process and what they must commit to doing each day to reach those goals. I love this article by Train to be Clutch's Joshua Medcalf, "Burn your goals to become the person of your dream". He says "I want to see your commitment list. I want to know what you are committed to sacrificing and doing with your 24 hours a day to close [...]

By |2017-09-13T11:46:32-04:00December 29th, 2013|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments
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Recruit PKB: Where do you begin?

Becoming the Complete Golfer starts with setting goals for yourself. You will hear me talk a lot about goal setting, but maybe not in the sense you would think of with typical goal setting. Goals are normally seen as future benchmarks or achievements. They are what motivate athletes to work hard every day. While you never, EVER, want to dwell on the past, you can also do the opposite and get too consumed with what you want to do in the future. If you are constantly thinking about what you WANT, aren't you taking away from time and energy that should be put into what you can be doing NOW, in the present? We all need goals and dreams that we are striving to accomplish, they are what make us get out of bed every day with a purpose in mind. But if we don’t take care [...]

By |2017-09-13T11:46:56-04:00December 23rd, 2013|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments
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Recruit PKB: Being Thankful

I'm sure many of you took time over Thanksgiving break to reflect on what you are thankful for in your life. I know one thing that can always get overlooked when thanks are being given is the golf talent you possess. Make sure you always remember how fortunate you are to have the ability to play golf and do something you love. The talents you were given to play golf aren't just about helping you earn a golf scholarship to play in college, there is a bigger purpose. Take the time to figure out a way to use your talents for a greater good in the world. I wish I would have realized this sooner in my life and not been so focused my golf career. Remember the opportunity to play golf can always be taken away, so appreciate the time you spend on the golf course [...]

By |2017-09-13T11:46:57-04:00November 1st, 2013|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments
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Recruit PKB: Developing Talent

It's not about how talented you are, it's about how hard you work to develop talent. This may sound crazy but one of the biggest detriments to a young player's development is being told how talented they are. Check out this short video about motivation and hard work. I was one of those players who had a natural talent for golf from a very early age. I didn't have to be taught a lot of mechanics, I could just naturally figure out how to swing the club and hit short game shots with ease. Now that I work with young players, it has made me look back on my career to the things that kept me from being more successful out on tour. I truly believe that continually being told that I was lucky to have a lot of natural talent, kept me from working as hard [...]

By |2017-09-13T11:46:57-04:00October 27th, 2013|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments
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