One of the hardest parts of my job is talking with families who have gotten behind in the process and realize they have missed out on a lot of opportunities. They see other players taking visits and committing to schools while they struggle to get coaches to reply to emails. Many times these are players who are just as good as the ones getting all of the opportunities. It’s tough to hear these stories of players who really want to play in college but struggle to find somewhere to play. If you’re not one of the top 5 players in your recruiting class in your state then the process can quickly pass you by. You must be the one recruiting the coaches and not waiting for them to recruit you.
Once the thought of playing college golf comes into the equation you need to set some goals and a game plan for college recruiting. For starters, you must be realistic about your abilities and what level you can play at. The higher above your current level that you contact, the tougher it will be to get the coaches to reply to your emails and come out to watch you play. You may be a Division 1 caliber player but don’t limit your communication to only Division 1 coaches. It helps to simply get some communication going with coaches so look across the board at all schools.
It takes more than sending out some emails and waiting for responses. You must keep the coaches posted on your results and your upcoming schedule. You must try to make a real connection with the coach and keep up with what the team is doing. Make a calendar for when you email each coach and when you need to follow up with them. Then plan out some times to make calls to coaches. I know it can be nerve racking to call a coach but this will be a huge step for players to take the initiative to call them on their own. Depending on your grad year coaches may not be able to reply to emails or return calls but continue doing all that you can to keep them updated.
Try to schedule some visits. If you can’t get in touch with a coach but plan to visit the school anyways then take advantage of being on campus. Ask admissions if you can tour the golf facilities. You may get lucky and the coach is in their office and you can introduce yourself. Take some hard copies of your resume to give to the coach or leave for them. This shows you have serious interest in the school.
Always keep in mind that you must work as hard at the recruiting process as you do your game. Don’t expect it to just happen for you, make it happen for yourself.
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