Below are a few things for both girls and their parents to keep in mind when taking visits.

For Junior Golfers:

    • Dress appropriately. Golf attire is fine or a nice casual outfit. Wear comfortable shoes. Always go for more conservative, nothing too short, thin straps, or low cut.
    • Leave your phone alone. To keep you from even being tempted to check your phone during the visit it is best to just leave it in the car or your bag while you are on a visit.
    • Look the coach in the eye and firmly shake their hand when you walk into their office.
    • Sit up straight in the chair. Don’t slouch and slump.
    • Be enthusiastic. Make sure the coach knows you are excited to be there.
    • Ask questions. The worst thing you can do when a coach asks if you have any questions is to say “no”. Jot a few questions down on a notepad and take it in with you.
    • Speak for yourself. Try to avoid always looking at your parents when the coach asks you a question.
    • Be gracious. Coaches are very busy so thank them for taking time out of their schedule to meet with you.
    • Send a handwritten thank-you note following the visit.
    • If you haven’t been regularly communicating with the coach and/or they haven’t seen you play yet, don’t ask about scholarship money unless the coach brings it up. You can ask how many players they are recruiting for your grad year and if you would be considered a recruited player, but avoid asking specific questions about scholarship until you have developed a relationship with the coach. It’s about finding the right fit, not the best deal.

For Parents:

    • If your junior golfer is shy or quiet help prep them for the visit ahead of time. Make them go talk with an adult who they may not know very well and have them ask questions. Push them out of their comfort zone so they aren’t nervous on the visit.
    • Let the junior golfer run the show. Take a backseat and let them do the majority of the talking.
    • Coaches want to hear from the parents as well but never answer for the junior golfer.
    • Try to allow some time for just the coach and junior golfer to talk.
    • Try not to brag too much about your son or daughter, too much can be a turn-off to a coach.