What is the RecruitPKB platform?
The path to collegiate golf can be difficult and intimidating. The first step in the recruiting process is establishing a game plan. That is where we come in. We are here to help you understand the process and help you achieve your dreams of playing college golf.
RecruitPKB offers a way to connect current PKBGT players with opportunities in the collegiate game. This new service offers advice from our college consultant, insight into the recruiting experience and ways to become a more complete golfer. Our network of over 650 PKBGT alumni in the college ranks along with our resource center can help you on your way to playing college golf.
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RecruitPKB: Watch and Learn
As a junior golfer you can always learn something from other players, especially ones who have reached a level that you are aiming to reach. This past week was a great example of learning from the best, and you could have done it all from the comfort of your own home. If you are a young female golfer and you didn't catch any of the Solheim Cup, you really missed a huge opportunity to learn and get inspired. I know it had me glued to the TV all weekend, especially Sunday morning as the US team mounted one of the biggest come backs in golf history. It was so exciting to watch it all unfold. Having had the honor to play with most of the girls from the US team and several of the Europe team members, I enjoyed every minute of watching them battle it out for their country and work together as a team. If you didn't get a chance to watch [...]
RecruitPKB Perform: Eat and Drink for Less
This article is part of guest series to the RecruitPKB "Complete Golfer" program by Chris Finn, owner of Par4Success in Cary, North Carolina. --- What I would like you to do is create a short mental checklist of what you will do when preparing for your next tournament. If it is anything like most of the juniors I work with it will probably look something like this: Go play a practice round Practice hard the week leading up to the tournament focused on the type of shots I may need or specific clubs I will need to hit more than others based off my practice round. Map out the round including what clubs to hit off what tees, green slopes, etc. If it is away from home, make sure you have balls, all your clubs, outfits for each day, etc. Three things are never mentioned whenever I ask this question, however. I plan my workout schedule accordingly so I am physically ready to perform I make sure [...]
RecruitPKB: Fitness and Nutrition
To further enhance the RecruitPKB "Complete Golfer" education that we provide to the PKBGT members we will be featuring articles from Chris Finn of Par4Success. I have spent time working with Chris and the Par4Success staff over the last few years and can attest to their knowledge and expertise on golf fitness and nutrition. These are two areas that are vital to being the complete player, while developing long term habits for being healthy. You can check out Chris's bio below and read his first RecruitPKB article: Eat and Drink for Less Chris is a licensed Physical Therapist, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, a Titleist Performance Institute Certified Medical Professional and regarded as the premier Golf Fitness/Medical Expert in the Triangle. Chris' principles for physical improvement work to supplement golf instruction allowing clients to achieve results they never have before including distance, pain relief and overall improved performance. Chris works with Touring Professionals, the State's top Juniors, top amateurs and weekend warriors. He [...]
RecruitPKB: Keep a Journal
This past week I read a great blog written by the Georgia Southern Women's Golf Coach about journaling. Check it out here. While I am not quite part of the techie generation where everything is done on a phone or computer, I do rely on technology for a lot of my business and personal life. However, I have always been a big believer in writing things down. I've never been one to keep a daily journal or diary, but I do constantly have a notebook or notepad to jot down ideas and thoughts and will occasionally give in to writing in my phone notepad if one isn't available. I believe that writing things down holds another level of accountability and retention. It is a great way to set goals, keep track of progress and provide an outlet for your thoughts and feelings. I think what Coach Kuhfield states is very true, "it (journaling) is a habit many successful people share for many great reasons. If [...]
RecruitPKB: NCAA Rules and Coaches
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 [...]
RecruitPKB: The D1 Syndrome
As many of you know, this syndrome is probably one of the most prevalent during the process. It is one of the main reasons why many young athletes don't find the right fit and end up unhappy. Yes having a dream of playing D1 sports is a great goal for young players. But when it is all said and done, that does not mean a D1 program is going to end up being the right fit, nor does it mean you are less of a player if you choose to go a different path. Playing D1 golf can be very overwhelming for many young golfers. The demands, sacrifices, time commitments and expectations can turn out to make your experience extremely difficult if it's not the right fit. You may find out that you aren't getting much playing time yet you are still at every workout, every practice, every team meeting. Over time this can become frustrating and disappointing. Imagine going months at a time [...]
RecruitPKB: James Madison Coach Q and A
This week's college coach Q and A is a special one for me. James Madison head coach Sarah Sargent and I were college teammates and roommates at Furman University. We both came into college as the underdogs among some of the top players in the country as teammates and we each paved our own paths of success both collegiately and professionally. She has also been a good friend for almost 16 years now as we played professionally for several years after college, then started our current careers that happen to coincide so we have managed to stay in touch after all these years. I am excited to see what she will be able to do with the program there at JMU. She is definitely one of a kind with a great passion for the game of golf and helping young players become the best they can be. Check out her thoughts on the recruiting process. What is your own coaching philosophy? Treat everyone as [...]
RecruitPKB: Walk Ons and Roster Spots
What is the difference between a walk-on and a roster spot? This is always a tough question to answer because many coaches use these terms differently. Generally, a walk-on means you get into the school on your own and will be given the opportunity to try out for the team. Some coaches do not allow walk-ons. If they do, you will typically play a certain number of rounds with a team member. Depending on what you shoot, the coach will decide if you make the team. It is extremely difficult to walk on because a coach has already decided on his/her team roster for that year. A roster spot is a better scenario because it is a guaranteed spot on the team, you just aren’t receiving any athletic scholarship money. Some coaches, however, will call this a "walk on" as well and don't expect you to tryout. You can receive academic or need based money through the school or outside sources. The coach will [...]
RecruitPKB: Nutrition
Nutrition is a topic I get asked by parents quite often who want me to emphasize the importance of eating properly to their daughters, and many times simply just encouraging them to eat on the golf course. As someone who's always had a hefty appetite, eating on the golf course was never an issue with me, eating healthy on the other hand was another story. I had a ritual for awhile as junior golfer that marshmallows were my good luck charm so I would devour a bag of them while I played, not exactly the healthiest of snacks. Having been a Health and Exercise Science major in college and becoming much more interested in nutrition over the years, I wanted to pass along a few suggestions to help get you started. Coming soon for PKBGT members will be more information about fitness and nutrition provided by Par4Success. One of the most important things to remember is that you need to eat on the golf [...]
RecruitPKB: Unused Golf Scholarships
Are there unused scholarships for girls? According to the NCAA, it was estimated in 2009 that over 200 of the approximately 1800 female golf scholarships were not used. While this is great news for an aspiring junior girl golfer it does lead to some misconceptions that it’s easy to get a scholarship as a female golfer. The fact is, many of these unused scholarships are at very small schools in rural areas or very expensive private schools. Many girls decide they would rather go to a bigger school and not play golf, than attend a really small school in an unfamiliar area. Finances can play a factor into the scholarships going unused as well. While it's great news to learn the school is offering you scholarship money, you may still be looking at a substantial remaining balance for tuition/room/board. Many of the unused scholarships are in colder states where it’s difficult to recruit players and fill rosters. In the warmer states, scholarships and even [...]