college recruiting

Showing genuine interest in a program is a major green flag for college coaches. While it’s naturally easier if you grew up cheering for a specific school, you can still build that connection even if you’re just getting to know the program. During the season, stay engaged by following their tournament schedule and social media updates. Reaching out to mention a recent win or a tough course they played shows you are truly paying attention. Beyond specific schools, simply demonstrating a passion for the game—whether by attending professional events or asking thoughtful questions—proves you have a "student of the game" mentality. Just remember: authenticity is key. Coaches can tell when you’re checking a box versus when you’re truly driven to learn and grow. For more information on the recruiting process, reach out to RecruitPKB College Consultant, Brandi Jackson at brandi@brandijacksongolf.com

Your willingness to include SCORES (good and bad) on your resume and emails is a huge green flag. Coaches LOVE to see scores, and they LOVE transparency, honesty, and when you make things EASY for them! If you only tell them how you finished, that doesn’t tell them anything. If you only give them your best scores, that doesn’t show them the overall tourney experience you’re getting. If you leave out bad scores, they have Google and a rankings coach login to see them all! If you don’t give them insight into what you’re learning from the bad rounds, then you’re not showing them your development and growth. If you make things harder for them to get the important info they need to evaluate you, then you are wasting the very limited time they are spending on you!   For more information on the recruiting process, reach [...]

I often get asked by my players if they should still email college coaches after a poor tournament. The answer depends on where they are in the recruiting process. If you’re in regular communication with coaches:Yes—absolutely follow up. Own your rounds and be honest about how you played. Don’t make excuses. Instead, share what you did well, what needs improvement, and how you plan to work on it. If conditions were difficult, it’s okay to mention that, but don’t make it the main focus. Coaches expect bad rounds. What matters is your confidence, accountability, and commitment to getting better. If you’re still building interest or communication is limited:If you’re mainly sending updates to generate interest—or coaches aren’t yet allowed to respond—it’s not necessary to report every single tournament. If you have another event coming up soon, it’s fine to wait and then send one update that includes [...]

“I was playing decent before I started talking to coaches. Once I did, my scores went up. I feel really stressed.”— Prospective Student-Athlete In many ways, this is almost inevitable. No matter when you begin the recruiting process, there is almost always a shift in mentality and expectations. Even if playing college golf has been a long-term goal, it’s difficult to avoid the added pressure that comes once the process becomes real. Recruiting is meant to be challenging and uncomfortable at times—it’s part of navigating a major life decision about your future. For some recruits, that stress doesn’t show up as much in their scores. They may have already worked through certain stages of physical and mental development before the process begins. In those cases, recruiting can actually fuel performance, and the stress shows up more in the decision-making phase—choosing between schools, programs, and opportunities. For others, [...]

It’s often reported that when young athletes are asked about their least favorite moment in sports—or even why they eventually quit—one of the most common answers is “the car ride home.” After a long day on the golf course, everyone is tired. Emotions are high, and while it may feel like the perfect moment to break down your daughter’s round, it’s usually not. Let her decide if—and when—she wants to talk about it. She’s already replaying every shot in her mind, especially if she didn’t play well. If you do say anything, keep it positive.Let her know you enjoyed watching her compete, regardless of the outcome. If you feel you need to ask questions, focus on effort and attitude—not score.Ask whether she gave her best effort.Ask if she felt she showed good sportsmanship.If she says yes, then your response is simple: “I’m proud of you.” There will [...]

“Do not initiate communication with a college coach before your daughter does.” This reminder is so important. As a parent, it’s perfectly acceptable—and expected—to build a relationship with a coach during the process. Asking questions, discussing finances, and understanding logistics are all part of your role. After all, you are handing your daughter off to this person for four years, and a coach knows you’ll have things to clarify. But the initial contact and the majority of communication must come directly from your daughter. She should be the one writing the emails, making the phone calls, scheduling video chats, and carrying the conversations during visits. Coaches want to hear from her—not because they don’t value parents, but because they’re evaluating maturity, initiative, communication skills, and independence. When parents take over, two things happen: It hurts her recruiting chancesCoaches immediately question whether she is ready for the expectations [...]