RecruitPKB: Tournament Schedule

A very important step to remember is to email coaches with your upcoming schedule. Now that we are in full-time spring golf and the summer months are just around the corner it is a great time to do this. 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 you play, 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 2019 recruits, coaches are able to reply to your emails so it may be a good question to ask if they plan to recruit at a tournament nearby that you are considering playing in. If you are a sophomore or younger you don't [...]

By |2018-04-05T11:30:43-04:00April 12th, 2018|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments

RecruitPKB: Masters Takeaways

One of the best takeaways a young player can get from Masters week is to watch the Masters on the Range coverage. If you don't get a chance to watch, here are a few takeaways from how the pros warm up: 📌 Most aren’t going to get too technical the morning of a tournament round 📌 They focus on balance and tempo with their swings 📌 They give themselves different lies around the practice greens 📌 They focus on putting fundamentals, usually with a training aid or some tees 📌 They take their time and focus on every shot they hit 📌 They aren’t rushed or anxious Your warmup is NEVER the time to get frustrated or in your head about not hitting it perfect or not feeling 100% confident. It’s the time to accept what is going on that day, trust your abilities and not fight [...]

By |2018-04-05T11:35:10-04:00April 5th, 2018|Player Performance Articles|0 Comments

RecruitPKB: Parent Role on the Player’s Decision

To conclude the series on "Parent Role in the College Recruiting Process" we will cover parents helping their daughter make their college decision. Obviously, the parent's will have a major influence on their daughter's college decision, but trying to help your daughter make the right decision for herself can be a difficult task. Below are a few tips to help the parents guide their daughter through her decision-making process. Review all of the positives and negatives for each school: Help your daughter create a positives and negatives list for each school as she takes visits, communicates with coaches and does research. Your role as a parent is to ensure they put emphasis on the important factors within each of these lists and don't base their decision on the wrong factors. Help them to understand what each factor will mean for their college experience and for their future. [...]

By |2018-03-29T15:49:45-04:00March 29th, 2018|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments

RecruitPKB: Parent Role and the Coaches

This week's "Parent Role in the College Recruiting Process" will cover a parent's role with college coaches. The relationship a parent builds with a college coach through the process can have a major influence on the coach's decision. Below are a few areas to be aware of as a parent so that you as well can make the best impression on your daughter's future coach. Say hi to coaches at tournaments but don't approach them: Because recruiting rules can vary depending on a player's grad year, always stick to the side of caution when you see a coach at tournaments. Be friendly and say hi but try to allow them to begin a conversation if they choose to. Some coaches are more talkative and will carry on conversations with parents, others just want to be left to themselves so they can watch the players and evaluate. The same [...]

By |2018-03-22T16:12:41-04:00March 22nd, 2018|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments

RecruitPKB: Parent Role in Supporting without Pushing

A few years ago I took everyone through a series of articles to cover a parent's role in the different aspects of the college recruiting process. I wanted to revisit many of those topics with a fresh new take, so over the next weeks, along with some college coach interviews, we will revisit these different topics. The first topic addressed is one that I get asked very often from parents who are concerned with pushing their daughter too hard, but who also know their daughter needs some guidance and structure in order to stay on track towards her goal of playing college golf. I am not a parent myself but I do understand that there is a very thin line between pushing too hard and just trying to keep a young girl motivated to succeed. Below are 5 recommendations that I believe can help a parent understand [...]

By |2018-03-21T20:31:14-04:00March 8th, 2018|College Recruiting Articles|1 Comment

RecruitPKB: College Tournaments

This is an assignment that I can not emphasize the importance of enough, go watch college golf tournaments. Some teams have already played 2 or 3 tournaments but there are some great opportunities ahead to plan a trip to a college golf tournament. If you are in the midst of the process and talking with several coaches then you need to go watch them "in action". It is one thing to sit across the desk from a coach and ask questions, maybe even chat by phone and get to know each other, but you MUST get a better feel for how they are when they are coaching during a tournament. There are a lot of different coaching styles and not all are going to be ideal to your personality. If you get the chance to watch, pay close attention to how they interact [...]

By |2019-03-22T09:25:35-04:00March 7th, 2018|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments

RecruitPKB: Be Honest About Your Commitment

I have recently had discussions with several of my players who are nearing the point of making their college decision so I wanted to address a few things to think about as you navigate both the early and later stages of the process. I receive a lot of feedback from coaches about what happens once a player gets on campus in comparison to what was discussed during the recruiting process. Many times what a player tells the coach during the recruiting process isn't what they are willing to do once they get to school. The decision to play collegiate golf is a life-changing decision. If you end up at a school or program that doesn't match up to your goals, work ethic, and expectations then it can end up being a long 4 years for you, the coach and the team. Yes you "can" transfer and in [...]

By |2018-03-02T14:45:25-05:00March 1st, 2018|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments

RecruitPKB: Coach Interview with University of Albany

Coach Colleen McSween, University of Albany Head Women's Golf Coach, gives us her insight about college recruiting.   Do you prefer that a recruit fills out the online questionnaire or sends their resume? Or both? Personally, I prefer a personal email with their resume.  Our questionnaire is very generic, but if they have filled it out then at least I know they have looked through our website. What do you look for when observing a recruit on the course? Demeanor is important to me on a course.  Keeping emotions in tack.  Looks confident.  Walks tall.  Acts like they know what they are doing (even if they don't) :)  Also, I like kids that carry their golf bags.  I'm old school.  I realize push carts are maybe the future, but I still like to see the golfers picking up their bags.  I also like to see them walking off [...]

By |2018-02-22T10:43:12-05:00February 22nd, 2018|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments

RecruitPKB: What NOT to do with an intro email

This past week I received a message from a college coach who wanted to share an email she had received. This email had so many things wrong with it that she wanted to make sure others knew and didn't make similar mistakes. I won't share the actual email but I do want to list out the mistakes that both myself and the coach concluded were necessary to address. Keep in mind this email was considered an "introductory email" where you are trying to make the best impression on a coach. The email was written and sent by the parent and not the player, a major turnoff to most all college coaches The email was typed on a phone and not a computer, leading to numerous formatting, grammatical and spelling errors. Simple words like "you" and "and" were shortened to "u" and "n" The very first sentence addressed [...]

By |2018-02-15T12:27:52-05:00February 15th, 2018|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments

RecruitPKB: Are You an Athlete?

Are you an athlete or do you just play a sport? This is a question that I have struggled with honestly answering for a lot of my life. For a long time, I thought I was an athlete simply bc I had the physical ability to play sports. I grew up playing basketball, softball, volleyball, and golf. I only played basketball until my sophomore year of high school but continued playing volleyball and of course golf throughout high school. I thought that because I was pretty good at them that meant I was a good athlete. And I thought because I went on to be a collegiate and professional golfer that meant I was a successful athlete. Now, years later, I finally realize what being an athlete really means. Every day, through my actions and decisions, I strive and sometimes struggle, to continue to become a better athlete in hopes that [...]

By |2018-02-08T12:37:48-05:00February 8th, 2018|Player Performance Articles|0 Comments
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