RecruitPKB: Are Scholarships Negotiable?

I was asked this question last week about whether or not scholarships are negotiable so I thought it was a good topic to address to those who may be curious about this question. I have faced it numerous times working with families as they make their final decision and it can certainly be a sensitive subject on both sides of the equation. Many instances of dishonesty have occurred, but if handled correctly, it can be a beneficial experience for both the family and the coach. The ultimate answer to the question is that "yes" athletic scholarships can be negotiable if a full ride is not offered, however, as with many parts of the recruiting process it does depend on the situation. There are some cases where the amount of money being offered is truly the maximum amount that a coach has available for you. All of their [...]

By |2017-09-13T11:48:17-04:00February 1st, 2017|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments
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RecruitPKB: Bring on 2017

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, holiday season, and a Happy New Year. I know I sure did! I was able to spend a lot of time with my families and friends, ate way too much good food and relaxed a bit as the year came to a close. I am really excited about 2017 and what is in store for PKBGT and RecruitPKB.   As we kick this year off, I wanted to give the opportunity for you to send me some questions and thoughts on topics you would like for me to cover in my articles, webinars, and seminars. These can be specific to college recruiting or more general in regards to player development, junior golf, female athletes, etc. You can email your thoughts and questions to me at bjackson@pkbgt.org. Right now, we are working on updating our RecruitPKB packages for this year to [...]

By |2017-09-13T11:44:43-04:00January 11th, 2017|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments
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RecruitPKB: Parent Role in College Recruiting Part 2

Part 2 in the Parent Role in College Recruiting series will cover the topic of "Parent's Role at Tournaments from a Coach's Perspective". This week we will cover your role at tournaments from the perspective of a college coach. Coaches are watching the parents as much as they are the recruits at tournaments. They understand how much of an influence a parent can have on their child's golf game and what behaviors they may have to deal with if that player comes to their university. A few red flags that coaches are looking for with parent behavior include: Hovering while the player is warming up or during post round practice Getting upset over bad shots or bad rounds Walking away while other players in the group are still hitting Conversing too much with your child on the golf course Over-excitement A few positive behaviors that coaches like [...]

By |2017-09-13T11:49:02-04:00January 5th, 2017|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments
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RecruitPKB: Parent Role in College Recruiting Part 1

While this can be a very sensitive subject with many parents, it is an extremely vital part of the recruiting process. Part 1 in the Parent Role in College Recruiting series will cover the topic of "how to support your junior golfer without being overbearing". I have been asked this question numerous times from parents who are concerned with doing enough to push their son/daughter to get better but not so much that they drive them away from the game or develop resentment. While I am not a parent myself, I have been able to experience golf from several different viewpoints and learned a tremendous amount from each. Being an adult and working with both the junior golfers and their parents, I now have a huge level of respect for the sacrifices, commitment, and frustrations that a parent must face in order to help their child be [...]

By |2017-09-13T11:49:03-04:00December 15th, 2016|College Recruiting Articles|1 Comment
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RecruitPKB: A Must Watch Video for Parents

This week is Junior Golf Week on the Golf Channel and an interview they conducted with Jon Gordon really caught my attention so I wanted to share the clip along with a few of my own thoughts in regards to what he is referencing. Here is the LINK to that clip so check it out first. I am sure each of you got something different from what he talked about but hopefully, it resonated a little with how you see your daughter's junior golf experience. Here are my two favorite quotes that he mentioned which relate to many of the questions I get asked about competitive junior golf, parenting, and the recruiting process. "You can't drive anyone else's bus, you have to encourage and inspire them to drive their own bus" I know it's tough to want the best for your daughter and know the impact that playing [...]

By |2017-09-13T11:44:44-04:00October 21st, 2016|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments
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RecruitPKB: College Coach Perspective

As the college season starts to wind down I will be posting some new insight, interviews, and feedback directly from the college coaches but for now here is an oldie but goodie about some advice a coach would give a junior golfer going through the process. If you could give a junior golfer one piece of advice what would it be? "All around good in every area. Overachieve in academics, golf, life, comm services. Be a role model" - Division 1 Women's Coach "Work hard on your short game!" - Division 1 Women's Coach "Get the best grades possible." - Division 1 Women's Coach "Have a Game Plan and Goals" - Division 3 Men's and Women's Coach "Always have quality practices. Don't just beat balls. Staying on the range all day does you no good if nothing is accomplished" - Division 2 Men's and Women's Coach "Begin [...]

By |2017-09-13T11:49:03-04:00October 13th, 2016|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments
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RecruitPKB: Getting Started with the Process

Every junior golfer is at a different place in the college recruiting process but there are some basic steps that you need to follow in order to get started. Learn the NCAA rules and regulations – A student-athlete who knows the rules of college recruiting will not only impress a coach but also be able to better navigate the process and not get confused. Register at www.eligibilitycenter.org by your junior year. Get a 3rd party evaluation – Every student-athlete needs an unbiased 3rd party evaluation to assist with setting realistic goals and expectations as well as develop a plan to reach them. Build a college recruiting resume – One of the most important steps! Every coach needs to see a complete resume with all of the proper information so they can fully evaluate the student-athlete. Record a quality swing video – Along with the college recruiting resume, [...]

By |2017-09-13T11:49:04-04:00September 28th, 2016|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments
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RecruitPKB: What You Can Learn From Sept 1st

Now that the excitement of September 1st has worn off a bit I want to take the time to address a few things that you can learn from the communication you received (or didn't receive) on September 1st and how it can be a lesson for your own communication with the coaches. Mass email vs Personalized Email: Many of my players forwarded emails they received from coaches with excitement, unfortunately, those same emails were sent out to several others players that I consult. Keep this in mind when reading the emails, if there is nothing personal in the email (just your name does not count as personalized) then it may mean you are not a high priority on that coaches list. It does not necessarily mean that the coach isn't interested and they may simply be trying to find out who replies back but do know that [...]

By |2017-09-13T11:49:04-04:00September 15th, 2016|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments
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RecruitPKB: It Takes More Than Just Talent

“It’s not about how talented you are, it’s about how hard you work to make the most of the talent you were given” –  Me   This may sound crazy, but one of the biggest detriments to a young player’s development is being told how talented they are. Check out this short video about motivation and hard work. I was one of those players who had a very natural talent for golf from an early age. I didn’t have to be taught a lot of mechanics, early in my golf career swing coaches wouldn’t make any changes to my swing except a few tweaks to my setup if it got off. I could naturally figure out how to properly swing the club, work the ball, creatively get myself out of trouble and hit different short game shots around the green without thinking much about mechanics.   Now [...]

By |2017-09-13T11:45:58-04:00December 10th, 2015|College Recruiting Articles|0 Comments
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