1. 1

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The college recruiting process can be quite intimidating for most high school athletes and their parents. There are many reasons why certain players get recruited to play college athletics, while others do not. Every year, hundreds of high school athletes fall through the cracks of college recruiting simply because they do not fully understand the college recruiting process.

In addition, most high school counselors do not possess the knowledge or experience in intercollegiate athletics to properly advise student-athletes on how to achieve their dream of receiving an athletic scholarship to play at the college level. There are a limited number of high schools that have an appropriate program to successfully prepare student-athletes for the college recruiting process.

Our research has shown that:

• 80% of college student-athletes attend schools outside of the NCAA Division I. This means that there are over 1,600 schools that offer athletic scholarships!
• The average college team’s recruiting budget is $500. With such limited funds available, it is impossible for coaches to see all potential high school athletes that could be recruited for their programs. That is why a proactive approach is required to be seen by college coaches.

For these reasons I developed this step-by-step guide, which contains an easy 10-step process to make it as simple as possible for you to obtain the college scholarship of your dreams and to GET RECRUITED NOW!

Golf Recruiting Guide Download PDF

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National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

• The NCAA is made up of over 1,200 colleges and universities, with 126,000 student-athletes receiving scholarship money each year.
• NCAA colleges and universities offer over $1 billion in scholarships each year.
• Schools that fall within Divisions I and II offer both full and partial athletic scholarships, depending on the sport. Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships and tend to be the more selective academic institutions.
• Full scholarships (full-rides) are offered for football and both men’s and women’s basketball.
• Partial scholarships are provided for other sports, which are considered “head count” sports. For example, a men’s golf team may have the equivalent of 4.5 scholarships to divide amongst all the players on the team. The head coach has the authority to divide these as he sees fit, providing either full or partial scholarships.

NCAA Division 1 main points:

• 5 scholarships per men’s golf team each academic year
• Players that land on a NCAA D-1 golf roster, tend to be the best players in their region or states
• Example schools:
  • Texas, Oklahoma, USC, Florida, Georgia Tech, Houston Baptist

NCAA Division 2 main points:

• 5 scholarships per men’s golf team each academic year
• Some D-2 programs are not fully funded, which leads to less scholarships for the team
• D-2 players are typically the top players on their respective high school golf teams
• Example schools:
  • Edwards University, Chico St. University (CA), Midwestern St.

NCAA Division 3 main points:

• Do not offer athletic scholarships
• Average to above average high school golfer
• Tend to be smaller, private schools
• Example schools:
  • Trinity College, Texas Lutheran University, UT Dallas

National Associate of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)

• The NAIA includes approximately 300 member institutions, with 90% of those offering athletic scholarships, with the average amount being approximately $7,000 per year.
• The NAIA has two divisions, with the top level talent comparable to the NCAA Division II.
• The recruiting rules are not as strict as in the NCAA. For example coaches can start contacting student-athletes in the 9^th
• Academic requirements for NAIA schools also tend to be more lenient than for NCAA schools. High School students must have 2 out of 3 of the following:

1. Minimum scores of 18 on the ACT, or 860 on the SAT (math and   reading)
2. Top 50% of class ranking
3. GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale (determined by HS)

• While official recruiting trips are limited to five in NCAA, there is no such restriction in the NAIA.
• Finally, “amateur” rules do not apply, as the NAIA allows you to have received a minimal amount of compensation in your athletic career, whereas NCAA is much stricter.

NAIA main points:

• Top NAIA golf programs can rival the best in NCAA D-1 because the academic requirements are lower at the NAIA level to be eligible
• Great option for foreign players
• Roughly 300 schools
• Example Schools:
  • Texas Wesleyan University
  • Our Lady of the Lake University
  • Thomas University

For further information on the NCAA and NAIA, you may reference the following websites:

http://www.sportsatcollege.com/index.php/2010/12/17/difference-between-ncaa-and-naia/

http://exactsports.com/blog/ncaa-and-naia-scholarships-know-the-difference/2011/02/05/

2.2. The Impact of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

Title IX of the federal government’s Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits gender discrimination in education programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance (reference: http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=93).

Title IX essentially requires an equal number of athletic scholarships be offered to both men and women athletes. The impact has been an obvious increase in athletic scholarships for women, while creating an “imbalance” in scholarships for men’s sports.

Because on the men’s side, football receives 85 full scholarships and there are no women’s football teams, other women’s sports need to be credited with 85 scholarships to be fair. This has the effect of reducing scholarships available or other men’s sports, with the exception of men’s basketball. For example, a men’s baseball team is able to only give 11.7 scholarships per year, while they have a roster of 35 players on average, compared to a women’s softball team that is able to offer 12 scholarships for typically 17 players.

However, it is interesting to note that after passage of Title IX, graduation rates for women increased with more receiving bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in 2008 than any previous year.

2.3. Junior College, Home-Schooled, and International Student Athletes

• Junior College Student-Athletes – If your dream is to play at an NCAA Division I school, but you do not yet possess the physical tools, you should consider spending a couple years at a junior college. It is much easier to transfer from a 2-year school than from a 4-year school. For example, you do not need a written release from your junior college to transfer, while transferring from one 4-year NCAA or NAIA school requires such a release. Also, in some instances, junior college teams are more competitive than some NCAA and NAIA teams.

Information for Junior College transfers is contained in Appendix 3, as well as the following website: (http://www.ncsasports.org/blog/2009/07/28/junior-college-transfer-rules/)

• Home-Schooled Student-Athletes – Since opening GPG, we have consulted with numerous parents who think that their child has no chance to play at the college level because he or she did not attend a traditional high school. However, there are clubs and organizations that field teams of only home-schooled high school student-athletes. Sometimes these even compete against local high schools. The point is that by competing with these clubs or organizations, a home-schooled athlete can also develop the talent and credentials to compete at the college level.

The main thing that you have to be weary of as a home scholar is the accreditation of your home school courses. Please refer to the following website to make sure you are on the right academic course in your home-school practices:

http://eligibilitycenter.org/ECWR2/NCAA_EMS/pdf/Home_School_Information.pdf

• International Student-Athletes – The biggest thing that holds international recruits back from playing at the top NCAA level is a prior professional athletic career. Most young individuals growing up overseas receive compensation for their athletic abilities, which, in turn negates their amateur status.

However, as noted above, since the NAIA is more lenient on amateurism rules than the NCAA, many talented foreign athletes have the potential to continue on their athletic careers at an NAIA school. Please refer to the following website for more information: http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/02e806804e0b8acd9d08fd1ad6fc8b25/International_Student_FAQ.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&WO GOLFHEID=02e806804e0b8acd9d08fd1ad6fc8b25

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1. Recruiting Calendars

• Keep your eye on the NCAA recruiting calendar to see when it is appropriate to contact coaches and other important dates.
• Reference:http://ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Issues/Recruiting/Recruiting+Calendars/

2. The Student-Athlete’s Four Tools for Success

• Physical Conditioning – You need to train to become an above average athlete in your sport and set yourself above the pack.
• Academic Performance – Be competitive in your academic work as you are in your athletic pursuits. The “Student” part of the Student-Athlete equation carries equal importance. Work hard in the classroom and get whatever help you need to achieve a respectable GPA and avoid being a high-risk student athlete.
• Tournament Participation – Play in the right leagues and tournaments to improve your chances of being seen by college recruiters.
• Work the GPG 10-Step Recruiting Process – Take the proactive approach for coaches to know about you and your skill set. If you notify them about your skills before going to a tournament it is more likely that you will make their list of players to watch at the tournament. Also ensure you have your “ducks in a row” before contacting these coaches. First impressions are important!

3. Some Final Tips to Qualify for an Athletic Scholarship:

• There is no magic potion that is going to get you a scholarship. There is a right way (proactive approach by the student-athlete) and a wrong way (being passive or paying for a service that provides for mass emailing of coaches for you) to go about the recruiting process. By using this guide, you will make sure you touch every necessary step in a timely fashion until you sign that National Letter of Intent!
• Reference the NCAA manual to make sure you are on track to be eligible academically, by taking the correct courses throughout high school. This NCAA manual can be found at ncaa.org
• Prepare for your SAT/ACT test. Sign up for preparation courses by talking with your school counselor or visit collegeboard.org
• Train like a college athlete – find a qualified trainer in your town. The most beneficial training is sports-specific, performance training.
• Get started on the recruiting process early! Right after your freshman season start building a resume and letter to send to coaches. You want to be verbally committed by your junior year!

References

College Board. (2011). “College Admissions – SAT – University and College Search Tool:. www.collegeboard.org, Retrieved 11-3-24

Exact Sports, (2011-02-05). “NCAA and NAIA Scholarships – Know the Difference!” Exact Sports Source, Retrieved 2011-03-13

NAIA. (2011).“Play NAIA” NAIA Eligibility Center. Retrieved 11-3-13

National Center for Education Statistics. (2008)“Fast Facts” Fast Facts. Retrieved 2011-02-23

NCAA.(2011). “Division 1 and 2 tool kit”. NCAA.org. Retrieved 11-3-13

NCAA (2011). “Home School Information”. NCAA. Retrieved 11-1-13

NCAA. (2011) “International Student Athletes Information”. International S-A FAQ’s, Retrieved 11-3-10

NCAA (2011)“Becoming a NCAA Student-Athlete”

http://ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Student-Athlete+Experience/Becoming+a+Student-Athlete/. Retrieved 11-3-13

NCAA. (2011). “Recruiting Terms”. NCAA.org. Retrieved 11-3-13

NCSA Scholarship Blog. (08-12-11) “Junior Golf Transfer Rules”, NCSA Blog

Retrieved (11-1-23)

Sports at College (2010-12-17). “Difference Between NCAA and NAIA”. NAIA vs NCAA Retrieved 2011-04-18

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There are special considerations if you are considering transferring from one school to another. Under NCAA regulations, you will be considered a transfer if you:

• Ever enrolled full-time in a two or four year school
• Ever participated in an athletic practice or played in a game, even if enrolled part-time

Types of Transfers

There three categories of transfers:

1. Qualifier – A student-athlete who meets NCAA Eligibility requirements.
2. Partial Qualifier – A student-athlete who does not meet all of the NCAA Division II academic requirements. A transferring partial qualifier:

• Must sit out one year
• Can practice with the team and receive financial aid

Note that only NCAA Division II allows partial qualifiers; Division I does not.  

3. Non-Qualifier – A student-athlete who does not meet (even partially) the NCAA academic requirements. Non-qualifiers:

• Cannot practice or play
• Cannot receive financial aid for one year

If you never registered with the NCAA or NAIA clearinghouses, you will automatically be designated as a non-qualifier.

If you are considering a transfer, it is important to understand when you need to obtain permission to contact a different school and when you do not need permission:

Permission is required if you are currently enrolled as a full-time student in an 4-year school. This takes the form of an official letter from your current school signed by your Athletic Director (or Administration/Compliance Officer).

Prior to obtaining such written permission, you may contact any NCAA college concerning your interest in transferring, but the new coach cannot discuss your transferring until he receives written permission from your current school.

If your current school will not give you written permission, you will have to sit out a year or appeal.

Permission is not required if you are attending a school in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) or National Community College Athletic Association (NCCAA); or if you are transferring schools within NCAA Division III, in which case you will use a “Self Release” to allow the second school to contact you about transferring. Sample “Self-Releases” are available at http://www.ncaa.org.
Junior College Transfers

If you are attending or considering a junior college, the following is important information considering a transfer to a 4-year institution:

As noted above, permission is not required from your school’s Athletic Director to transfer from a junior college to a 4-year school.

Be aware that the school you are transferring to may require you to complete your 2-year degree, or alternatively sit out a year (academic year in residence).Refer to the NCAA transfer guide and the FAQ on the NCAA site.

To accurately determine your eligibility status and familiarize yourself with the NCAA rules you should call the NCAA (317-917-6222),

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Glossary of Important Recruiting Terms

The following are important terms that both parents and students need to know while going through the college recruiting process. Using some of these terms during conversations with college coaches will show that you did your homework and are knowledgeable about the process.

• Contactoccurs any time a coach has face-to-face contact with a prospective student-athlete, or the prospect’s parents, off the college campus and says more than “hello”. A contact also occurs if a coach has any contact with the prospective student-athlete or his or her parents at the prospective student-athlete’s high school, or any location where the prospect is engaging in competition or practice.
• Contact periodis the time when a college coach may have in-person contact with a prospective student-athlete and the prospect’s parents on or off the college campus. The coach may also watch the prospective student-athlete play or visit his or her high school. The prospect and the parents may visit a college campus, and the coach may write and telephone during this period.
• Dead periodis a time when the college coach may not have any in-person contact with the prospective student-athlete or the prospect’s parents at any time. The coach may write and telephone during this time.
• Evaluationis an activity by a coach to evaluate a prospective student-athlete’s academic or athletics ability. This would include visiting the prospective student-athlete’s high school or watching the prospect practice or compete.
• Evaluation periodis the time a college coach may watch a prospective student-athlete play or visit the high school but cannot have any in-person conversations with the possible recruit or the parents off the college’s campus. The prospective student-athlete and the parents can visit a college campus during this period and a coach may call or write during this period.
• National Letter of Intentis the document a prospective student-athlete signs when he or she agrees to attend the designated college or university for one academic year. According to the terms of the National Letter of Intent program, participating institutions agree to provide athletic financial aid for one academic year to the student-athlete, provided he or she is admitted to the institution and is eligible for financial aid under NCAA rules. An important provision of the National Letter of Intent program is a recruiting prohibition applied after a prospective student-athlete signs a National Letter of Intent. This prohibition requires participating institutions to cease recruitment of a prospective student-athlete once a National Letter of Intent is signed with another institution.
• Official visitis a prospective student-athlete’s visit to a college campus paid for by the college. The college can pay for transportation to and from the college, room and meals (three per day) while visiting and reasonable entertainment expenses, including three complimentary admissions to a home athletic contest. NCAA recruiting bylaws limit the number of official visits a recruit may take to five.
• Prospective student-athleteis the title given when a student enters ninth grade. It also applies when, before a student’s ninth-grade year, a college gives the student, the student’s relatives or their friends any financial aid or other benefits that the college does not generally provide to prospective students.
• Quiet periodis a time when the college may not have any in-person talk with the prospective student-athlete or the parents off the college’s campus. The coach may not watch the prospect play or practice. The prospective student-athlete can visit college campuses during this time and a coach may write or telephone.
• Unofficial visitis any visit by a prospective student-athlete and their parents to a college campus paid for by the prospective student athlete or the prospect’s parents. The only expense the prospective student-athlete can receive from the college is three complimentary admissions to a home athletic contest. The prospect may make as many visits as he or she likes and may take the visits at any time. The only time the prospective student-athlete cannot talk with a coach during an unofficial visit is during a dead period.
• Verbal commitmentis the phrase used to describe a college-bound student-athlete’s commitment to a school before he or she is able to sign a National Letter of Intent. A college-bound student athlete can announce a verbal commitment at any time. While verbal commitments have become popular, they are NOT binding on either the college-bound student-athlete or the school.

Source: http://ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Issues/Recruiting/recruiting+glossary+of+terms#dead

Appendix 2

NCAA Divisions I & II Academic Eligibility Information

The following summarizes academic eligibility requirements (as of the summer of 2011) that student athletes must meet for NCAA Division I & II schools. All student-athletes are encouraged to visit the NCAA website to assure that they have the most current information.

http://ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Student-Athlete+Experience/Becoming+a+Student-Athlete/Division+I+Toolkit

Division I Academic Eligibility

To participate in Division I athletics or receive an athletic scholarship during the first year of college, an entering student-athlete must have graduated from high school having completed the following 16 core-course requirement in eight semesters:

• 4 years of English
• 3 years of math (Algebra 1 or higher)
• 2 years of natural or physical science (including one year of lab science if offered by the high school)
• 1 extra year of English, math or natural or physical science
• 2 years of social science
• 4 years of extra core courses (from any category above, or foreign language, non-doctrinal religion or philosophy)

In addition, you must have:

• earned the minimum required grade-point average (GPA) in core courses, and
• achieved a combined SAT or ACT score that matches the core course GPA and test-score sliding scale. (For example, a 3.000 core-course GPA requires at least a 620 SAT score).

Division II Academic Eligibility

Please note that Division II academic eligibility requirements will change after July 31, 2013.

If you enroll in a Division II college through July 31, 2013, and want to participate in athletics or receive an athletic scholarship during your first year, you must graduate from high school, having completed these 14 core courses:

• 3 years of English
• 2 years of math (Algebra 1 or higher)
• 2 years of natural or physical science (including one year of lab science if offered by your high school)
• 2 additional years of English, math, or natural or physical science
• 2 years of social science
• 3 years of extra core courses (from any category above, or foreign language, non-doctrinal religion or philosophy.

In addition, you must have:

• earned a 2.000 grade-point average or better in your core courses, and
• achieved a combined SAT score of 820 or an ACT sum score of 68.

If you enroll in a Division II college on or after August 1, 2013, and want to participate in athletics or receive an athletic scholarship during your first year, you must graduate from high school, having completed these 16 core courses:

• 3 years of English
• 2 years of math (Algebra 1 or higher)
• 2 years of natural or physical science (including one year of lab science if offered by your high school)
• 3 additional years of English, math, or natural or physical science
• 2 years of social science
• 4 years of additional core courses (from any category above, or foreign language, nondoctrinal religion or philosophy)

In addition, you must have:

• earned a 2.000 grade-point average or better in your core courses, and
• achieved a combined SAT score of 820 or an ACT sum score of 68. 

Student-Athletes Who Meet Division II Academic Eligibility

If you meet Division II academic requirements you will be considered a “Qualifier”, which will entitle you to:

• Practice or compete during your first year of college
• Receive an athletic scholarship during your first year , and
• Play four seasons if maintain your eligibility from year to year. 

Student-Athletes Unable to Meet Division II Academic Eligibility

Division II offers a “Partial Qualifier” status for student-athletes who graduate from high school, but are unable to meet all of the academic requirements listed above.   In order to be considered a Partial Qualifier you must meet one of the following standards:

• Achieved a combined SAT score of 820 or ACT sum score of 68; or
• Completed the 14 core courses with a 2.000 core-course grade-point average.

A Partial Qualifier:

• Can practice with your team at its home facility during your first year
• Can receive athletically related financial aid during your first year
• Cannot compete during your first year of college. If you meet academic standards during your first year and in subsequent years, you can play four seasons if you maintain your eligibility from year to year. 

Finally, you will be considered a “Non-Qualifier” if you did not graduate from high school or if you graduated and are missing both the core-course grade-point average or minimum number of core courses and the required ACT or SAT scores.

A Non-Qualifier:

• Cannot practice or compete during your first year of college
• Cannot receive athletically related financial aid during your first year of college, although you may receive need-based financial aid
• Can play four seasons if you maintain your eligibility from year to year

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AMERICAN JR. GOLF ASSOCIATION vs. STATE TOURS vs. LOCAL TOURS

NATIONAL EVENTS

Despite what most state wide junior tours will advertise, the AJGA is the best junior tour to gain exposure to college coaches. The AJGA can be a very complicated process for parents that have never experienced the junior golf process. There are different levels of tournaments, with the “Open events” and “Majors” receiving most of the attention of NCAA D1 golf programs. You will see on average, one dozen D1 college coaches at these events, depending on the event and location. Coaches prefer to watch these events, because you will be playing against future collegiate players on better quality golf courses compared to state and local junior tours.

Junior golfers need to start entering the first level AJGA events early (age 13) in order to gain “performance stars” to earn their way into top level events and gain optimal exposure to coaches.

STATE/ REGIONAL TOURS

Based on the junior golfers specific situation, it might be best for them to play regional or state wide junior tours. These tours would be similar to the Texas Junior Golf Tour or Junior Golf of Arizona. These events provide great competition, which help you gain experience against quality players. Some of these tours can be nearly the same price as AJGA events, but do not have the benefits of exposure like the AJGA. Although you will save traveling costs if they host a tournament in your hometown.

Local and regional college coaches will attend these events on a regular basis. Most of them will be smaller schools, who have limited recruiting budgets and need to recruit regionally or close to campus. Yes, most colleges have a small recruiting budget! That’s why it is vital for you to take the PROACTIVE APPROACH and reach out to these college coaches!

LOCAL JUNIOR TOURS

Golf tournaments close to home are vital to players at any level. For the most experienced player, local tournaments are a great opportunity to get experience posting low scores and learning how to win. We would recommend filling in off weeks with local tournaments to give yourself extra tournament reps and become a better player. These tours would include your local Junior PGA Tours, such as the South Texas PGA Junior Series.

For the junior golfer that is new to competition, these are a great way to gain experience of tournament golf at a cost effective price. 

FINAL TIP: Maintain Ongoing Follow-up

Now that you have done all the legwork to be recruited, it is important to keep up with these coaches. And the importance of follow-up cannot be overemphasized. Remember that you have invested much time and energy into this process and you want that to pay off in the end.

You must continue to follow-up with phone calls to coaches – at least one time per week until you talk to a coach and schedule a plan of action – and then maintain regular contact with the coach during that plan both my phone and via email until the day you sign your National Letter of Intent.

Find any reason to follow up with a coach!

• Topics for follow up:
  • Congratulate them on team accomplishments
  • Update them after tournaments (update them after good and bad tournaments, they don’t want to just hear about when you’re playing great!) When you play poorly, let them know what you learned. You learn more from your failures than your accomplishments!

Because unexpected circumstances arise throughout the recruiting process, this step will provide you the capability to re-evaluate schools as necessary and to follow-up on questions coaches may ask regarding recruiting trips and other matters.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! KEEP FOLLOWING THIS SYSTEM AND YOU WILL OPEN UP ALL THE DOORS FOR PLAYING COLLEGE GOLF!

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Now it is time to start reaching out to the coaches. If you have followed Steps 1-8 and have prepared well, this step is crucial in setting you apart from the thousands of other high school students you are competing against!

There are several important aspects to this step:

• Finding contact information for coaches
• Finding official recruiting forms for the schools which interest you
• Prospecting coaches’ instructions
• Follow-up communications
• Staying organized

 Important! The student athlete must communicate with the coaches – NOT your parents. As a student-athlete you are going to take control of this process. Coaches recruit players, not their parents. 

Finding coaches’ contact information

It is very simple to find coaches contact information, if you know how to navigate the Internet.

1. Go to Google
2. Type in ,for example, “University of Oklahoma Athletics”
3. Go to the official athletics site
4. In one of the top tabs there should be an option for “Staff Directory”
5. Write all the coaches listed for your sport listed, including phone number, email, mailing address

 Finding the school’s official recruiting forms

These forms help you get in the coaches database and on their recruiting radar. To locate them:

1. Use the steps listed above to get to the school’s athletic website
2. Go to the sport of your choice
3. There should be a section on the team page for “Potential Recruits” or something to that effect. Click and follow the prompts. Follow instructions to submit form.

Prospecting Coaches’ Instructions

Each school’s athletic site will include the coach’s instructions for potential recruits. Read these carefully and follow them as outlined by each school.

Make sure to complete the Recruiting Surveys, which will be located on the athletic site. Complete the entire form and submit online or through the mail.

Follow the instructions for submitting your cover letter, resume, tournament schedule and video (DVD).

If by email, copy and paste cover letter into body of the email and attach your resume and upcoming tournament/game schedule; your resume should also include a link to your on-line video. Make sure to email each coach separately and make each as personalized as possible. 

If by regular mail, make sure to address the mailing to “Coach (Last Name), sport” and include your cover letter, resume, tournament/game schedule, and video (DVD). 

Follow-up Communications

This is a critical aspect in the process. Many student-athletes will not follow-up with coaches for various reasons, the two foremost of which are: 1.) they are intimidated, or 2.) they do not feel it is necessary because they are good and the coaches will get back with them.

Both are bad reasons. When you want something you have to follow up until it gets done. Coaches receive hundreds of emails every day; you must distinguish yourself from the pack by following up and standing out. And you do not just follow up to say “hi”; you are prepared to ask questions and listen before you make the phone calls!

Some tips to start your communications with the coaches:

Call once per week, until you reach the coach. If you don’t reach him, leave a message stating:

• Your name
• Reason for call – to follow up on a letter and resume you had sent
• Politely ask for a call back and leave your number

Your objective for first conversation is to introduce yourself to the coach and let him know that you sent him information and confirm that he received it. If he cannot confirm that he has received it, tell him that you will resend if necessary. (Review key points and questions to ask the coach on the first call developed in Step 8.)

Your objective in your second call is to set a time to go visit the campus!

Stay Organized

As you talk with different coaches you will need to keep organized as to which coach you talked with, when the conversation occurred, outcomes, deadlines or other things on which follow-up is required. This is an extremely important part of the process.

To stay organized, develop a notes log to track all conversations with the coaches. This can be organized in an excel spreadsheet, a word document, or even a carefully kept notebook. But this will become your individual college recruiting database, which is easily accessible and at your finger tips every day when you are ready to work on your recruiting. You may want to consider an icon front and center on the desktop of your computer, so you can’t go a day without seeing it.

This will help you keep all your notes with schools separate and organized for follow up calls, application deadlines, financial aid, and scheduling recruiting trips.

Your log should be formatted like this:

General Layout of Notes Log

School Name

Mailing Address

Head Coach Name, title, phone number, email

Asst. Coach Name, title, phone number, email

Date – completed recruiting form located on each teams team website and submitted

Date – second plan of action, which should be emailing letter, resume, and upcoming game schedule to coach

Date – third plan of action, physically mail to the above

Date – fourth plan of action, first follow up call to all coaches, until you talk to one

Sample Notes Log

<Your Name>

Coaches Contact Information

Texas Tech

Betsy Rawls Golf Club

TTU – Box 43021

6^th & Boston

Lubbock, TX 79409

Coach Sands Head Coach, 806-742-7545×272, email

Coach Jeff, Asst. Coach, 806-742-7545×274, email

2/23/11 submit recruiting questionnaire

http://www.texastech.com/sports/m-golf/spec-rel/recruit-form.html

2/24/11 sent letter, resume, video via email

2/27/11 physically mailed all materials

3/3/11 followed up with first phone call. Coach Sands has seen my materials. Thinks I would be good fit. Told me to follow up 4/7/11 to see scholarship situation.

University of Michigan

Athletic Department – Golf
University of Michigan
1000 South State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2201

Coach Rosen, Head Coach, 734-647-3035, email

2/23/11 there is not a recruiting questionnaire available…so I emailed my materials to the coach.

Texas Christian University

TCU Athletics Department -Golf

Box 297600

Fort Worth, TX 76129

Coach Lewis, Head Coach, 817-257-7360, email

Coach Tanaka, Asst. Coach, 817-257-5324, email

2/23/11 submitted recruiting survey

http://gofrogs.cstv.com/sports/m-golf/spec-rel/tcu-w-volley-questionnaire.html

2/24/11 emailed coach my materials

2/27/11 physically mailed coaches

3/4/11 followed up with first call. No answer left a voicemail. Will try again next week. 

TIP: You are never completed with this until you sign your NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT. FOLLOW UP, FOLLOW UP, FOLLOW UP

The post Step 9 to a College Golf Scholarship appeared first on JUNIOR GOLF FOUNDATION.

Communication is an extremely important aspect of the recruiting process. Communications will take several forms:

• First, you will be expected to tell the coach about yourself.
• Second, the coach will expect that you have done your homework and that you will ask him questions about the program and how you will fit in.
• And third, you can expect the coach to ask you questions, and to listen carefully to how you respond; you must be prepared.

One way to prepare is to find a partner to role-play with before following up with college coaches. This will help you get an idea how to respond to coaches on follow up phone calls and conversations. This person could be a parent, teammate, coach, counselor, or anybody that will play along!

What to tell the coach

Stress your personal strengths! Say one of your strengths every time an opportunity arises in conversation. Do not be afraid to come off as cocky – just let the coach know you are confident in your abilities to succeed at the college level and help improve his program. Here are some strengths that you should build into your conversations, if they apply to you. Add others that are applicable.

1. You are doing great academically and plan to continue so that the coach will not have any worries in this regard.
2. You will pursue every avenue possible for financial aid
3. You will do whatever it takes to have a chance to play for their program.
4. You are registered with NCAA Clearinghouse, so the coach knows you are eligible, which takes away 50% of the coach’s worry about a recruit.
5. You are responsible and mature. You are proving that with the emails, mail, researching the coaches contact information, following up with the coach, and being able to put all the materials together, including being pre-registered with the NCAA Clearinghouse.
6. You are passionate about being a collegiate student-athlete and playing for their program; you will do whatever it takes to prove to the coach that you are worthy of an opportunity to play for him.
7. You know how to balance and excel in both academics and athletics.

What to ask the coach

You must do your homework to identify good questions to ask coaches. This is important to demonstrate your interest in their programs. Here are some questions to get you going down the right path:

1. Have you had a chance to look at my email or package that came through the mail?
2. How do you feel I could fit into your program?
3. How many players are leaving after the (your graduation year) season?
4. What does the scholarship situation look like for my recruiting class?
5. How many more players are looking to sign for my recruiting class?
6. When are you looking to solidify your recruiting class?
7. What is the daily life like for a player at your college/university?
8. How rigorous are the academic courses and how much help do we receive through the athletic department? What academic services, such as tutors, exclusive study area for athletes, learning specialists, and counselors are available?
9. What is the graduation rate of your players?
10. What would you like me to do from here to prove that I have what it takes to play at your school?
11. Do you have any questions for me?

Be prepared to respond to these questions a coach might ask.

Think hard about how to answer these questions if asked. Ask others who have been through the recruiting process what types of questions they were asked. Role playing with a parent, friend, or other person can be extremely helpful.

1. What are your goals going into your senior season?
2. What are your goals for college?
3. Where do you rate sports on your list of priorities compared to other areas such as school, faith, family, social life?
4. What are you looking for in a college?
5. How much scholarship money are you looking to receive?
6. What fields of study are you interested in?
7. What are the things that you are looking for most in a school?
8. What most interests you about our school?
9. What other schools are you hearing from?
10. Do you have a leader now?
11. What types of grades are you getting now (which may be an early way to ask for your transcripts)?

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