One of the best ways to obtain an athletic scholarship is to get noticed. This can be a challenge when one considers the vast number of junior golfers pursuing this exact goal. There are ways to stand out though, and ways to maximize your exposure to college coaches. Promoting yourself is something you can do on your own, and a great way to get noticed.

First and foremost, practice your game. Make sure you are building your work ethic each day and improving your game both mentally and physically.A great way to practice is to compete as much as you can. You can compete on the junior tour and in invitational tournaments with the goal of earning a ranking and building your golf resume. College coaches view these rankings during the recruiting process.

While you keep track of your tournament finishes and rankings, record a recruiting video to send out to college coaches. Coaches receive a lot of contacts and requests from recruits so make sure you are sending your information to colleges that you have a strong interest in attending and that you feel are a good athletic, academic, and social fit. Once you are comfortable with your top college choices, you can really begin to focus on capturing the attention of those coaches. Schedule campus visits and keep in touch with the coaches who have made contact.

Last but not least, sell yourself. In addition to marketing your skills on the course, highlight other attributes about yourself such as confidence or ability to focus under pressure. If those aren’t your best traits then highlight something else about your character. Maybe it’s your leadership skills or work ethic that set you apart from others. Identify your strengths and use them to sell yourself as a top recruit!

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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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ONLINE CURRICULUM DEVELOPED BY ACTUAL COLLEGE GOLF COACHES! 

Do you want to take control of your college recruiting process? Do you often wonder, what the next step is to ensure you get a golf scholarship. SIMPLE 10 STEP PROCESS, written by college golf coaches, take the guessing out and GET RECRUITED NOW!

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