This recruiting myths series has been very popular, and the engagement from college coaches has been overwhelming. My hope is that junior golfers and parents are taking these to heart—coaches see these behaviors all too often.
Myth #7: Coaches will never see the ridiculous things I post on social media.
Reality: Coaches are watching everything you do. One of my favorite pieces of advice from an Ivy League coach is “Give me a reason not to recruit you”. The margins between ALL OF THE RECRUITS and the 1-2 players that get selected in a given year are slim. What does your social media profile say about you? Does “your brand” hurt you or help you?
Myth #8: I can be “that player” who throws clubs and drops F-bombs when I don’t play well. Coaches will never find out.
Reality: Coaches will do their homework and talk to as many people as they can to learn more about you. They consider the long-term benefits and consequences of adding anyone to their program’s culture.
Coaches will find out if you are poorly behaved, yell at your parents or treat them disrespectfully on the golf course, utter profanities over missed shots, or have a reputation as “that person” that no one wants to be paired with. Most of them will want to watch you play before they make a final decision. This year is unlike any other in that coaches may not have the opportunity to evaluate you in person; therefore, they will do extra work to make sure that you are an upstanding individual who will bring more positives than negatives to the program.
No coach wants a player who has embarrassing behavior that they have to correct. If you’re wearing that university’s logo, you represent something way bigger than yourself. Coach is going to want to make sure that you are representing them and the university program that they are paid to lead with honor and distinction.
Myth #9: My parents can have access to my email account and write my emails for me. Coaches will never know.
Reality: Coaches receive lots of emails from junior golfers. They can see through a parent-written email pretty easily. If parents are writing your emails now, when does it stop? I’ve coached many players through the years, and I can think of one player whose parents were still writing monitoring her email box when she was IN COLLEGE. This is your first step in becoming an adult. Take responsibility for your email box and the next chapter of your life.
How do I get more information about Golf Globally?
Email Katie directly. Still not sure how she can help? Sign up for our next video chat on September 9th! This video chat will address what the class of 2023 and 2024 should be doing to maximize their recruitment.