“Should I Consider Taking a Gap Year?

As you progress through the college recruiting process, you may stop and think, should I consider taking a gap year? 

For some, a gap year could be ideal. The following article outlines the main considerations for those of you who might not be ready or prepared to take the leap to college.

First, let us look at the different types of “gap” years. 

· Post-Grad – after graduation, taking time to work on all facets of personal development 

· Grade retention - Repeating a grade in high-school or continuing education

· Part-Time – enrolling part-time in a junior college or online classes (less than 12 credits/semester)

· Traditional– taking time away from school and athletics to travel and embark on new journeys (not recommended for prospective student-athletes*)

Next, let’s understand the most common reasons players tend to opt for a gap year.

· Young Age

· Academic Standing

· Athletic Development

· Initial Eligibility

· Health Problems

· Social Aptitude/Maturity

· Missed School

Now, let’s look at the pro’s and con’s associated with the decision to take a gap year. 

Pro’s

· Can assist with personal development - physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially

· Can assist in “readiness” for college golf

· Players who were late to golf, the “late-bloomers”, will have more time to showcase their skills to coaches

We must also be aware of the Con’s of a gap year. Personally, I see too many players taking gap years because of the hopes they will improve their games and greatly enhance their chances of a D1 scholarship. I think this view is flawed for many reasons, the strongest of which is that most times, especially at the peak of their development, it is very difficult to see major gains in performance in 12 months unless there are significant life-altering changes in a players practice, training, and preparation. However, in the case that a player needs to develop with the maturation process at their age or simply needs more time to be “college ready” with their academics a gap year could be the more logical and correct answer, rather than just throwing themselves, for lack of better words, “in with the lions”. 

Below I’ve listed the NCAA’s requirements to become initially academically eligible as a freshman in college. Per NCAA Rules, a prospective student-athlete interested in playing college golf must successfully complete 16 core courses per NCAA Division 1 – Bylaw 14.3.1.2.1, Core-Curriculum Time Limitation. In layman’s terms, once a player begins high-school, he/she has eight (8) semesters to successfully complete the required core courses. (see below for D1/D2 breakdown)

Considering the decision to take a “gap” year should be treated on a case-by-case basis. Each individual is different and is most likely facing a different situation. Let’s now discuss some of the Con’s when considering a gap year. 

Con’s

· No guarantee you will improve your college recruiting opportunities

· Less structure in daily life and having to manage time and activities independently 

· Complications with NCAA Initial Eligibility - general rule: NCAA gives a 1-yr “grace period” after 4 consecutive years of high school, then after the “grace period” a player had 5 years of eligibility to play 4 years of college golf

· Increased confusion for College Coaches which could raise red flags if the gap year plan/vision is not communicated properly and understood by all parties.

· Friends will leave town and embark on a new chapter in their lives, leaving many without friend groups, feeling left out and lonely, and on a different life path for the next year.

While taking a gap-year is certainly not for everyone, in many cases it could provide an additional year of academic, athletic, and personal growth for the individual and could position the player for more recruiting opportunities. Additionally, players who are underdeveloped could choose to take a gap year are better prepared to take on the busy challenge of becoming a student-athlete and are given ample time to mature.

For players who choose to take a gap year, understand that you will have to be highly motivated and prepared to embark on your new journey. This is not a vacation or time away from responsibilities, rather it’s your opportunity to show coaches you are capable of becoming a student-athlete. There will be sacrifices and commitments you will have to make in order to change your current situation and ultimately impress coaches of your athletic and academic abilities. 

All in all, each player considering a gap year should carefully evaluate his/her situation to fully understand and optimize their college fit both from an academic and athletic perspective. Whether you decide to take a gap year or not, it is paramount you and your team create a plan that is best suited to maximize your development.

All the best, 

Michael J. Smith

Mike Smith is the founder of ForeCollegeGolf, a college placement and recruiting business where he aims to apply his background in competitive golf and recruiting education to help educate players, their families and coaches about the college recruiting process.

Self-BELIEF: What’s holding YOU back?

In golf, as in life, there are the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’. We are seeing it more and more in college athletics, and now, even in junior golf. The ‘haves’ not only possess the necessary skills to excel on the course but also have the secret ingredient that truly separates them from their peers: Self-Belief.

This conversation has popped up recently with a few competitive ForeCollegeGolf clients and as we begin the high-school golf season here in Florida, it’s the perfect time to understand the importance of self-belief.

As everyone knows, the game of golf is a rollercoaster ride. From hole to hole, round to round, week to week, month to month, year to year; you get the point. Your game and your outlook are constantly changing and far too often we are discouraged by our own shortcomings and even demotivated by the successes of others.

In golf, there are times when you feel like you are at the top of the mountain and can’t be touched and there are times where you’re so low that you feel like you just want to climb into a hole and hide. Everyone has experienced these feelings at some point, you’re not alone.

We need to begin to grasp and appreciate that golf itself is a game, a game of variables, a very funky game! There will be times when you’ll feel like you’ll never play well again and there will be times where you feel like you’ll never be beaten again, but neither are true!

In this article, we’re going to “debunk the funk” and show you how to start your journey to unconditional self-belief.

Recently, the topic of self-belief kept coming up when speaking with a few of my clients. Whether it was them being successful on the golf course or mustering up the courage to call a college coach at their dream school; the common denominator of their successes was their unwavering belief in their abilities. Not surprisingly, they kept achieving, some FAR BEYOND what their current skill levels predicted. These juniors were playing better golf and generating more interest from college coaches than ever before.

But how?

As a college recruiting consultant and someone who cares deeply about junior golfers pursuing their dreams, one of the most difficult challenges I face on a daily basis is persuading juniors to believe unconditionally in their own abilities. It’s not because they don’t believe me or trust my opinion. It’s truly because they need something more ‘real’ than words. They need proof. They need facts. They need to see it, touch it, smell it, taste it and hear it.

While coaches can certainly try to build self-belief by communication, ultimately that belief has to be earned by the player.

You may now be asking yourself, so how do I earn self-belief?

In my experiences, the best way for a player to begin believing in him/herself is to remember and look back on past successes. At FCG, we work with our players to help them build their own “Success Shelf” – a place in their own minds where they have the opportunity to store positive memories and experiences that retell the player that they are capable of excelling. Not in just one area but in an assortment of situations. Not just sometimes but all the time.

In our practices, players who show the most growth also possess thought-out, well-designed, and most importantly – written practice plans.

The plans aren’t super comprehensive or overwhelming. They aren’t encyclopedias that only a rocket-scientist could decipher. They’re small booklets of drills and games that keep the player in a state somewhere between complete boredom and overwhelming anxiety. Our practice goal for juniors is this - to refine their techniques and clarify concepts while also building self-belief and working intently on transferring the skills mastered in practice to competition.

It’s that simple? Yes, it really is.

Bottom line, without your own Success Shelf, personalized practice plans and an unconditional belief in your abilities; you might not ever get the opportunity to ‘tap into’ your own potential.

Take a peek inside Jason Day’s mind and learn about self-belief in his short documentary:

“Never Say Die!”

2019 NCAA Rule Changes & Important Dates in the “Recruiting Race”

By Michael J. Smith, ForeCollegeGolf

November 1st, 2019

College coaches have been under the watchful eye of athletic department administrators ever since the beginning of college sports. Most have been advised at some point in their careers to “perform well or lose your job”. This has led to college coaches feeling more pressure than ever before to stay atop the GolfStat rankings. As a byproduct of these heightened expectations and added pressure, we have seen many coaches implementing more aggressive recruiting strategies.

In recent years, we witnessed many verbal offers being extended to elite players very early in the recruiting process, some as early as 14, 13 or even 12 years old! As you can imagine, there were many notable “side-effects” that accompanied these early verbal commitments.

Many of these players who made early commitments never developed to the level their coaches envisioned they would. Most commonly, these early commits were players who would underperform and eventually ask for a transfer or even worse, “ride the bench” for 4 years and never attain their goals in college golf. Eventually, both college administrators and the NCAA came to their senses and recognized that it was irrational and unfair to expect players at an early age to make well thought out and qualified decisions about their future. 

In years past, there was plenty of discussion in the college golf world over the NCAA rules and legislation. Although the specific changes I mention below have been in effect since August, the tangible effects of these changes are just now becoming visible in recruiting.

So let’s jump in….

The NCAA released the major rule changes in two waves. The initial changes were released in September 2018 and the most recent changes went into effect in April of 2019 and are now transforming the way junior golfers are being recruited across the globe.

So what’s changed? 

Initial Communication Date – June 15th

· NCAA rule - Communication with prospects is NOT permitted prior to June 15th before their Junior year. No communication whatsoever, including verbal commitments, is allowed until this date. 

· Note: Coaches are permitted to send golf camp brochures, questionnaires, and “non-athletic recruiting publications” to prospects. Prospects can dial outgoing calls (player-to-coach), leave voicemails, send update emails, follow on social media, and attend college golf tournaments to show their interest. However, Coaches cannot respond back or engage with recruits until the June 15th date. Third parties, like swing instructors, recruiting consultants, trainers, etc., are allowed to speak to College Coaches.

Unofficial and Official Visits – 

· NCAA rule – Coaches are NOT permitted to host unofficial or official visits for recruits before August 1st of a prospect’s Junior year.

· Note: prospects can still visit college campuses on their own before Aug 1st. 

Dead/Quiet Period in December -

· NCAA rule - December is now a “Quiet/Dead Period” for Division 1 Men’s college golf. In layman’s terms, Coaches can’t evaluate you in competition from Thanksgiving until the New Year.

· Note: This rule will have a major effect on junior events in December. Coaches are allowed to have prospects in their Junior and Senior year on-campus for unofficial/official visits until Christmas Eve.

45-day Rule – (for College Coaches) – 

· NCAA rule - Coaches are permitted 45 total days to evaluate prospects in competition throughout the course of the year. 

· Note: Coaches are more restricted than ever before and outside of the college calendar, this forces Coaches to pick/choose which days they recruit.

So how are Coaches feeling about the major NCAA Rule changes? 

“Personally and professionally, I love it. Recruiting was in an unhealthy cycle of really really young people making decisions where they wanted to attend college. The changes allow us to properly evaluate prospects before their junior year of HS when we can communicate with them. The new rules are not “pro power five” or “pro mid-major”; they are healthy changes for prospects and college coaches in my opinion.” Jay Moseley – Head Coach - Ohio State University

“The recent April rule changes are a positive step in the right direction. Moving forward, the new legislation will help coaches learn more about a prospect as they develop mentally, physically, and emotionally through their high-school years.” Nick Clinard – Head Coach – Auburn University

“I think the NCAA rule changes on early commitments is a big win, not only for D1 and D2, but also the student-athletes. D1 coaches don’t have to spend recruiting days on freshmen anymore, and it gives prospects more time to mature and visit a variety of campuses to see which program best suits them. There are many kids we show interest in or invite to campus that are likely D1 prospects. The delayed commitment date gives us a bit more ability to get to these elite players and show all the great things Florida Southern and high-level D2 golf can offer.” Lee White – Head Coach - Florida Southern College (D2) 

“As a highly ranked mid-major program in Florida, we are competing against bigger Power-5 programs. I have spent most of my time chasing top junior players here in the US and international recruits. With the old rules, there were fewer restrictions and we couldn’t keep pace. With the new rules, it has delayed the process and opened a new ball game for us mid-majors. In the past, all of the really good players were already committed to Power-5 conference schools by junior year. Now, players that I want to watch as sophomores in high school are available to us. The later contact date now allows us to recruit the same players that the big schools do.” Jamey Salmon – Head Coach – Jacksonville University

Survey Results

I sent a survey to head and assistant Coaches in Division 1 and Division 2. In total, there were 132 coach respondents.

Here’s what we learned:

The initial questions we asked the 132 college coaches were “Are you in favor of the June 15th communication date change?” and “Are you in favor of the August 1st visit(s) date?.” Both were responded to in a similar way, with the majority (85%), to be in favor of both rule changes. Interestingly, only 15% of Coaches were not in favor of the communication date changes and there were no significant affiliations with big-time “Power-5” conference schools within the 15 percent that are against the rule change. 

The next question we asked was “Are you in favor of the 45-day rule?”. A far larger number, 33% of Coaches, said they are against the 45-day rule suggesting they might feel limited in their recruiting opportunities with only 45-days allotted to recruiting. 

The final questions asked the number of unofficial visits hosted by each Coach last year vs. the number of unofficial visits they anticipate hosting this year, and the same for official visits. The data for unofficial visits was underwhelming, with 50% of coaches saying the number of unofficial visits they host will remain the same and a perfectly even split between those who plan to give more unofficial visits vs. those who plan on hosting less, each at 25 percent respectively.

However, the data collected for official visits was much more shocking, with a whopping 48 percent of respondents stating they plan on hosting more official visits this year than they did last year and a minuscule 18 percent saying they will host fewer official visits this year. 

***Note: This does NOT mean Coaches will offer every prospect that comes knocking an official visit, more so that they plan on hosting fewer unofficial visits because of the later communication date and more official visits to qualified recruits later in the process.

At ForeCollegeGolf, I’ve been lucky enough to speak with many coaches and pick the brains of some of the most respected and forward-thinking minds in college golf. From these conversations, I can pinpoint a few takeaways. First, I can say, with confidence, these rule changes are a positive step in the right direction, for both Coaches and players alike. I expect these changes to pay dividends on both sides of the recruiting “fence” and craft a more holistic recruiting experience across the board. Secondly, I anticipate college coaches will be expecting qualified recruits or a trusted third party, to provide them information on a regular basis in order to accelerate the recruiting cycle before June 15th. And lastly, I foresee many coaches hosting fewer unofficial visits and many more official visits to narrow down their shortlist of qualified recruits. 

If you have any questions about the article above, any feedback, an article idea you would like to provide; you can find me at mike.smith@forecollegegolf.com or www.ForeCollegeGolf.com. 

Keep Swinging,

Michael J. Smith

Mike Smith is the founder of ForeCollegeGolf, a college placement and recruiting business where he aims to apply his background in competitive golf and recruiting education to help educate players, their families and coaches about the college recruiting process.

Is it essential for Junior Golfers to compete during the Winter months?

Is it essential for Juniors to travel and compete in tournaments during the winter months?

My research and experience say – no! 

There seems to be an overwhelming sense of ‘playing paranoia’ with juniors and junior golf families. Many I speak with are under the impression that if they don’t play tournaments year-round they will not be recruited to play college golf. This is an inherent flaw and understanding in junior golf.

However, if you live in a warmer climate and are still planning to play tournaments during the winter months, you’ll want to make sure you’re fully prepared and ready to go. It’s also important to note, everyone has a different “recipe” they execute in order to successfully prepare for tournaments. In this case, winter preparation depends on your area’s climate and your access to necessary resources.

First, let’s take a look at what is happening in college golf….

Typically, when college players arrive back on campus in January, their training and practice will depend on a few factors: climate, date of their first tournament, and budget/resources. As a generalization, most NCAA programs tend to arrive back on campus the first/second week of January. Teams will then go back “in-season” a week or two after arriving back at school and will play their first Spring tournament in the first few weeks of February. It’s important to point out, most programs will not immediately go back in-season when players arrive back on campus in January. Instead, some schools will rely on indoor facilities for off-season training and practice for a few weeks. Many elite D-1 programs have indoor performance centers which include hitting bays, artificial putting/chipping greens, and even bunkers! These same facilities often include the luxuries of Trackman, SAM Putt Lab and video analysis software.

While many of the elite schools in warm-climate regions can afford an environment to continue playing and practicing golf between the fall and spring seasons, the northern-based programs have to get creative. The NCAA’s elite cold weather programs have adopted their own winter “recipes” to tackle the cold weather each winter.

Here is what’s interesting, the NCAA now allows college golf programs to finance practice outings anywhere (even outside their home state), as long as the student-athletes do not miss class for these practices. With this new rule in place, many of the NCAA’s elite cold-climate golf programs will fly south as many as three to five times during late January, February, and even March to provide an opportunity for their players to train, play rounds of golf and, most importantly, regain their feel for playing the game outdoors under real conditions. If there is one thing I’ve learned being raised in Florida and attending James Madison University in Virginia it’s that there is no substitute to “real” golf in a warm weather climate on green grass! Hitting indoors (even on Trackman) or practicing with 5 layers of clothes on can only be so effective at helping you prepare for tournament play.

So if you are a junior golfer facing geographical and climate challenges, you should adopt a similar philosophy during the winter months. Think of it not as the “off-season” but instead as your very own “player development” training to prepare for your upcoming events. Put together a well-thought-out, written plan or short-term goal sheet so you’ll be prepared and ready to go when the cold weather passes. The winter months should be utilized as your time to expand your Golf IQ, improve your swing technique, get properly fit for golf equipment, and spend extra time in the gym gaining the strength and flexibility necessary to achieve success in the upcoming golf season.

Best of luck on the recruiting trail and please don’t hesitate to visit www.ForeCollegeGolf.com to learn more about the recruiting process or find my contact information to learn more.

Michael J. Smith

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