5 steps to set your sights on College Golf

Many players are overwhelmed with the amount of time they are spending writing introduction letters, updating their resumes, sending email after email, or even building a personal website in hopes of coaches taking notice. If and when contact is made, then the game of ‘hide-and-seek begins. Most likely communicating back and forth, offering a ‘potential’ unofficial visit, and inevitably hoping to be presented with a college scholarship opportunity. 

Sounds deliberate and overwhelming, doesn’t it? Well, it is.

This article was written to help you navigate the beginning stages of the recruiting process with five easy steps to assist with your organization, focus, and research. If you would like to learn more about how we work with our clients at ForeCollegeGolf, please contact us.

Five (5) steps you can apply to your pursuit of college golf:

1. Decide what you want and make it specific– Ask yourself honestly, What is my target? Answers could range from anything from having 3 meaningful conversations with coaches per/wk, to becoming a better wedge player between 50-80 yds. Take a realistic look at where you are now and where you want to be. 

2. Deconstruct the process – Separate your goal into (3) action items. Action items could be anything from researching schools, dissecting team rosters, or read coach bio’s to taking an unofficial visit, calling coaches directly, or meeting team members at “X” University. 

3. Research– deconstruct each action item to get the basics, almost like skimming a book in school. Enough to understand the bulk but not so in-depth you know each and every detail. 

4. Eliminate the “barriers of practice” – make it easy on yourself! Set up an office that’s easily accessible, print out necessary documents to get organized, allow time early in the morning to research, send emails, and call coaches. The key here is NOT to hide the elements that will help you get to where you are trying to go. Keep them visible or even posted to your forehead ☺ 

5. Pre-commit to your action items – 20 hours/month and you’ll be on your way to Mastery! Make a goal of doing the above steps for 20hrs/month. Broken down even further, 40min/day, or my personal favorite (2) 20min/day practice sessions. 

Apply these five steps to your college recruitment focus and become more prepared, organized, and time-efficient for the maze of college recruiting. 

Best of luck on the recruiting trail!

Mike Smith is the Founder & CEO of ForeCollegeGolf and specializes in assisting junior golfers & their families through the college recruiting process. Email him @ mike.smith@forecollegegolf.com

Navigating Uncertainty During COVID19

During Mid-March 2020, many college golf programs “closed the books” on their Spring seasons with heartfelt messages posted on various social platforms. The NCAA canceled all athletic activities for the remainder of the Spring season. Professors were instructed to go home and move their courses online. University presidents asked freshmen and anyone living on campus to vacate university property. The NCAA verbally committed to reinstating eligibility to athletes who were affected in their Spring sport. Many college golf coaches were sent home to be with their families. Most Coaches unable to do much besides answer phone calls and emails from prospects during the recruiting "dead period". Most high schools have followed suit, closing their doors during the Coronavirus scare and training their teachers to utilize online lessons. Some districts, counties, and municipalities were more prepared to “make the switch” to online school than others, which has left certain schools in certain areas of the country inoperable and scrambling to make things work. 

What does this mean? 

High-school aged students are “self-quarantining” and attempting to adjust to their new lifestyle. We are hearing terms like "the new normal", "social distancing", and "self quarantine". Many high schoolers will miss significant life events, such as their Senior Year state championship or their graduation ceremony. Many are dealing with real stress. Many are uncertain of how to react in a time like this. 

I think it’s safe to say, we are all experiencing this together, as one, for the first time. 

So during this unpreceded and very uncertain moment in history… I’d like to provide some insight into how you can gain an advantage in the recruiting process and stay motivated.

How prospective student-athletes can take advantage of downtime during the COVID-19 outbreak…

Academics

• Stay disciplined to a set schedule, block off time for all academic needs 

• Take this time seriously, your grades during this time will define your future in college and quite possibly the rest of your life. 

• Set a schedule to accomplish your school-work - wake up and go about your normal daily routine just like you were in school

• Set up a workspace in a quiet, well-lit room

• Become comfortable with new online software, websites, & school-related resources 

• Make sure to connect with teachers or peers in your class if extra help is needed

Future Academics – 

• Schedule Testing – signup for a future testing date for the SAT (collegeboard.org) or ACT (act.org)

• Prepare for testing – book study sessions, hire a private tutor, or use resources (magoosh.com)

• Obtain transcripts from your high school & file them away for future use

• With your transcripts or grade reports, make an honest assessment of your own academic record

• Obtain Recommendation letters – ask 3 or 4 of your biggest supporters to write an endorsement about you academically, athletically and personally. 

Golf

• Re-familiarize yourself with your statistics from past events, identify categories of improvement based on real PGA Tour strokes-gained data

• Revise your long-term goals & short-term “action plans” and your identified areas of improvement

• Set up a series of lessons with your swing Coach

• Online vs. In-Person

• Mechanics – pick 1 or 2 core fundamentals of your golf swing

• Skill Development – games, drills, competition to hone and sharpen your skills

• If possible, consider a club fitting with a qualified club fitter in your area

• Fitness 

• Get creative and try at-home workouts 

• Live Stream – golf industry trainers are offering training sessions on Instagram live and YouTube

Recruiting

o Research

§ Use resources like PING College Golf Guide or the ForeCollegeGolf School Database to compile a list of “best-fit” schools

§ Use rating websites like www.niche.com to learn more about academic benchmarks, admissions factors, majors offered, financial aid, scholarships, and campus life. 

§ Instead of campus tours, utilize virtual campus tours

· Online “viewer” campus tours on university websites

· YouTube videos

o University YouTube pages with specific videos for prospective students

o Student or amateur made videos – type in “A day in the life of a _________ University student”

· Social Media search

o University social media pages – i.e. Facebook groups or Twitter pages

o Search for hashtags on social media to view images of campus, social life at the university and other campus activities

o Outreach

§ Informational Emails – 

· As a prospect, your main objective should not be to gather information from Coaches or to prove your “awesomeness” but instead to provide information to coaches and set a “next step” or a “plan of action” 

· Provide relevant and unique insight into your life – who are you as a person, who are you as an academic, and who are you as a golfer? 

· Provide weekly or bi-weekly updates on you and the status of your life and any notable changes or happenings 

· Provide a “call to action” at the end of each email in order to prompt a future phone call or ask a relevant question to continue email communication

§ Phone Calls – 

· As a prospect, your main objective on phone calls should be to gather information that cannot be easily found online

· Reach out to coaches and programs which you believe will be proper fits for you

· Ask solid, thoughtful Q’s which require thoughtful responses from college coaches

Social life

o Stay disciplined to a set schedule, block off time for social activities 

o Plan to have “get-togethers” with friends via FaceTime or Zoom webinar when time allows

o Assist your parents, siblings and other immediate family with things around the house, any essential trips or errands they need to make

As a prospective student-athlete and future college golfer, how you respond and utilize your time during the Coronavirus situation will set a precedent for your future. This is a time as a time to grow, develop, and mature. Some will utilize it and move forward with a brighter future with their college endeavors and others will take a step backward and watch their college aspirations slowly diminish from their grasp. 

Which will you choose to be?

I hope you choose to be the best version of yourself during this challenging and uncertain time in history. 

Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Michael J. Smith

Founder, ForeCollegeGolf

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

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.

“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!”