As a parent during a college visit your objective is to support your junior golfer along the way and to make a positive impression on the coach, have fun and continue the recruiting process. Campus visits (unofficial or official) are valuable opportunities for prospective student-athletes to make a positive impression with the coaching staff, members of the team, trainers, and academic support staff.
Taking steps to prepare your junior golfer to approach these personal meetings in the most effective way can heighten the interest of a coach and potentially improve your position on a particular coach’s recruiting list.
Many Coaches have explained to me, the best campus visits are when the athletes take “center stage” and parents take a secondary yet supportive role.
Here are some suggestions to prepare for a successful campus visit:
Research the program – Before meeting with a college coach, encourage your junior golfer to research the school and golf program online. Coaches want to feel that your junior golfer has taken time to learn about their background, the golf program, and the school’s academic offerings. Most information can be found relatively easily by typing in the ‘School Name’, followed by ‘Golf Program’ using a google search. Team websites include an abundance of information including coach bios, team rosters, schedules, past results, pictures of the facilities, recruiting questionnaires, and sometimes even player interviews.
Schedule the visit – contact the coaching staff to confirm the date of your visit and set an agenda for the visit with the Coaching staff in advance! In most cases, it’s customary to schedule a guided tour of campus or an info session before meeting with the coaching staff, to explore the campus on your own, and learn more about admissions, academic programs, and the overall campus culture.
Dress for success – Having a “clean-cut” professional appearance is crucial when making a first impression. Before leaving for the visit, tell your junior golfer to wear nice golf apparel (business casual) and to be properly dressed.
Organize questions & take notes – Help prepare your junior golfer with insightful questions he/she should ask. These questions should cover a range of topics such as team practice, qualifying, academic support, and the coach’s current recruiting status (for your junior golfer’s graduating class). Coaches will expect your junior golfer to ask questions, so prepare them beforehand and make sure to take notes during each visit.
Prepare for questions that the coach may ask – Coaches will want to know about your junior golfer’s academic/athletic goals, strengths and weaknesses, practice strategies, and overall plan for long-term development. Help your junior golfer prepare for these questions and make sure they’re comfortable and confident answering them. This will show the coach that a detailed plan has been thought out.
Allow your junior golfer to take center stage – Be sure he/she understands the importance of showing initiative, and enthusiasm, and that they are independent during the visit. Confidently leading the introductions and conversation with the coach are a few key ways for your junior golfer to accomplish this goal.
Support don’t initiate – Throughout the campus visit, parents should never dictate the conversation, but should simply make comments or ask questions for clarification.
Give “one-on-one” time – If a campus visit with a coach lasts for more than an hour, parents should excuse themselves for a brief period to give their junior golfer some one-on-one time with the coach. During this time, take your own tour of the campus and leave your son/daughter with the coach.
Be authentic – Coaches are not expecting perfection during campus visits, they simply want to get to know the player and their family, all in the course of a few hours... Coaches are most interested in meeting your son/daughter’s true self, hearing about their failures and triumphs, and learning more about your family dynamic.
Assist with final remarks and "next steps”– At the end of a visit, parents are encouraged to certainly ask a coach any remaining questions that their son/daughter may not have asked. However, at the end of the visit, be sure to have your son or daughter ask "Coach, what’s the next step?”.
Show appreciation– Remind your junior golfer to show his appreciation for the coach’s time and interest by thanking them before leaving campus and writing the coach a handwritten thank you note can be a nice “old school” touch as well.
The recruiting landscape is becoming more and more competitive each year. Properly handled campus visits can definitely help strengthen your son/daughter’s position as a prospective student-athlete. Campus visits are a great way to put your “boots on the ground”, meet Coaches, team members, and staff in person and begin to narrow down your options during the recruiting process.
Best of luck on the recruiting trail!
Mike Smith
Mike is the Founder & CEO of ForeCollegeGolf and specializes in guiding junior golfers & their families through the college recruiting process. Email him @ mike.smith@forecollegegolf.com
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