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What are College Coaches Looking For?

Golf Globally

Dr Katie Miles (Brophy)

Newsletter May 2022

What Exactly Are College Coaches Looking For?

As college coaches hit the recruiting trail this summer, remember that they are evaluating more than just your score!

By Dr. Katie Brophy Miles on May 4, 2022 It’s tournament season, junior golfers!

There’s a good chance that you’ll see a coach or 10 on the course this summer. They are evaluating which players would be good fits for their programs.

Spoiler alert: They probably know what kind
of player you are BEFORE watching you tee it
up. For over a year, coaches had to get really
good at recruiting from their couches. I once had a coach tell me that he had 18 tabs open at any given time monitoring the players that he was recruiting. If you think that they are out there to watch you shoot 65, think again! There’s no pressure for you to go out and shoot 65, but here’s a high five if you do.

What are coaches looking for? Coaches understand that golf is hard. They like to see how you handle adversity—do you pout and act like you’ve never made a 6 before, or do you handle it with grace and follow it with a birdie? One of my favorite Ivy League coach friends puts it this way, “I know all about your good scores. That’s why I’m here watching you. I’m watching so much more than scores. I like to see you make double because the next ten minutes will get a whole lot more interesting.”

Coaches are also evaluating:

● How you carry yourself – Are you confident and walk with your head held high or do you walk like you’re angry and can’t stop looking at your shoes?
● How you react after bad shots – Did you just launch your 7 iron into the lake?
● How you treat your parents – Did you yell at your mom to bring you a sandwich at the turn?
● How you interact with your fellow competitors – Are you that guy who always steals the tee after someone else makes birdie?
● Your parents – Did they berate you for 3-putting and tell you to get another ride home?
● Your energy – Do you give off good vibes or are you a drag to be paired with?
● + Many more intangible factors because coaches, at the end of the day, want to fill their rosters with players that they enjoy spending time with who will make their teams better.
A note on withdrawing from tournaments when you’re not playing well: do NOT do that. The Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings are calculated by your last 75% best scoring differentials (your score relative to the course rating) so withdrawing takes away the opportunity that you have to come back and learn some valuable lessons along the way. Plus, coaches HATE when junior golfers do that. It looks like you’re giving up. Are you a quitter? No, you’re NOT. You’re a competitor, and you’re made for this.

Class of 2024: June 15th is coming!

If you are a member of the 2024 class, June 15th could be a big day for you! The NCAA allows Division I and II coaches to contact you on this date, and it’s a highly anticipated day for coaches, junior golfers, and parents.

I have many students in the class of 2024 who are nervous about which coaches are going to contact them. Some are anticipating offers on that day. While some kids

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may have an eventful day, others may be disappointed that they weren’t in the first crop of players that coaches contact. I’ve watched in years past where some coaches don’t express interest until a few days later. It’s a good day for some and frustrating for others.

Make sure that you’re doing everything in your power to set yourself up for success. Have you actually expressed YOUR interest to coaches? If you don’t, coaches will not know about you or assume that your top choice is another school. Make it easy on them and send them an email before June 15th if you think that you would be a good fit for their program.

Do you wonder what scores you need to shoot to play at Division I, II, and III universities? This list of scoring averages should be helpful as you direct your search.

A Note from Dr. Katie Brophy Miles of Golf Globally, LLC

Hello Junior Golfers,

I was once like you. I was a junior golfer hoping to play college golf. I had no idea if that would happen for me. We didn’t have email (read: I’m old) so I sent letters to schools like Stanford and USC. I never heard back from them. I did, however, hit it off with some coaches and visit some great schools. I played college golf at Notre Dame, but the recruiting process was stressful! Each person has different preferences, and your dream school will be unique to you.

To the Junior Golf Parents,

I recently became a parent myself so I have much empathy for you! You are a huge part of your child’s success so THANK YOU for everything that you do. Let me know how I can become a strategic partner in your success.

About Golf Globally, LLC

After 11 years coaching NCAA Division I Women’s Golf at Georgetown and Indiana, Dr. Katie Brophy Miles founded Golf Globally to simplify the recruiting process for families. Golf Globally is a Seattle-based college placement company. She encourages students to find the right college fit academically, athletically, and personally. Contact Katie if you have additional questions about playing college golf!

Interested in discussing your recruitment? Schedule a free consultation!

What are College Coaches Looking For?

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