November 2011
43 posts
1 tag
How young is too young for an unofficial visit?
I think 9th grade is a good time to make a quick visit of introduction. If you were on or near a campus for an event or game and you were younger than 9th grade I think it would be fine to stop in, meet the coaches, and get a feel for the place, but I don’t think it would make much sense to have a significant recruiting experience until 9th grade or beyond.
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Are your purple hats Nike? Never seem to find them...
Our hats and bags are Nike, but they are custom made for our team so I really don’t know what to tell you. Sorry.
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would you ever recruit a kid that has never played...
I’ve had many guys who never played an AJGA event. More than half of my players over the last 10 years didn’t play any AJGA events. The AJGA is great, but not necessary. There are many great events to develop yourself as a player.
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If there is one quality in a recruit that connects...
Real Commitment.
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How much video do you use in recruiting?
Just a little. I like watching live golf.
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Do Division I coaches ever look at players
who...
Yes, but they can be forgotten. Make sure to stay in touch with coaches even before you take that year off and let them know what you are doing and why you are doing it. I don’t recommend taking a year off, however. It gets you out of the rhythm of studying. Plus, a year in college will do great things for game development. If you aren’t good enough to get on somewhere out of...
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At age around 14, what sort of scores or finish...
Any top finishes in big events would get attention at age 14. Still, it never hurts to make sure coaches know about the good finishes so they don’t miss it.
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Coach, you mentioned players in cold weather...
This could be a really long answer, but I’ll try to be brief. First, time away from competing can be good to relax the mind and see things from a different perspective. I’ve found a couple months without competition allows the mind to relax and be more productive—to see things from a fresh perspective. This can be very valuable.
The off-season is a great time to review...
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Hey Coach,
I was wondering when you recommend...
I was asked a similar question a couple weeks ago. Here is the response from that post from Page 2 of the blog:
We send out a questionnaire that we definitely look at. However, some of the online ones probably don’t get much of a look. If the school actually sent you the questionnaire and/or asked you to fill it out I think they will take a close look at it. If not, I wouldn’t expect them to...
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How difficult is it for a freshman to make an...
For my program red-shirting is not a good idea. We want freshman good enough to compete right away. Other programs have larger rosters and choose to red-shirt more players. That is a strategy that has worked as well. I’ve found that freshman can be ready to play right away. In fact, last year’s Player of the Year was a freshman and the current #1-ranked player after the Fall...
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Thank you so much for responding to my
question...
Thanks for you nice comment. I hope it helps someone and am so glad you feel it has helped you. Good luck!
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Does ping pong play a big role in your team unity?...
It seems that most golfers are also excellent ping pong players. I’ve also noticed they are usually good shooters in basketball too—but not always good players. Our team went through a major ping pong phase where we played all the time. Nowadays, we just play a little. We’ve sort of phased into less-sophisticated cornhole.
It’s fun to have things outside of golf that...
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I've heard some rumors that the NCAA is going to...
I’ve heard that rumor too. I’ve also heard they are talking about making golf a “head count” sport, like football or basketball, where you are either on a full scholarship or no scholarship. The NCAA usually does whatever doesn’t make sense so I’ll have to just wait and see. I’d be surprised if they would make a set minimum scholarship amount that we...
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Hi Coach Thurmond: I am a highschool senior and...
This is a tough one. It is pretty late to come on to the scene and still get lots of attention from coaches. That being said, they will always find guys that really stand out. I’d say the two keys for you are to 1) improve as quickly as possible and show it in tournaments, and 2) find that school that is looking for a guy just like you. It may be too late to get widespread interest and...
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Will you share how you divvy up your 4.5...
All programs would be different on this and I’m not going to go into detail on how I do it. In fact, ours changes all the time. I can say that in the 12 years I’ve been coaching I’ve seen a shift in how the top teams are doing it. It seems like I used to see more scholarships in the middle (40-60%). Now, I feel like the amounts are being polarized with more getting huge...
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Can a coach fly out to see a player play even if...
No. He can’t go watch him practice or just play a round. A coach can make a visit without watching golf. If a coach is to watch you play it must be a competition of some form.
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Coach,I understand scholarships are given only on...
Attrition is part of the natural process and often a good thing. In most cases I doubt it is simply a product of a coach making “cuts.” In our case, I’ve “cut” a guy here and there when it was necessary, but most attrition in our program has been from guys who just decide it is time to focus their time and energy elsewhere like a job or school work. Playing college...
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Can players bargain for more than just a...
Not that I know of. Coaches can often help a student in Admissions to get into school. Also, they may be able to lightly influence options for majors once the student is in school and on the team. I just personally can’t imagine those types of things being negotiated in the recruiting process. Seems a bit shady to me, but I’ll have to think about that.
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I was born in the US but live in Australia. Would...
Yes. We would consider any player that is a good fit for our program regardless of where they come from. Naturally, it is easier to really know those closest to us. Usually, the more you know the more likely to make a good decision. So those furthest from the school they hope to attend should do everything possible to allow coaches to get to know their personality, character, academic ability,...
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Would you consider an international player? I know...
We have two players from Asia on our team. Many top programs have players from overseas. So yes, we and most programs recruit international players. However, I would personally still make sure to watch them play live before offering a spot or scholarship. The commitment we make to someone when we bring them on to our team is so huge and important that I’m not going to make it blindly. ...
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i keep hearing about 2012 early signing, when does...
The Early Signing Period is complete, but there is a much longer signing period that begins in April. There are certainly plenty of schools who are finished recruiting the 2012 class, however, there are also many still recruiting it. So yes, 2012 recruits are still being sought after.
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I signed a NLI last week and will start next fall...
You can attend their practices any time. They are essentially unofficial visits and you can take an unlimited number of those. Also, you can now text as much as you want. I’ll have to make sure on phone calls because I don’t want to tell you the wrong thing. Congratulations on signing!
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What is your view and the general view of homes...
I have no bias (good or bad) toward those home-schooled. I find it intriguing actually. However, the second part of your question maybe would trouble me a bit when you say “so they have more time to play golf.” There is plenty of time to play golf whether home schooled or not, in my opinion. As I’ve said before, a very demanding schedule is great for the development of the...
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Coach, I am getting ready to go on a few...
I could really talk a long time about this. However, it would probably be quite biased on what I think is most important. You want to really identify what is important to you. Think about what matters most. What will make the difference in the quality of experience? Some of the high profile things get a lot of attention in recruiting (facilities, team history, pga tour players, football,...
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Hi Coach, I have been filling out some Prospective...
We send out a questionnaire that we definitely look at. However, some of the online ones probably don’t get much of a look. If the school actually sent you the questionnaire and/or asked you to fill it out I think they will take a close look at it. If not, I wouldn’t expect them to look closely at it.
I always think a personal email and personal follow up email or phone call is...
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Where will you be posting the results of the...
On our blog at www.huskygolfblog.com and on our various Twitter pages. Thorough reporting is more likely if my team wins.
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Not a question but letting it be known that the...
This is great to know. I’d be happy to post a link of that here if you want. The AJGA does a great job with so many things and this is just another example. Thanks for sharing this.
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Signing Day
Congrats to everyone who signed a Letter-of-Intent today! You are beginning a great journey. College golf can be amazing.
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If a family can't afford to play in all the AJGA...
Play great in the tournaments you can afford and make sure the coaches know about it. Coaches will find guys that win all the time no matter what events they play in. You may need to help them know where to look, but they’ll be interested in anyone that can play great regardless of the tournament size or prestige.
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Hey Coach what are the NCAA rules for an...
You can take as many unofficial visits to any school as many times as you want. You can go to as many different schools as you want for unofficial visits. The only things a college can provide to you on an unofficial visit are three tickets to a sporting event and transportation on campus once you get yourself there. Once you arrive on campus (or an official off-campus facility) they can drive...
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How are the team workouts going big guy?
hahaha. I don’t know who is asking this question, but it’s funny. I’ve started working out with the team again this season and this 36 year old body is a bit sore. I’m hanging though and in a few weeks I’ll be leading the pack.
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I am a 2012 from hawaii. I am a late bloomer and...
It may be too late at my school, but certainly not too late to play somewhere. The early signing period starts Wednesday and lasts for a week, then many others will sign in the Spring. You have lots of options and definitely want to start/continue contacting coaches.
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It recently visited a school and really want to go...
Obviously, these things are your call. I really like to be very open and candid with recruits and I like for them to do the same. The risk of being candid is finding out something that disappoints you (they aren’t as interested in you). Even in that case, I think it is better to know that as soon as possible.
Maybe, based on who else they are recruiting and how all of that is going they...
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I'm a 2014, ranked ~1000 in JGS. My dad says I...
Are you 1000 in the class or overall? As a 2014, you are young and not necessarily expected to be ranked really high at this point. I think it would be good to get on coaches radar. When a 2014 recruit writes me I’m not allowed to respond yet. I have a 2014 file that I put them all in. I review them from time to time. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to have your information in that...
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when will the average d1 2013 recruit sign? and...
Most of the top 2013 recruits will “sign” officially in November 2012. However, I think the top of the bell curve of “verbal commitments” would be in June/July of next summer.
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Will you sign me?
Possibly
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Im a 2012. right now, I have one school that's...
I think you need to have a frank conversation with the coach of the school you really want to attend and find out where you stand. You can tell him/her that you have an offer somewhere else that you may accept, but you would really prefer to go to the other school if you have that option. I think it is good to put all the cards out on the table at this point.
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For a recruit that is too young for a coach to...
Yes, I think you should. However, you can call or visit that coach too. If you struggle to reach them by phone, tell them exactly when you will call next so they can be prepared to take the call.
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If you get an email from a recruit, how long is...
I think shorter and more personal emails with higher frequency is better than occasional long emails. I don’t have a “too long,” but I’d rather get a few short ones than one really long one.
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How many more 2013 Grads are you going to sign?
Not sure yet. It’s all about the right fit for us.
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Do most of the recruits contact you or do you find...
Most contact us, but not necessarily before we find them. I like to hear from recruits, but still need to see them play before I know of my level of interest. So I don’t necessarily recruit based on the letters/emails/videos that are sent to me, but I do like that stuff once we’ve decided to recruit someone.
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So I'm in the class of 2013 and I have emailed...
I would rate that interest as low.
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if a recruit is really interested in a school and...
I would just ask the coach where you fit in their recruiting plans. You could suggest that you are very interested and willing to move forward if they have sincere interest. It would force the coach to play his/her hand a little and help you understand where you really stand.
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