28 | July 2017 #juniorgolfmag Visit us at juniorgolfmag.net PART5 OF 6: ON-COURSE RECRUITING If a coach has come out to watch you play, you’ve al- ready won half the battle. Your tournament finishes and academic profile are impressive enough to have drawn him or her out there to the course. So, what are coaches looking for? Here is what you need to know… PRACTICE • Do you go through your routine on every shot? • Do you alternate targets every few shots? • Do you show poise — or frustration — on the driving range? • Where do you spend your practice time? (range, short game, putting) • Are you socializing or focused on efficient practice? ON COURSE Coaches look for mental toughness and maturity. Any coach will tell you, it’s more difficult to improve a player’s attitude than phys- ical golf skills. They want to see players react to all sit- In this three-part series, we have watched Joe Golfer research college golf teams, email coaches, make phone calls and take campus visits. As Joe edges closer to a scholarship, we break down on-course recruiting and everything you need to know about the scholarship itself. RESEARCH １ EMAIL 2 3 PHONE 4 VISIT 5 ON-COURSE RECRUITING 6 SCHOLARSHIP JOE GOLFER JOE GOLFER'S DREAM COLLEGE uations with composure, no matter how the round is go- ing. If you deal with adversity more professionally than the coach’s existing players, that’s a huge plus for you! PLAYER APPEARANCE Look like a young professional. Give the coach a preview of someone he or she would want representing their school, on and off the course. Are you well-groomed? Are your clothes clean and ironed? Are your shoes clean? Are your clubs organized in your bag? PARENTS A supportive relationship between player and parents means a lot to a college coach. A good player/parent relationship often translates to a good player/coach relationship. Player/parent arguments on the course are a sign of future headaches that coaches will avoid at all costs! PART6 OF 6: SCHOLARSHIPS Due to a recent NCAA rule change, scholarships now can be honored as a 4-year agreement between the player and school (previously 1 year). If a player continues to meet team and school requirements, his or her schol- arship amount will be maintained or even increased. The table in the next column shows the number of full scholarships available per team, by gender and division. A full scholarship includes tuition, fees, books and room & board. In college golf, a “full ride” is very rare. Teams typically split the available scholarship money, trying to get each player anywhere from ¼ to ½ scholarship. At Recruiter Elite, we recommend applying for need-based aid and academic scholar- ships as well. FinalizingYourQuestBY JOHN MURPHY VERBAL COMMITMENT Verbal commitments typically occur in a player’s sopho- more or junior year of high school, during a campus visit. At that time, a coach may offer the player a spot on his or her roster, along with scholarship money. If the player agrees to the coach’s terms, they have made a “verbal commitment.” Nothing is official until the National Letter of Intent (NLI) has been signed, but it is very rare that a coach or player fails to honor a verbal commitment. NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT (NLI) Signing the NLI commits a player to attending and competing for that specified university for at least one year. This is a commitment to the university, NOT to the golf coach or players on the team. If a coach retires or changes schools prior to you starting college, the NLI may not be transferred or canceled. WHAT DOES THE NLI GUARANTEE? • The NLI commits the university to guaranteeing a player the agreed upon athletic scholarship amount for up to 4 years. 6 STEPSTOASCHOLARSHIP