golfers that it ’ s near impossible to be familiar with everyone . Coaches know highly ranked national prospects and the top ranked in their state . There are literally thousands of potential players . You need to get your name on a coach ’ s radar . The talent pool is like a pyramid ; at the top there are only a few players and the volume increases as you get lower on that pyramid .
First and most importantly , list your name and graduation year in the subject line and opener . Based on NCAA rules , a coach might be breaking a rule if he responds to a prospect that is too young .
Second , personalize the greeting and coach ’ s name . I try to reply to every personal email I receive . I can ’ t tell you how many emails I receive with just “ Dear Coach .” I question if you even know my name . That brings me to another faux pas :
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY copy and pasting the wrong coach ’ s name . The other cardinal sin is sending a mass email and seeing every other coach listed on the email . If a golfer doesn ’ t take the time to individualize their email , then I won ’ t take the time to read it . The other emails I don ’ t feel compelled to answer are from recruiting services .
Next , list your best golf highlights within the body of the email . Highlights should include scores , dates , name of competition , finish , and field size . Feel free to offer some personal insight on your successes . Remember you are selling yourself ! Don ’ t make the highlight section too long . Attach a full resume . More important than the level of competition is the duration of the competition and quality of scores . Competition results should be a minimum of 36 holes unless it is a major qualifier . Information that is not as relevant is USGA handicap , 9 or 18-hole high school scores , local club championships , etc . Another thing to consider is a coach has access to databases with all of your tournament results including DQ ’ s , DNF , NC , etc .
After your highlights , share your personal story . Maybe you started golf late , excelled in another sport , had a significant injury , faced specific challenges , or have an influential mentor . It will help give context to your results and help a coach remember your name .
Also , include all relevant academic info such as test scores , transcripts or grades , language proficiencies , school you ’ re attending , etc . Almost no one gets a full golf scholarship so academic merit can supplement any athletic aid you might be lucky enough to receive . Any Division I men ’ s golf program is only allowed a maximum of 4.5 scholarships , and the average roster size is 10 .
HERE ’ S A CHECKLIST OF WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR EMAIL :
❏ Name and graduation year in the subject line
❏ Personalize the greeting and opener
❏ List your best golf results and highlights
❏ Succinctly share your unique golf story
❏ Academic performance
❏ Provide supplemental data , rankings , metrics , etc .
Lastly , feel free to mention anything else that might help your cause such as scoring average or scoring differential . List important golf data such as swing speed , ball speed , or other metrics that are elite . Coaches use these metrics to judge potential . If you have a solid ranking by Junior Golf Scoreboard or AJGA , include it . National and / or state CLASS rank is the most relevant , as it is what most coaches use .
Besides data and analytics , personalize the message with what your priorities are in your college selection process , and connect that with each specific school . Maybe you are prioritizing academic standards / reputation , or maybe the financials are not a primary consideration , or maybe you are willing to walk on ( most Division I programs don ’ t have walk-on tryouts due to roster limits ).
Be aware of the timing of an email . Recruiting is definitely a year-round responsibility ; however , it is much more challenging to respond to emails when the college tournament season is underway . From September to October and February to April , our focus is on the performance of our current roster of players . If you send an email during this time frame , don ’ t expect a quick reply . Recruiting is one of the main focuses in the other “ offseason ” months for a coach .
Finally , keep it as short , concentrated , and impactful as possible . We don ’ t have time to read novels or to follow a bunch of links just to see your basic info . You need to get our attention in the first 15 seconds . If you do , we will keep reading . Make it clean and easy to read so your highlights stand out . Put as much in the body of the email as possible and include attachments with a full golf resume or profile with other relevant information . If you get a response , you can always send more information later . vsga . org M AY / J UNE 2023 | V IRGINIA G OLFER
35