What questions should I ask a college coach during a campus visit? |
Making the most of your face-to-face time with a coach |
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Before selecting which college to attend,
prospective student-athletes are strongly
encouraged to visit at least several college
campuses. Whether the visit is official (paid
for by the school and limited to no more than
five schools) or unofficial (paid for by the
prospect and without limitations), this
experience will provide meaningful insight
that will help prospects determine their best
college fit (see April 6, 2004 column).
During the visit, prospects should attempt to
meet with the golf team’s coaching staff for
at least 30 minutes. This meeting will
already be scheduled on official visits and
may be challenging to schedule on unofficial
visits. If the head coach is unavailable, try
to meet with an assistant coach or graduate
assistant who recently played for the team.
Always call or e-mail a week or two in advance
to make your request. Refrain from showing up
unannounced and expecting coaches to meet with
you on the spot.
Once you are in front of the coach and his
staff, there are 10 key questions that need to
be posed:
Your team has X seniors and X juniors (do
your homework), how many players do you expect
to recruit/sign over each of the next two
years?
What is the typical scholarship range for
a freshman at my level and what do I have to
accomplish early in my collegiate career to
realize a scholarship increase?
Specifically, how do the coaches interact
with the players during practice in an effort
to improve their games? How do you structure
the practice week for the team to
balance "team-together" practicing and also
allowing time for players to work on their
individual needs?
Does your team have a mandatory strength
and conditioning program and if so, what does
it include?
If a player has to miss practice to get
caught up in school do you penalize that
player?
How do you determine which players on your
roster make the traveling team (qualifying,
coach’s selection, or a combination of both)?
What golf courses and practice facilities
do your players have access to and is the
access allowed seven days a week?
How competitive do you think your team
will be over the next several years?
What is your coaching style during
tournaments specifically while the players are
on the course competing?
Who are some other players in my
graduating class that you are recruiting?
Keep in mind that many of these questions may
be answered by the coach before you ever ask
them. I recommend, however, that you know
what you want to discuss with the coach before
you visit and if necessary, take a note pad
with you to keep your thoughts organized. This
is a great opportunity to show the coach how
prepared you are. |
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