When is the Best Time to Communicate with Coaches?
November, December, January is an Ideal Window
As a former college golf coach, I appreciate how challenging it is for my colleagues to not only lead a team of approximately 10 student-athletes, but also to handle the key administrative duties associated with college golf programs. Between tournament scheduling, budget maintenance, fundraising, organizing practices, facility development and NCAA compliance paperwork, coaches are constantly faced with significant time management challenges associated with their profession.
And, of course, they have to allocate a substantial amount of time to recruiting student-athletes - arguably the most important task they face in an effort to build a competitive golf program. So when do most coaches handle their recruiting responsibilities and when should prospective student-athletes communicate with coaches to show interest in their respective school and team? I am often asked these relevant questions.
As the summer season concludes and the academic year sets in, college golf coaches face the busiest time of their year. Having been on the road recruiting at numerous junior golf tournaments throughout the summer, coaches now have to return to campus, welcome their new freshman class and immediately begin competing in their fall season (usually 4-6 tournaments). As the fall season concludes, the National Letter of Intent signing period begins in mid-November. Coaches are busy trying to finalize their recruiting efforts for the current class during the two months leading up to start of the NLI signing period while also managing their team during the busy, condensed fall season.
Once the fall season wraps up and the start of the NLI signing period has passed, coaches can dedicate more time to recruiting future classes. This break from competition allows them the necessary time to answer emails, letters, calls and text messages from recruits and in many cases, host prospective student-athletes on official or unofficial campus visits if the prospect has reached August 1st leading up to their junior year of high school. I encourage junior golf families to focus on November, December and January as the ideal time to visit campuses for unofficial visits and potentially meet with coaches. Keep in mind, NCAA Division I coaches can only return emails, letters, calls and text messages beginning June 15th following the prospect’s sophomore year in high school.
Always do your homework before communicating with coaches. What are the academic requirements for admissions at a particular university, how competitive is the golf team and does the golf roster indicate players will be graduating in your class and therefore creating vacancies you may be able to fill? Develop a "best fit" list of schools and try to arrange calls and campus visits with these schools and coaches. Although other times during the year could work as well, November, December and January may be the best window to communicate with coaches.
Play well!
Coach Brooks
Red
Numbers Golf®