Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: Welcome because you are now listening to.
[00:00:04] Speaker B: From the CART Pass with your host, Trent Roberts, bringing you tips, support and.
[00:00:12] Speaker A: Player recognition and education with the experts for parents and junior golfers in Indiana.
This is from the CART Path with your host, Trent Roberts.
[00:00:26] Speaker C: Foreign.
[00:00:31] Speaker D: This is Trent Roberts with From the CART Path. And I have three people with us tonight. I have Andy Serkitich from the University of Indianapolis, I have Mandy Moore from Eastern Kentucky University, and I have Lauren Smith from Path for Success.
Lauren is going to speak a lot this evening about the recruiting process and asking them the questions, and I'm going to sit back and watch with the rest of you. Lauren, go ahead and take it all on.
[00:00:57] Speaker A: Awesome. Thank you both for joining us. I know your lives are quite busy and you have a lot to do. So I appreciate you taking the time for next 30 minutes or so to just answer some of these questions and really help educate the people watching and the folks who will tune in later to this YouTube video and podcast. So we do appreciate your time.
I have a couple questions that we want to go over. I know people can send in questions as well through YouTube, so as we get those questions, I will stop and ask those as well. But first, Mandy, I'll start with you.
A lot of this conversation tonight will be based on June 15th, and I know both of you being at the D1 and D2 level, some of the rules are different. But Coach Moore, what advice would you give a junior golfer Preparing for the June 15 date?
[00:01:52] Speaker C: Yeah, so for Division 1, we can talk to the rising junior class starting June 15, but it's only text, email, phone calls. We can't talk in person until August 1st, which I'm not sure why they haven't matched those dates up yet, but.
But anyway. So I think my main advice would be to stay patient and to do kind of do your homework and make sure you're taking the time to find the right place for you.
I think a lot of the trend lately has been for things to kind of get hurried up. And, you know, you're starting this process in the middle of high school and everybody's so young that, like, you may not know exactly what you want right away, but taking the time to take some visits and talk to different coaches at different programs, maybe even different levels of programs, just to kind of see what's the best fit for you and your path and not going off of what you think other people think you should do or what you're seeing on social media from your friends or think things like that. So there's so many options out there, so many great programs that if you take the time to do the research and take the visits, I think that you'll be happier in the long run and make a better choice.
[00:03:16] Speaker A: Definitely. And Andy, I'll give that question to you too. I mean, you can explain a little bit being at the D2 level and coaching the men's and women's golf programs.
You know what, what would you say to a junior golfer who maybe wants to play at the D2 level? What advice would you give them?
[00:03:32] Speaker B: Yeah, like Mandy says, very similar. Right. Obviously June 15, we can start communicating a little bit.
But like I said, I think more importantly, just play in some tournaments, right? Play in a lot of multi day events, kind of, you know, focus on your, your game and your score.
And as you get into this process a little bit, obviously you'll start to chat with other coaches. You'll chat with, you know, either former friends that have moved on the collegiate level or whatever and trying to get a sense of where, where would you like to play, what level? Like Mandy said, there's so many schools out there and big, small, and everything in between.
There's really good teams at every level as well. So I think trying to figure out, you want a big school, small school, big city, you know, more rural, like what, what are you, what gives you the best chance to play well and there's going to be tons of opportunities at those places. So.
But yeah, first and foremost, kind of keep working on your game because we want to see you compete.
[00:04:30] Speaker A: Yeah, that's actually my next question.
As head coaches of both of your programs, what are you looking for in a player before you even make contact with them? Whether it's results, rankings, academics, you know. Andy, I'll let you answer first. What do you really look for in a kid?
[00:04:49] Speaker B: Yeah, well, it's pretty easy initially to like, you look at rankings, right?
Those are pretty accessible for us. So it's a good place to start.
We'll look at rankings based on what we feel like maybe in the past we've been, been able to see and usually we'll see a bunch of scores that go with that. Right. Those leads to the rankings.
So initially you start there because once before I'm able to talk to you, I can't really get much academic information necessarily or some other stuff. So I'll usually start with scores, rankings, and then kind of go from there. They said academics is a big piece and then I'm more of a players coach. I'd like to get a chance to know you a little bit. So the character piece will be pretty big for me.
[00:05:32] Speaker C: Sure.
[00:05:32] Speaker A: And Mandy, what do you look for in a, in a player before making contact with them? I mean, what puts them at the top of your list for a grad year?
[00:05:40] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, I think in general, some. Some good information to put in. Kind of your initial emails to coaches would be obviously your scores, but all of your scores are helpful and like hearing them. I personally think from newest to oldest, sometimes I'll see their scores from three years ago first and then I have to dig a little for the newer ones. But you're at your gpa, your academics, and if you're involved in any other activities, like what sets you apart from other players and you know, the email in general, like, include a decent amount of information, but don't go overboard with it. Like, you know, a lot of us coaches get a ton of emails, so, you know, we probably are more likely to read closely and look closely if it's concise and has the information that we're looking for.
Videos are helpful.
I personally like to see real time videos and not just slow mo videos.
Both types are helpful.
Trackman data sometimes is good, but any kind of information that we can get that helps us figure out who you are as a player and a person before we can actually see you play would be good to include in that initial email and make sure if you're copying and pasting and sending the same email to multiple coaches that you take the time to just double check and make sure that the mascot and the coach names are one accurate, but two up to date. Because sometimes a lot of coaching changes happen and you want to make sure that you have the right people.
[00:07:32] Speaker A: I think especially this time of year, we harp on that to the clients that we work with.
Make sure you take the time. I mean, these coaches get. You all get so many emails.
And me being a former college golf coach, I know the amount of emails I got, you know, as an assistant coach, so weeding through and kind of, you know, choosing which, you know, player A versus player B and what took player A to the top versus player B.
And can I touch on one of your points?
You talk about putting all your scores out there, and I think that's something that a lot of people that we work with maybe try to hide behind bad rounds. Could both of you or one of you touch on? Sure, Andy, go right ahead.
[00:08:15] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, like Mandy was saying, like, we're gonna find it, right? So you don't have to put it in there. But I promise you, we're gonna find it. So it would just be better if you told us up front because we're gonna find it and then we're gonna know why you didn't tell us. And that just doesn't really. It's not good. So, like, like Mandy said, just send us all of them. I would prefer, like she said, to lead with the most recent ones three years ago. Quite frankly, doesn't do much for me. So it's great if they're good scores. But I'm more curious what you've done recently.
And then one other point, like she said on the videos, like, I don't need the huge production of with music and all that stuff. I just like simple swing videos, like down the line, face on.
I don't need, like off to the side where I can't necessarily get a good angle. And they don't have to be like, super crazy. But just a couple of them here and there would be great.
Like Manny said with some of the trackman data would be awesome too, if that's available.
But yeah, I love to see those, like in those initial emails because maybe I haven't had a chance to see you play yet, and it's just a nice, nice additive that would separate you from a lot of people.
[00:09:24] Speaker A: Yeah. And to that point, too, sorry, Mandy, but if, if you do see a high score in there, what, you know, we have kids and parents who both say, oh, my gosh, you know, this is going to ruin our whole, you know, recruiting experience. I try to tell them it's part of the process. But what, you know, what are your opinions on that?
[00:09:45] Speaker C: Well, that's what I was going to say. Like, sometimes including the bad ones with the good ones will show. Like, can you come back from a bad tournament or a bad round? I mean, maybe you shot 84, but then you came back the next day and shot 74. That looks pretty good to coach.
And, you know, including the yardages for the golf course, I've also seen where they'll put kind of what maybe what the conditions were like. Was it windy? Rainy? Was.
Sometimes that helps. So. But yeah, I mean, when we're recruiting to, sometimes we don't want to see you struggle, but we also like to see what you do when you struggle. That tells us a lot about the type of person you are, the type of player. And can you come back and are you resilient and what are you going to do the next day? So having that tells us quite a bit, I think, and can help even Though you think it might hurt?
[00:10:43] Speaker A: Yeah, sure. And I think you're both. I mean, every college coach is recruiting a player to represent your team, you as a coach, the university, your brand, your logo.
And I think that, you know, that's something we harp onto is, you know, it's okay that if you. If you have a tough round, it's how you rebound, it's how you act, it's your emotions on the course. It's all those things that college coaches. And I think you're right, Mandy. You know, of course you want to see the kid that you're recruiting shoot even par for the entire tournament, but, you know, how do you come back from that? Or how do you learn from maybe a tough tournament and go from there?
[00:11:20] Speaker D: Hey, Lauren, I have a quick question that just came in on YouTube. The question says, out of curiosity, has any student reached out to you recently in a way that really stood out? Maybe something unique or memorable in how they communicated?
[00:11:37] Speaker C: I think. I mean, I think the sometimes having something in there that. That you like to do outside of golf, maybe, like, you know, what are you into? Is there some. Do you have, like, a unique talent? Like, are you, you know, into piano or, I don't know, something like that or, you know, something that sets you apart from everyone else. Like, everybody's playing golf, junior golf, and wants to play college golf. Like, what makes you different? Kind of, I think, is a general. I can't think of a specific. But.
[00:12:12] Speaker B: Yeah, I had one recently, which, again, for me, it was cool because this is my first year at UIndy, and so this person said, like, hey, you know, congrats on a great first year. You know, you saw your teammates in a national championship, and they even said a couple of things about, like, throughout our year. And I was like, well, that's kind of cool. Like, they knew it was my first year here and all that. So just like Mandy said earlier, like, doing some of the homework to know, right? Hey, like, coach was only here for a first year. And, you know, and there was another one where it just had a really nice, like. Like Mandy said, we get a lot of emails, and so this one was, like, the perfect amount of information. It was like, you know, a nice little blurb, like, intro. Then it was like some bullet points of scores, upcoming schedule, a swing video. And then it was. It was perfect. I was like, wow. Like, that was really, really solid. It wasn't like, a novel, and it wasn't.
It was just well done. So those were two examples for me recently where it's like you could tell that they've had some, some good coaching on that because those were both like, really well done.
[00:13:12] Speaker A: Yeah. And it's really, for a lot of them, it's the first impression they're making on you all.
And I think, you know, we talk about first impressions in life in general, and it's all, you know, how you carry yourself, the words you use when you're speaking to people. And I, I preach the emails are very important and the more work that they do on your specific university and the time that they take to write those is really important. So thanks for answering those questions.
So, Mandy, serious recruiting for you obviously goes on year round, but once you can start talking to those players. June 15, what are you doing as a coach to see the kids before that date though, you know, are you attending tournaments? Are you looking at social media? What kind of things are you looking for so that the people listening can maybe, you know, up their Instagram game a little bit or play in some bigger tournaments, something like that?
[00:14:09] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, I think it's mostly about communication and who, who we're looking at, which tournaments.
There's a few that we go to kind of every year. But, you know, if there's players that we're looking for, we, you know, we'll go watch them if, you know, wherever they are kind of thing. But, but yeah, just keeping us up to date on what tournaments they're playing in. Just consistent communication is good. Just like, even if it's a quick text like, hey, I just played in X tournament and I shot this and this is my next one, you know, because, you know, we get a lot of schedules and trying to keep up with everybody's is difficult at times. So just a quick reminder or, you know, even if it's something that we're not going to, at least then, you know, we know that, hey, they're playing and you can keep up with their scores online or whatever.
[00:15:03] Speaker A: Yeah. And you might be familiar with the course they're playing on or, you know, some of the competitors in the field. Something like that. So what about you, Andy? What? And especially being the head coach of both the men's and women's teams and your rules maybe being slightly different at the D2 level. What, what kind of things are you looking for?
[00:15:20] Speaker B: Yeah, I think you made a good point. Right. Like as like this summer, right. We'll be able to start kind of communicating with 27s, but in theory, I may have saw a few of them last summer.
[00:15:30] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:15:30] Speaker B: Or so this summer I Might be seeing some 28s just because we're watching, you know. Well, I'm gonna be mostly like 26, 27, but, like, for Mandy and other D1s, I could see them watching, like 28s and stuff. So there's a good chance, like some of these names that we'll be somewhat familiar with right before. And so, yeah, you'll start to see it pop up a little bit more on Instagram or maybe we're searching them out to follow them. And so I think, again, having some up to date stuff on there is nice. Again, having a swing video occasionally I think would be great. And I don't know, you always have to post the scoreboards, but I think that's fine too because again, there's no hiding that you're showing, like, what you shot.
And so, yeah, I think that would obviously help.
But, yeah, for me, like, again, this is my first year here now, first full year, so I'm going to start to.
I already have a good sense of, like, some of the good high schools and some of the good younger players. And so, yeah, that would be what I guess I'm starting to look at now as we're getting close to June 15th.
[00:16:31] Speaker A: Yeah. And can we just. We'll put it out there, too, I think. So many families with the ncaa, there's so many rules out there, you know, and it's our job as coaches or, you know, college golf recruiters to kind of help them through the process.
I always say, hey, you can send them emails prior to June 15th. They expect you to send emails.
Okay, great. You're both shaking your heads. And that's all I wanted to know and let you know, the folks listening, hey, you can reach out to them prior to.
It never hurts to over communicate.
Well, it might hurt to over communicate a little too much. But yeah, I just wanted to touch on that.
[00:17:09] Speaker C: So, yeah, getting your. Your name out there, even if it's in your sophomore year, is not a bad thing. I think it's just important for them to know that, you know, we can't communicate back.
[00:17:22] Speaker A: Right.
[00:17:23] Speaker C: So just because you're not getting an email doesn't necessarily mean anything until, you know, and maybe you follow up again after June 15th and say, hey, you know, now that we can chat, whatever.
But then I think for parents too, knowing that even though we can text and call, you know, even after June 15, before August 1, if we see you at a tournament, we can only say hello, which is super awkward sometimes because you don't want to be come across as rude or standoffish, but the more the parents know that, that it just makes it more comfortable for everyone and we don't have to have an awkward conversation. But yeah, just knowing that I think helps. And then, you know, the August 1st deadline for us would be when we can talk in person and then have visits. So that June 15 to August 1 is a kind of an important time frame for us, just that we can start talking to people and get to know you so that we can then start to narrow our list for who we want to come on visits and things like that. So.
[00:18:33] Speaker D: Well, real quick to lighten it up, real quick. One of the things I have noticed with coaches on the course is you all are good at hiding.
You all find a way to somehow come out of the woods somewhere and parents don't ever even see you.
So I don't know if there's a class that you guys take, but I just wanted to point that out to the parents that you don't know if they're there sometimes. They do a great job of making sure they can see the kids play without being seen.
[00:19:01] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, we, we talk about that too. And I think as my time as a college coach, the more time I spent lurking, that's a weird word, but lurking and watching from a distance. You learn so much not about just a player, but about the relationship that that player has with their playing competitors, the relationship that they're. That player has with their parents, how they treat, you know, their playing partners, how they treat their parents. And I think that's something we could probably talk about for a long time. But I think that's a really important part because like I said earlier, I mean, these coaches job is, you know, they're trying to get the best student athlete to play for them. That's an all around good human being as well as being a really good golfer too. So, yeah, they're really good at hiding.
This is a question for both of you. And Andy, I'll let you answer first. Looking back on some of the most successful players you've maybe had play for you.
What have they done differently during this time period to really, you know, put themselves at the top of your list and, you know, shown that they're kind of the one for you.
[00:20:16] Speaker B: Well, that's a good question.
[00:20:20] Speaker A: And it can be men's or women's program for you. I mean, you know, you work with both. So.
[00:20:24] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, obviously it's a little bit of a. For me, it's kind of.
There's differences, like it's almost case by case. But obviously, like, scores first and foremost are, are very important. So like for me, like, I don't get to go recruit internationally in person.
And so like for an international, I'm watching like scores. And so if I see a lot of really good scores, I'm like, oh, well, pretty interested by that. And then it'll be like, you know, doing zooms with them and trying to get a chance to know them and see what they're like and talking to people in their, in their sphere. But if I get a chance to watch them play, the ones who I've, I guess, really like, have jumped to the top of my list.
Exactly what you said before, like, they, they're awesome to their parents, they're playing partners to the course. Like, just even if they're having a bad day, like Mandy said, like, I almost love to see them like have a. Not a great day because we know what that looks like. Good is good. But what does it look like when it's. It's a struggle, right? Like something's just a little bit off. And how do you still post a reasonable score on that day? And obviously, like you guys are saying, like, with us being there generally, like, we tend to bring out some, some bad scores occasionally. And so we don't mind that. I think we like to see that, just to see again, how do they handle that. So, but for me, the ones I love to see, like just a little extra tenacity, like you said, a little resiliency. Yeah, just great to play with. You know, they're just competitive. And those have been the ones who've jumped high on my list, like when I get a chance to see them in person.
[00:21:47] Speaker A: Yeah. And Mandy, what about you? Do you have anything to add?
[00:21:50] Speaker C: Yeah, I think all of what he says. Good. But also just in the kind of the interview, visit process, the more independent they are in their questions and you know, are they self sufficient, can they, are they asking the question? Do they have questions to ask? How good are the questions? Things like that. And I've had some that are asked some really thoughtful questions and you can tell they've taken the time to like prepare for the phone call or the visit.
And it's not the parents doing all the talking or asking the questions or answering the questions for them, things like that.
But yeah, just in general kind of. I mean, you're about to go to college and you're going to be doing everything on your own. So the more that you can prepare for that transition and even in the recruiting Process, too, I think, will help the.
[00:22:46] Speaker A: Yeah. And I think something we talk about, too, with our clients is for these high schoolers, this is usually one of the first big decisions they're making in their life. And of course, there will be many big decisions later on in life. But I think choosing a college is really important. And I think, like you both have said, there are so many choices out there, and it's really about doing the homework and although it's not fun, you know, doing the research and, you know, doing. Doing all those things to be seen by all of you.
So. Yeah, absolutely. So another question. And I see the questions rolling in, and I'll get to them.
If a student athlete doesn't hear from a coach on June 15, is that, you know, red flag alert or is there still hope for them?
[00:23:40] Speaker B: Definitely still hope, but you go, Mandy, you go.
[00:23:43] Speaker C: I mean, I think obviously it's different for different levels of programs and things, but very few programs are making decisions right away after June 15, so there's still time.
And then there's been several occasions where, you know, we may not see someone at all or know about them until later on. You know, we may be at another tournament or a tournament watching someone else and then see, you know, so you just never know. And it's never. I don't think it's too late ever to get in the mix. But just because you don't hear back right away doesn't necessarily mean that.
That you're. You're too late or you're out of the picture.
[00:24:30] Speaker A: Yeah, I think there's this lore that once June 15th hits, you know, my phone's going to start blowing up and coaches are going to be knocking down my door. And, you know, for. For most of the kids that we work with, I say don't. Don't be too disappointed on, you know, I think June 15th this year is on a Sunday.
So, you know, come Sunday evening, I'm like, don't be, you know, too disappointed if you haven't heard from anybody, because the recruiting process is just getting ramped up for them. It's, you know, my belief, so. And Andy, do you have anything to add to that? About. I mean, you said. Yes, it's. It's not over, you know, no red flags, but. Anything else?
[00:25:08] Speaker B: No, I just like what Mandy said, obviously, like, for. Different. For me at the D2 level, like, there's certainly no. Yeah. No lost hope at that point.
So, yeah, just. You said you gotta be patient with us, but obviously reach out. Like Mandy said earlier, like seeing you be proactive is obviously great. And like she said, it's just the beginning at that point. So.
[00:25:29] Speaker A: Yeah. And so rolling into the next question, what kind of updates are helpful for you?
You got so many kids on your radar.
What kind of UPD are helpful for you from a student athlete during, you know, starting June 15th? Prior. Prior to June 15th, everybody. But, you know, especially during their sophomore summer, what kind of updates are you all looking for?
You know, whether that's you're seeing them in person or you're expecting an email from them. Is there something in particular that you're looking for?
Andy, I'll start with you.
[00:26:01] Speaker C: I think schedule updates is probably the best thing. And these are the tournaments I'm playing in. And if there's a change to them letting us know or, you know, like I said, just a quick. If you're already in communication with the coach, just a quick text says, you know, hey, I just played in this or I'm getting ready to play, would love to have you come watch. Or if you can't make it, I'll let you know how it goes. You know, it can be quick but like, consistent. That way, you know, we're not forgetting about that kid if we're hearing from them, you know, and they're keeping us updated. So I think mostly schedule because that's where we're going to try to see them play. So knowing where they're going to be and when is helpful.
[00:26:48] Speaker A: Yeah. Andy, what about you?
[00:26:50] Speaker B: Yeah, no, man, spot on. Obviously, just any kind of schedule updates.
And I wouldn't mind having just a little brief recap. Whether it says text or email, just like, hey, I just got done with the Junior PGA and you know, I shot X and X and Y and you know, how did it go? How you know, how you played? So just little bits like that would be. Because if I wasn't there, like, be nice for me to hear the little extra context.
[00:27:14] Speaker A: Sure, sure.
We have a couple of questions about maybe the change in the landscape of ncaa, and I've got one more question before we get to that. But what, in your, you know, you all's opinion, can a student athlete do you. Whether it's on the golf course, off the golf course, and you've both already touched on it, but how can they prove that they're the right fit for your program?
[00:27:46] Speaker C: Andy, you want to take that one first? You want me to go?
[00:27:48] Speaker B: You go first. If that's cool, I'm happy to, but it's fine.
[00:27:52] Speaker C: Well, I mean, I think it's like, kind of like we've said, like, it's a combination of a lot of things. Like, it's not just the scores you're shooting. And, you know, I think coaches want to see the kind of person you are. You know, are you a good student?
Are you involved in other things? Like, do you play other sports? You know, there's a lot of things. And, you know, what can you bring to our team? Like, what kind of qualities do you have as a person that will add to our team?
Just a lot of factors, but like I said, you know, after we can speak, you know, just getting to know each other and, you know, it needs to be a good fit on both sides. So, you know, them getting to know the coaches and us getting to know them just on different levels other than just what they shoot, I think is helpful.
[00:28:49] Speaker B: Yeah. It's hard for me to add too much to that, because that's so true. Like.
Like, we've already talked about how watching how they, you know, act on the course and. And how they compete, but then the interactions we have, like, on the phone or, you know, like I said at a visit, would be huge, like, to see how. How that goes. So.
But I suppose, like Mandy was saying, I think just, like, to be themselves, like, we. We want to see, like, them be themselves. Right. And not trying to fake it for certain reasons, because it's. Again, we're probably going to be able to figure that out, and so we'd rather them just be themselves, and that's going to be what we want to see.
[00:29:25] Speaker A: Yeah. And Mandy touched on this earlier, but do you like to see that the kids are controlling their own recruiting process more so than maybe email that looks like it was maybe done by a parent or something like that, or the.
[00:29:40] Speaker C: Email actually comes from the parents.
[00:29:41] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. Red flag, right?
[00:29:44] Speaker C: Well, I mean, yes, like, we. It's hard for us to get to know the kids if they're not the ones communicating.
[00:29:50] Speaker A: Right. Yeah. And I think, too, as a college coach and playing college golf, you. You really become a family.
You know, it's. It becomes your home away from home. Right. And, you know, whether your coach is young or old or whatever, you look up to them as, you know, kind of your mentor while you're there, coach. All the things y' all. I don't think you get paid enough for what you do, but it's you. It takes a lot to kind of find the right puzzle piece, and that's something that we try to talk about, too. There are thousands and thousands of puzzle pieces and it's your job to find the one that's missing.
And so, you know, with success that comes after June 15th and conversation, there also can be a little bit of heartbreak. And I think it's important to know that just because one door might close doesn't mean that there still aren't 15 or 20 that are.
Anyways, I don't know why I wanted to add that, but.
[00:30:53] Speaker C: Well, I mean, it made their views of what they think they want may completely change once they get into the process and start visiting schools. And, you know, it may be a thing where, you know, you visit a school and fall in love with it and you never. It may not have even been on your initial list. But that's the great part about, you know, the process. If you can enjoy it a little bit, that, you know, it can be fun. And, yeah, I hate for it to be stressful for.
For the kids because. And it's like you said, it's a huge decision. So.
[00:31:28] Speaker A: Yeah. And we. We find that it's a stressful situation. And I know you both know that it's stressful for them and the parents, and that's. We try, you know, what I do at Path for Success to try to ease the tensions and just try to educate, educate, educate and communicate. You know, communication is key, and that's kind of what we preach. But.
Okay, and this. This is one of our last questions that I have, and I'll touch on some of the other questions that we have coming in with the current landscape and changes going on in the ncaa, including the transfer portal. And Mandy, we talked about this before we started the live. What impact is that having on you all as college coaches looking at these kids during the recruiting process?
I've. I've talked to coaches, and I'm based in Pinehurst, North Carolina, and especially in the North Carolina area. I think we have great colleges here, and I'm good friends with a lot of the coaches, and they're having a really hard time kind of finding a balance of what to do right now. Can either of you or both of you kind of touch on that and maybe ease some minds, but also, you know, make sure that everyone's aware of what's going on?
Andy, if you want to go first.
[00:32:39] Speaker C: Well, I think the. The biggest problem is that we just don't know a lot right now. And I, like, as coaches, we get frustrated because we're getting a lot of. I don't know what's happening too. And then I know it's frustrating for, you know, the Juniors that are, you know, trying to find spots because, you know, we don't know if we're going to have Ross.
I mean, we think we probably will have roster limits, but what does that look like? Or, you know, will people be allowed an extra year? Will it be grandfathered? I mean, there's just so many unanswered questions right now that it's hard to say for sure what it will look like.
So we're just kind of, you know, trying to plan as best we can, but knowing that things could change. And that doesn't really help answer any.
[00:33:31] Speaker A: No, I think you answered it perfectly, and that's that no one really knows what the heck's going on.
And, you know, I think every coach right now is trying to do the best they can with the information that they have.
And Andy, how are you kind of battling that, both on the men's and women's side?
[00:33:50] Speaker B: Yeah, battling it a lot, I guess, because if a player has a really good year for me, which happened this year, then they want to hop into transfer portal because they want to play Division 1, which I understand. Like I said, I've been at that level, so I understand the want to do that.
And so from my standpoint, it's just not going anywhere. Right. Transfer portal is going to be here to stay. Right. And so it's not great for me, but I'm going to use it to the best of our ability.
There's obviously lots of people in there.
I don't see that slowing down, but I guess I would try to encourage everybody listening to try to find, like, a spot where you plan to be there for. For four years, I think.
I mean, we're not basketball or football. That seems to be even more ridiculous. But at least, like, for golf, it's hopefully a little bit better. But, yeah, from my standpoint, I went somewhere for four years and had a great time. And if you try to go somewhere, a different place every year, like, you miss out on those relationships that you would otherwise get if you were at the same place.
[00:34:54] Speaker C: So, yeah, I mean, I think that, like, back to my initial point about stay patient and take your time to try to find the right fit, because obviously there's going to be scenarios where the transfer is a good option for people, you know, but, you know, if you. I feel like if you, you know, take the time to. To really get to know where you're going and if it's going to be a good fit for you, that hopefully you will want to stay there, like Andy said, for four years. And you'll, you know, you'll like the environment that you're in. But.
But yeah, it's the. The portal is a whole different dynamic.
[00:35:37] Speaker A: Yeah. And I think, you know, football and basketball aside, we talk about loyalty a lot.
And I think you do all of this work.
You play in golf tournaments. You try to do the right things as a kid. The parents are trying to make the right decisions, and you do want to do the homework, like Andy said, so that you're picking a university that you plan on staying at until you graduate. And yeah, of course there are, you know, circumstances that come up with success or, you know, sometimes it's just ends up not being the right fit.
But we always try to preach, you know, that's why we do the work ahead of time.
And that's why you have so many schools on your initial, you know, list and, you know, you're having all these conversations and all the email correspondence and, you know, meeting the coaches and what feels right for you. So I definitely think that's spot on. So those are all the questions I have on my end. Do we have any more, Trent, coming in that I need to be aware of?
[00:36:38] Speaker D: Let me take a look here. I don't believe that we do.
I guess from a parent's perspective on relationships with parents during the process, how does that look from a coach's perspective?
Your job is to have that relationship with the student athlete. But how does the parent mix come involved with that?
[00:37:05] Speaker B: Want to go first, Mandy, or you want me to?
[00:37:07] Speaker A: We're gonna answer it.
That's a hot topic, Trent.
[00:37:10] Speaker D: That's not a good question.
[00:37:12] Speaker C: I think, like, you know, I think we want to get to know the parents just as much as the kids. I mean, because they're probably going to be a big part of, you know, the.
The players college experience, you know, so.
And then like Andy said earlier, too, like, figuring out the relationship that the player has with their parents is important. And.
But I, like I said, I think it's good to let as much as you can, let the player do as much as they can themselves, especially when it comes to communication, initial communication with the coaches and, you know, phone calls and questions and things. So.
But yeah, I mean, I think it's important. I definitely want to get to know the parents, too.
[00:38:03] Speaker B: Yeah. From my standpoint, I would say, like she said, I'm recruiting you almost a little bit like I'm recruiting a player. So it's going to be obviously a little bit different, and I would just encourage you to support your kid. Like, to the best way you can. Right. Help and support them to be in communication with us and just to relax and just play golf, have fun and enjoy the process. Like Mae was saying earlier, we know it's stressful, but it's stressful for us, too. So just understand that throughout the whole deal and.
But yeah, 100%, like, we're going to get to know the parents.
At least I am, because it is. It's a huge part, like Mandy said.
[00:38:42] Speaker D: Now, another question I'm curious about, because one of the things I see kids put on their resume or the emails to you or the swing coach's information or maybe their high school coach's information, do you reach out to those individuals at all during the process and what are those conversations like?
[00:39:07] Speaker C: Well, I think it's good to include that just because it gives coaches another way to find out more information about the student athletes. You know, like, what are they, how do they practice? Like, you know, how much do they love the game? Kind of stuff like that, that.
That they would have more of an idea about, you know, how they are in their lessons or, you know, around the golf course kind of things. But, yeah, I think including that is good, just as it gives us another way to get to know them, maybe in a little bit different way.
[00:39:43] Speaker B: Yeah, I would agree. I would say the swing coach. I definitely would like to know who that is, and I definitely try to talk to swing coaches for the players that we're obviously really, really interested in. High school coach, just thinking back to mine, like, I wouldn't have wanted anybody necessarily to call him because he didn't really watch me play much. So I think that's case by case. Like, if you know your high school coach is pretty good, then by all means you can share it.
But if it's basically somebody who's just there as a caretaker, then it's not that big a deal to list who that is.
[00:40:16] Speaker A: And throwing up a softball question, if, you know, you reach out to a swing coach and you're interested in the things they're doing with the player that you're recruiting or whatever, do you encourage that they keep that relationship with a swing coach, whether they're coming from 500 miles away or a kid that maybe is 20 minutes from home, how do you both kind of maintain that relationship? Because I, when I was coaching at Georgia State, we had a big international roster, and that was difficult, too, because we were sending swing videos, you know, to someone in South Korea or Sweden or Australia or whatever it might be. So what. What Are both of your takes on, you know, maintaining that swing coaches relationship through playing college golf?
[00:41:04] Speaker B: I support it.
[00:41:06] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:41:06] Speaker B: I mean, sorry, Mandy, you get, you can go.
[00:41:09] Speaker C: No, it's okay. Without getting too much into like how we do things. Yeah. I mean, most players, I would say, continue their relationship with their swing coach in college.
[00:41:20] Speaker A: Yeah, we, we get that question a lot. Like how, how are coaches gonna feel if I'm like, yeah, your, your head coach is going to be very involved with everything you're doing. But if, you know, they've obviously recruited you for a reason and like the game that you're bringing in. So if your relationship is good with your swing coach, it's probably something that they're, you know, going to like that you continue on.
[00:41:41] Speaker C: So that would be a great question to ask on your initial phone call.
[00:41:45] Speaker A: Ah, write that down, everybody.
[00:41:50] Speaker C: Because I'd say a lot of coaches may be different on that. That's something that, you know, I think that they could ask to get to know like how they do it at wherever X school.
[00:42:00] Speaker A: Yeah. Because everyone, I mean, and we talk about that too. It's, you know, you're finding the puzzle pieces, but everyone runs their program differently.
And I think, you know, you could talk to college golfers throughout the country who have very similar experiences, but they're all doing something a tad different. Whether, you know, whether the coach has been at big schools before, if you're at a big school now, if it's, I mean, it just, it depends. And everyone's experience is different. But our hope is that everyone has a positive experience.
Obviously plays well too.
But I think, you know, if, if I could go back and I don't know how you both feel, I would do it over in a heartbeat.
Because times seemed a lot easier back then and you know, we didn't know how good we had it. Just traveling and playing on really good golf courses and crappy weather and good weather.
But you know, and the relationships that we made along the way and I think, you know, for me those are some of the things that I carry on. Now it's, you know, the people that I'm at, whether we were teammates or whether they were on an opposing team and we spent 12 hours with them playing a 36 hole round, so.
Well. Awesome. I, I'm done with questions. I think Trent is done with questions.
[00:43:18] Speaker D: I'm just happy that to be honest, to have the both of you here, it's been helpful because I do believe, like you were talking earlier is if you're a top 10 player, obviously on June 15th. Your phone's probably blowing up.
I've talked to a couple of those guys and some of those young female players and that's the case. But not everybody's going to have that first day option. So I think this is why we wanted to do this, because we want everybody to understand how it's going to start, how it's going to be. And I even learned something tonight. I, I was unaware about the seeing in person, so that was something new for me tonight. So that's good to know.
[00:43:56] Speaker A: Yeah. And I thank you both for your time. I know you've both got a lot going on and are probably heavy in the recruiting trail right now. So we wish you both big success this summer on the recruiting trail and obviously come fall when college golf starts back up. But appreciate your time and we hope to see you all soon.
[00:44:19] Speaker C: Thank you for what you guys do for the junior players. Super helpful.
[00:44:24] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:44:24] Speaker B: Thank you so much for having us. I appreciate it.
[00:44:26] Speaker D: Yes. Andy, Mandy, Lauren, thank you. And everyone, thanks for joining us tonight.
[00:44:37] Speaker A: Thanks for listening to this episode of from the Card Path with your host, Trent Roberts.
[00:44:43] Speaker B: Please be sure to like and and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so that you never miss an episode.
