Calling all Parents of Junior Girls

heavy_hitter · March 14, 2018

It's been a while since I was out here. Seeing that we have all stayed with this thread until our daughters went off to college, I figured I would do the same.

Well, it's been a long process, but my daughter just received her "appointment" a few weeks back. She's been on pins and needles for the last 6 months and what a relief to finally receive it. She had a letter of assurance from the admissions board thanks to to the coaches, but she was academically qualified even with out it. She had something like a a 4.7 weighted GPA, 11 AP classes, a 35 on her ACT, honors, and is also the valedictorian of of her class. She is also a +2 handicap and ranked pretty high. She is super pumped about going to an "academy" - she really got along with all the girls on her official visit and the coaches have a great rapport with the girls. If I remember right, the 2017-2018 team will be the first fully recruited team since the program began, so their future looks extremely bright. Above all, my daughter has always been a bit of a patriot, and just really wants to go out and have her time serving.

It's been a long road to get here, but it was worth it for her, and for her mom and me. There were way more happy moments than sad moments along the way, and we are really going to miss those days out on the junior circuit. I could probably write a book on all the lessons we've learned along the way, and believe me there were A LOT. I noticed that lately she is starting to get a little sentimental about all of it, and somehow that has resulted in her playing some of the best golf she ever played. We've already planned to play her last junior tournament at her favorite AJGA event down in LA before she heads off to summer training.

For any parents with younger girls out there, my daughter and I want to you to have the best journey possible, and have some advice for you. First, let me qualify by saying that the picture I'm about to paint for you is not representative of the entire experience, meaning our experience has been really, really good. However, what I'm going to say may determine whether your daughter ever makes it to the college of her choice, or even survives long enough to play in college. So here it is ..... DO NOT always believe everything you hear out there when it comes to swing advice, recruiting, equipment, scholarships, etc. There is a lot of misinformation out there, most of which is coming from people who don't want to work very hard, and some of it can absolutely derail your daughter; at best it will only cost you $400 for a new driver that doesn't do what they claimed, lol. I really wish "Myth Busters" would do a special just on the golf industry! I know we have spent the past 8 years confirming and busting golf knowledge, and the outcomes have been pretty enlightening. There are too many people (yes professionals) out there who spend way to much time reading golf magazines, instruction books, and such, and not enough time actually applying and testing that knowledge - to juniors in particular. The reason I mention juniors is because they are generally the ones who have any real expectations riding on it. We are so thankful we developed the wisdom along the way see this stuff when it happens, and to raise questions when we see it. Don't ever be afraid to question someone. If they get offended, then let them, and consider running away as fast as you can. If they don't, then maybe you found someone that can actually help your daughter. If they are taking money from you, then you deserve accurate and reliable information and advice; and, you deserve for them to work as hard as your daughter will have to work. I hate to sound cynical, but I could write down a LONG, LONG list of kids who will never step foot on a college golf team because of this problem in the industry. If you think this sounds crazy and you want to confirm that what I'm saying is legit, please feel free to PM me, and I will gladly share first-hand stories of kids we know who have been derailed and never completely recovered. My ultimate point being that good advice may or may not ultimately get you to your goal, but bad advice will absolutely keep you from ever getting there. The parents of the top players know this, and are real sticklers when it comes to this stuff. So, if you really want to know what separates the top players from the rest of the pack, there you go!

Congratulations. US Naval Academy is quite an honor and achievement. Thank you prematurely for her service to our country as it is quite a commitment.