I have my first high school varsity coaching position!

[golfinbrad]

4 hours ago, jah7838 said:

I coach HS golf in North Texas, and between my assistant and I, we have 15 golfers.  I'm in a situation where we only have 2 golfers that have broken 100 in a tournament and a few more that are younger that have the potential to do so by the end of the year.  My assistant and I are both competitive and want to win, but our school is pretty low in Socioeconomic status.  That means that most of our golfers have never been exposed to golf until they get to us.  We start with basics and slowly work our way up to hopefully taking a few of them to the course at some point.  

 

I only have 3 girls and the rest are boys.  Some of the kids have potential to be decent (break 90), but because of their home situations, golf isn't something that is a priority to them.  It's frustrating at times, but it's the type of kids we have.  The golf can be bad at times, but there is something to see them get excited when they do hit good shots on the range.  

 

We're working on building something, and we do focus a lot on short game.  We work on that daily, and we will each take turns taking a few kids on the course for 9 hole matches.  Usually pushups for the kids or myself at the end are on the table for the losers.  I usually have to give 4-5 shots if we're playing the longer of the 2 courses that we have access to.  

 

Overall, the job is enjoyable.  Just some long hours.  

Similar program here.  It is rewarding and frustrating, but when a kid comes from a bad situation your just looking to give home an outlet.  Good luck with your program.

[jah7838]

3 hours ago, golfinbrad said:

Similar program here.  It is rewarding and frustrating, but when a kid comes from a bad situation you’re just looking to give home an outlet.  Good luck with your program.

That’s how I’m looking at golf as well. It’s a healthy outlet for them and I can see some self confidence growing with them as the year moves along. 
 

Good luck with your program as well!

[TheGolfingRealtor]

Just want to update everyone with my season.

 

So as you may remember, I inherited a 1-9 program from last year. This year we managed to turn it around to 5-5. Our big win came against the defending league champions. We had two all league selections too.

 

We won the season ending tournament by 26 shots, we had the medalist and won 4 out of the 6 flights. By the end of the year we were playing our best golf. Only on a couple of occasions did we have the original "starting six" which led to more wins obviously. Luckily we only graduate one person and who knows who is coming in or transferring.

 

I collected TONS of data which really shows trends developing. Most of the kids could care less but if I somehow could get them to listen and understand their tendencies, then maybe we could do even better next year. 

[leezer99]

So my son's HS went through a bit of a coaching change this year and every parent seems really happy with the new coaches. I guess the old coach was just phoning it in.

 

That being said, they ended up only fielding a varsity team where 30 kids had tryouts for 10 spots. Tryouts were basically 3 nine hole rounds at our local track. It ended up being two freshman (including my son), two sophomores and six seniors that made the cut. Next year will be interesting but we'll get to that when it happens.

 

Since that was settled, they have had two or three practices per week based on the days they get out early (every other day they get out at 1:30).  If it's a three day week where they get out early they have been having two on course days and one range day, which we skip for him to practice at our grumpy old man club. Two day weeks they just go out on the course and play.

 

This past week they added in qualifiers for their first match in March. I think it will end up being two nine hole rounds and one 18 hole round at the course they are playing their match at.  Top seven make it and will play. (Don't ask me the format because I have no idea)

 

After that tournament the coach has decided that the top four players in the official match are into the next event. The remaining three spots will be made up of the kids that didn't make it via another qualifying series. 

 

After the first round of qualifying my son is in the lead. Today the team is going to the course they are playing their first match at for the 18 hole qualifier. My son is in the last group with the team captain and the two coaches (one of whom made it to second stage of Q school this year). 

[heavy_hitter]

2 hours ago, leezer99 said:

So my son's HS went through a bit of a coaching change this year and every parent seems really happy with the new coaches. I guess the old coach was just phoning it in.

 

That being said, they ended up only fielding a varsity team where 30 kids had tryouts for 10 spots. Tryouts were basically 3 nine hole rounds at our local track. It ended up being two freshman (including my son), two sophomores and six seniors that made the cut. Next year will be interesting but we'll get to that when it happens.

 

Since that was settled, they have had two or three practices per week based on the days they get out early (every other day they get out at 1:30).  If it's a three day week where they get out early they have been having two on course days and one range day, which we skip for him to practice at our grumpy old man club. Two day weeks they just go out on the course and play.

 

This past week they added in qualifiers for their first match in March. I think it will end up being two nine hole rounds and one 18 hole round at the course they are playing their match at.  Top seven make it and will play. (Don't ask me the format because I have no idea)

 

After that tournament the coach has decided that the top four players in the official match are into the next event. The remaining three spots will be made up of the kids that didn't make it via another qualifying series. 

 

After the first round of qualifying my son is in the lead. Today the team is going to the course they are playing their first match at for the 18 hole qualifier. My son is in the last group with the team captain and the two coaches (one of whom made it to second stage of Q school this year). 

 

Sounds like the coach gets it.  I see no use for a JV team.  10 player varsity is plenty to keep the program in a situation of success.

[Movingday]

How many states play high school in the spring? Ours (TN), middle school is spring (mid March-early May) high school is fall (late July- early Oct)

[leezer99]

1 hour ago, Movingday said:

How many states play high school in the spring? Ours (TN), middle school is spring (mid March-early May) high school is fall (late July- early Oct)

High school boys here in California starts in March. 

[Movingday]

1 hour ago, leezer99 said:

High school boys here in California starts in March. 

Are girls at a different time?

[theboypinoy]

1 hour ago, Movingday said:

Are girls at a different time?

 

Girls golf is fall, boys golf is spring.

[leezer99]

Just to follow up... they finished their 18 hole qualifying round about an hour ago and the team captain already sent a group chat to the team saying that he knows certain kids were shaving strokes and that cheating will not be tolerated.  SMH

 

edit to add: Coach has called a team meeting for after school today.  

Edited February 21, 2023 by leezer99

[Movingday]

1 hour ago, leezer99 said:

Just to follow up... they finished their 18 hole qualifying round about an hour ago and the team captain already sent a group chat to the team saying that he knows certain kids were shaving strokes and that cheating will not be tolerated.  SMH

Sucks that it’s happening but kudos to the captain for calling people out

[Movingday]

1 hour ago, theboypinoy said:

 

Girls golf is fall, boys golf is spring.

Interesting. Is there a reason they are different times?

[Medson]

38 minutes ago, Movingday said:

Interesting. Is there a reason they are different times?

No idea. But some of boys’ parents aren’t a fan of schedule cuz boys are trying to ramp up for the summer. 

[Movingday]

9 hours ago, Medson said:

No idea. But some of boys’ parents aren’t a fan of schedule cuz boys are trying to ramp up for the summer. 

Spring weather sucks here. Would be a brutal time to play, but I could see it as a good way to ramp up for summer? 

[heavy_hitter]

11 hours ago, leezer99 said:

Just to follow up... they finished their 18 hole qualifying round about an hour ago and the team captain already sent a group chat to the team saying that he knows certain kids were shaving strokes and that cheating will not be tolerated.  SMH

 

edit to add: Coach has called a team meeting for after school today.  

There is a lot of cheating that goes on in High School golf.

[Abh159]

16 hours ago, Movingday said:

How many states play high school in the spring? Ours (TN), middle school is spring (mid March-early May) high school is fall (late July- early Oct)

 

There are exceptions, but generally speaking most warm weather states (TX, MS, AL, GA, etc.) play their season in the spring and cooler weather states play in the fall. 

[jah7838]

16 hours ago, Movingday said:

How many states play high school in the spring? Ours (TN), middle school is spring (mid March-early May) high school is fall (late July- early Oct)

I'm in North Texas.  We have golf in spring and the fall.  When I taught in Houston, most schools only had golf in the spring.  Just depends on the school districts and if they want it to be year round or not.  

[heavy_hitter]

25 minutes ago, Abh159 said:

 

There are exceptions, but generally speaking most warm weather states (TX, MS, AL, GA, etc.) play their season in the spring and cooler weather states play in the fall. 

Florida is more than likely going to add a spring season.  This season will be less teams and classifications.  Concept will to play match play matches and the State Championship would be match play as well.

[tiger1873]

1 hour ago, heavy_hitter said:

There is a lot of cheating that goes on in High School golf.

 

I agree lots of cheating but in a lot cases it' because the scores are so high and  anyone watching will have a hard time counting every stroke.

 

I mean if there 2 off the tee then 3 in the bunker and 1 on the green and 4 putt it's a skill to count that many.

Edited February 21, 2023 by tiger1873

[StudentGolfer4]

Indiana high school boys play in the spring. Girls in the fall. Middle school boys just switched from fall to spring. 
 

With more schools around the state using a balanced calendar with kids going back at the end of July/first of august the fall season is much more desirable from a weather standpoint. 

[RmoorePE]

Washington Girls are in spring, boys in fall but the state championships are in spring for both. So boys will have a 6 month gap from end of season districts to state. Gives the kids who are golf-focused a big advantage. The kids who are multi sport kids, end up basically finishing their baseball or track seasons and then getting about 3 days (depending on how far they go) to get ready for the golf State Championships.

 

One of my daughter's close friends had a good run in the fall and made it to State, but is a big baseball kid. He has told us that it will be pretty much impossible for him to show up to Golf state with any kind of game after swinging a bat for 3 months. It makes sense to have it this way from a weather perspective, but I talked to a coach who told me that Boys state is kind of a joke because of it. The scores for the multi sport kids are always terrible. He said it is like 2 tournaments. One for the golf kids shooting around par and one for the other kids trying to break 90.

 

 

 

 

[TripleBogeysrbetter]

On 2/20/2023 at 6:09 PM, Movingday said:

How many states play high school in the spring? Ours (TN), middle school is spring (mid March-early May) high school is fall (late July- early Oct)

VA public a fall sport and private school tend to be spring.

[blaird]

Coach in Mississippi here and we are going to fall (late July-end of Oct) for our season next year. Seems to be a bunch of coaches in favor of this and a few not so much. I actually pushed for this with my athletic director at my old school about 5-6 years ago. Made a presentation for him to present at an AD meeting and he barely got started before they all turned it down, think a lot of football coaches also coach golf. 

 

I have 27 kids on my team (4 are baseball and practice on their own) but am working to drop that number to about 16 over the next two years. With our season changing, I know a lot of baseball kids will be trying out. 

[blaird]

Im adding a question to any other high school coaches...

 

Does your state have a rule about when you can or can't say something/coach a player? Ours says we can only coach from tee to green, meaning once on the green we can't coach, which I am not a fan of neither are a lot of other coaches. 

[heavy_hitter]

1 minute ago, blaird said:

Im adding a question to any other high school coaches...

 

Does your state have a rule about when you can or can't say something/coach a player? Ours says we can only coach from tee to green, meaning once on the green we can't coach, which I am not a fan of neither are a lot of other coaches. 

Can only coach tee to green as well.  As a spectator I like this.  If you watch the NCAA tournament there is far too much time spent on the greens coaching.  Pace of play issue in my opinion.

[blaird]

1 minute ago, heavy_hitter said:

Can only coach tee to green as well.  As a spectator I like this.  If you watch the NCAA tournament there is far too much time spent on the greens coaching.  Pace of play issue in my opinion.

 

I have thought about this being a reason as well but I know coaches in other parts of the state are doing their own thing and coaching on the greens and it isn't hurting their pace. I was wondering if it could be bc not all coaches know what they're doing and could step in lines or affect other players. I just don't like not being able to coach at certain points. I feel like its telling a football coach they can't coach once inside the 10 or something like that. If it held up play, then maybe Id be ok with it. 

[heavy_hitter]

Just now, blaird said:

 

I have thought about this being a reason as well but I know coaches in other parts of the state are doing their own thing and coaching on the greens and it isn't hurting their pace. I was wondering if it could be bc not all coaches know what they're doing and could step in lines or affect other players. I just don't like not being able to coach at certain points. I feel like its telling a football coach they can't coach once inside the 10 or something like that. If it held up play, then maybe Id be ok with it. 

 

To me coaching isn't reading putts for a player.  Football coach isn't telling the QB where and how to throw the ball.  I feel like this is what it becomes with coaches on the greens.

[Abh159]

28 minutes ago, blaird said:

I have 27 kids on my team (4 are baseball and practice on their own) but am working to drop that number to about 16 over the next two years. With our season changing, I know a lot of baseball kids will be trying out. 

 

You have 27 kids on a high school golf team?!

 

In all seriousness, how do you practice? I feel like a course would have to shut down the entire range and block off a hefty chunk of the tee sheet for you all to practice/play.

[blaird]

14 minutes ago, Abh159 said:

 

You have 27 kids on a high school golf team?!

 

In all seriousness, how do you practice? I feel like a course would have to shut down the entire range and block off a hefty chunk of the tee sheet for you all to practice/play.

Its a lot but it works at our course. Our biggest issue is trying to get range time, I obviously don't have time everyday to work with each player nor will I let the team take up the entire range, but we split range time into kind of like pods. Handful go to range to work on what needs to be worked on, the rest are paired up to play. We practice from about 230-5/530 each day and most of our member groups are out the way. Just have them watch for the odd group that tees off late or late 1some/2some and they let them thru and go on. 

 

I had a bunch of kids at my old school as well. Its mainly 7-9th graders that Im trying to develop for when my seniors/juniors graduate and its worked out. We are losing 5 seniors next year and will still be strong in our district and top 8 or so in the state. But, yes, its too much even with an assistant and I will be working it down to something more manageable over the next couple years. 

[Abh159]

1 minute ago, blaird said:

yes, its too much even with an assistant and I will be working it down to something more manageable over the next couple years. 

 

Seems like a good plan. To me, 10-15 is the magic number for a golf team. More than that and it basically becomes a "participation trophy" type vibe.

 

After all, golf is a sport where only 5 players (maybe 6 in some states) actually compete in the event. Imagine if a basketball team showed up and sent there starting 5 out onto the court, and then still had 22 players crammed into the bench area 🤣.