By Brent Morrison
When working with junior golfers it is imperative that the coach has a sense of the student's long-term vision in regard to golf. Is a career in golf a possibility, or could golf support future academic plans through athletic scholarships? When the student's long-term goals are envisaged, the golf coach can be that much more effective by developing an instructional plan based on the student's personalized desired outcomes.
Short Term:
Shorter-term goals to identify include technical improvements, lifestyle management strategies (body, mind, heart, spirit) and tournament scheduling. Addressing academic planning (i.e. researching schools and admission requirements and aligning high school courses accordingly) will help ensure that juniors applying for golf scholarships at the collegiate level can position themselves as candidates for schools with equally strong academic and athletic programs.
Tournaments:
A word about the importance of tournament planning in the goal-setting process: Juniors should be encouraged to play in events that support their larger goals. Bill Serra, Director of College Athletic Placement Service (CAPS) emphasizes that junior golfers looking to secure golf scholarships need to "play the events that matter". If the objective is to finish in the top three of the Canadian Junior, what tournaments will the junior need to play in order to qualify for the bigger event? Many competitive juniors make the mistake of playing events indiscriminately. Although tournament experience is essential, at higher levels it is more important for juniors to play in the specific events that support their individual goals. Over scheduling leads to burnout; attention to periodization helps ensure energies are balanced.
Play Frequently:
Conversely, juniors who are just starting to play competitive events should be encouraged to play as frequently as they can - keeping in mind that fun and good sportsmanship are just as important as scoring. In many areas, juniors are fortunate to have the corporate sponsorship that make it possible for juniors to play spring events at minimal cost - a great opportunity for juniors to play different courses, make new friends and gain tournament experience!
Quantify:
Statistical tracking should also be encouraged as part of planning as it provides essential information for both coach and student, identifying areas of strengths, weaknesses and trends in improvement.
Resume:
Finally, juniors should be encouraged to develop a golf resume to highlight their accomplishments. A solid golf resume should document tournament finishes and recent stats as well as academic highlights, academic placements test results (such as the SAT or ACT) and a letter of reference from their golf coach.
At the Brent Morrison Golf Academy we utilize the Golf Profiles program on www.elessons4sports.com to archive players' tournament histories and stats as well as assist juniors and their families with tournament scheduling and budgets. Tournament and stat results are compiled and added to resumes, which may be viewed online by pre-qualified college coaches, athletic directors and placement agencies.
As Norman Vincent Peale advised, "Plan your work for today and every day, then work your plan". Involving the golf coach in the planning process will help junior golfers and their families to develop the best plan for the individual.
The Brent Morrison Golf Academy is located at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort, 1025 Qualicum Road, Qualicum Beach, B.C. V9K 1M5. (250) 752-8786. For more information on instruction programs for adults and juniors, contact the Academy office.
