What Do College Coaches Look For When They Watch Recruits?

 

For most kids, hearing that a college coach wants to watch a competition is filled with lots of emotions. The initial reaction is one of excitement… “This is great! The coach must be really interested!” But then the nerves set in… “Oh no, what is the coach going to think when (s)he sees me play? What is the coach looking for?” The nerves create fear, and fear leads to pressure… “I have to play well or the coach won’t want me.”

Yes, coaches want to see you play so that they can evaluate you. But you might be surprised to learn what college coaches really look for when they watch recruits. They are looking at so much more than how many goals you score or birdies you make! My hope is that but shedding some light on what college coaches are really looking for when they watch you compete, you can stop worrying, move past the fear and play up to your full potential (while also making a great impression).

 

Here are five things coaches look for when they watch recruits play:

 

General technique and fundamentals

Whether you are having one of your best performances or an “off day”, your fundamentals are solid will be pretty much the same. This is one area that coaches are definitely going to look at.

 

Body language

How do you carry yourself when you’re playing? Are you upbeat? Do you demonstrate confidence and a good attitude? Coaches want to see positive body language and positive self-talk when you are playing. These are huge factors in how coaches evaluate prospects. The UConn Women’s Basketball recently gave a great interview about the importance of body language.

 

Interactions with competitors and officials

No matter what you shoot, you should always be a respectful and gracious competitor. Coaches want players who can represent their team and school well, and who they can be proud to be associated with. They want someone who is going to be a good teammate, someone who is still going to be fun to be around after a difficult performance.

 

Interactions between kids and parents

Kids – show appreciation for the support of your parents and make sure that your interactions demonstrate that appreciation clearly. Parents – give your kids space to play the game and don’t try to micromanage or be the coach. That is not your job. Overwhelmingly, the best sentiment parents can convey to kids is simply “I love to watch you play”. Try to find opportunities throughout the recruiting process, and especially when you are spectating, to demonstrate this sentiment. As a coach, I would rather have the parents of my players be clueless cheerleaders than over-involved helicopters!

 

Your size and athleticism

Maybe you’ve met the coach before or maybe this is the first time the coach will see you in person. Either way, the coaches wants to get a sense of how you move and use your body, as well as your overall strength. This is slightly different from your fundamental skills and technique. Coaches love seeing players who look well-connected and strong!

 

*Bonus*

Notice that none of the items listed above have anything to do with how well you play. When you play well, it’s easy to be great at each of the things mentioned above. It gets much, much harder when you aren’t playing well. I can guarantee that at some point during your college career, you will not play well. Who are you on that day? When I was coaching, I would almost rather see a prospect play poorly so that I could get a glimpse of his/her true character.

And finally, know that most coaches will only be able to see you play a few holes — not the entire round. Golf is a long and slow game and they just don’t have the time to watch all of their prospects play an entire round. To that end, coaches know that seeing you play for only a few minutes or a few holes only provides a snapshot of your ability.  Everything doesn’t ride on this one performance!