10 Do's and Don'ts for Parents

By Dean Frischknecht September 2007

Editor's note: Dean Frischknecht produced the first edition of the Ping American College Golf Guide in 1989 after realizing the difficulty high-school golfers have assessing the opportunities available to them. It became widely used by junior golfers of all ability levels. The printed edition has been replaced by an Internet site (collegegolf.com) that offers comprehensive information on the college selection and recruiting process, complete biographies on all two- and four-year programs and an interactive score conversation program. What follows are his 10 Do's and Don'ts for parents with children interested in playing college golf.

1. Be a team with your child. Understand their capabilities and work style. Some kids will handle the bulk of the college search and look to the parent mainly for approval and support. Others are less willing or motivated, so the parent must be more involved. Uncertain how much to participate in the process? Watch how your child handles homework, especially complex assignments and projects.

2. Establish a timeline. Senior year is too late to begin gathering information on prospective schools or to send letters and playing resumes to coaches: The early signing period for letters of intent is in November, and the late period begins in April. Coaches at competitive programs start tracking kids when the kids are freshmen and sophomores, so that's an ideal time to begin.

3. Stay organized. Make a folder for each school under consideration and put everything about that school into the folder. Keep track of deadlines, which may differ from school to school. Much of your correspondence will be by email; if it's important print it out and put it in the folder.

4. Do your own homework. Information is plentiful, so make it work for you. Learn the importance and terminology of the SAT and ACT tests, the NCAA's regulations and such things as FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and SAR (Student Aid Report). Here are some helpful links:

• The NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete offers a comprehensive review of the recruiting process and outlines the steps each golfer must complete. One important step is registering at the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse.

• A similar publication is available for NAIA schools: the NAIA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete.

• The College Board is the organization that conducts the SAT test while the American College Testing Program conducts the ACT test.

• Families can obtain information and applications for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, track their applications and receive Student Aid Reports.

5. Encourage curiosity and questions. Everyone and everything is a potential source of information. Coaches appreciate questions. Current and past students and their families can answer questions about schools your child is considering. High-school guidance counselors understand the process and can offer direction. Bookstores and libraries are full of college reference books, which assess schools on a variety of factors. Help your child develop lists of questions and practice asking questions (and assess the responses) and take notes.

6. Discuss finances. Communicating your family's financial picture and having a budget for college expenses will help your child assess the costs of her or his decisions. Every institution has two types of non-athletic financial aid: merit-based (calculated on grades and test scores) and need-based (calculated on a family's income and savings). It's important to factor all these costs into a decision because a non-athletic award, especially at a private school, may be greater than partial golf scholarship at a public institution. This could reduce the net cost of a private school to a similar out-of-pocket dollar figure at a public school.