Matt Steinbach & Kim Senecal | Nov. 26, 2024

Your big day has finally arrived! After years of training and competing to achieve your dream, your hard work has finally paid off and you’ve signed with an incredible college program. Photos, phone calls, social media posts and meet and greets follow the announcement. 

We hope you savor these moments and take the time to celebrate with your family, friends, coaches and other supporters. These are special milestones that deserve to be cherished.  But after celebrating it’s time to reset and look at what you have waiting for you in the months and years ahead.   

The reality is that as long and as hard as you’ve worked to earn a spot in a college program, your journey has really just begun. Over the next few months you need to start the work again to make sure your college experience is all that you hope for and one you can look back on with pride.   

The ultimate goal you’ve been striving for over the past few years has been realized.  You’re no longer trying to get into a college program, you’re in it!  So you need to shift your focus and set your aim to being as ready as possible to start your college career at your best and flourish as a freshman.

There is a huge adjustment that needs to take place for you to successfully transition from the junior ranks to being a college athlete. Unfortunately, too many athletes overlook this critical transition and fail to prepare for it. Although the journey is different for everyone, what follows are key considerations to help you successfully prepare for your freshman year.

The Coach

First and foremost, it’s essential to build a solid relationship with your college coach and gain a clear understanding of their expectations of you now that you’ve signed.  While these may have been briefly discussed during the recruiting process, it’s now time to get clear on specifics. What do they expect you to focus on for the remainder of your high school senior year?  What training and competition plans do they recommend for the summer to ensure you’re ready for the fall season?  What role do they envision for you on the team during your freshman year?  These are just a few key topics to discuss with your coach as soon as possible so you can begin preparing for the next stage of your journey.

For many coaches, the period from mid-November to January is one of the rare times when their schedules are less hectic, making it an ideal opportunity to connect and have these conversations.  Building a strong foundation in your relationship with your coach is crucial for your success and overall experience as a college athlete. Start this process early to set yourself up for success.

The Team 

It’s no longer just about you. You’re now part of a larger team and program. Your focus should shift toward contributing to the team, embracing your role, and upholding the culture of the program. This will likely be a big change, don’t overthink it, the easiest way for you to fit in with the team and culture is to show up at your best in September, ready to train and contribute in a meaningful and positive way. Just be open to the new environment, every team is different, and it might take a little bit of time to adapt to it.

Logistics, Paperwork, Deadlines:

As you enter college you’ll face numerous time-sensitive eligibility requirements and tasks that need to be completed for the university or program you’ve signed with. These tasks are crucial – they determine your ability to attend the school and participate in athletics.  Failing to complete them accurately and on time could jeopardize your offer or even your admission to the school.  

How you handle these tasks will also influence your coach’s impression of you. Starting early and seeking help when needed (such as from the athletics department) is vital. However, it’s equally important that you take responsibility for completing these requirements, rather than relying on outside supporters like your parents. This marks the true beginning of your transition from high school to college.

Tasks may include (but are not limited to): NCAA Eligibility Center, University admissions, University athletics, athletics medicals, NCAA and University modules, residence and housing, scholarships and bursaries, registrar and payments, course selections (that align with team expectations), roommates, move in dates, etc.  Again, get started early and ask for help if you require assistance.

Last Summer of Junior Golf

An area we regularly see high school seniors struggle is managing expectations during their final summer of junior golf.

Your time commitments are changing – grade 12 is coming to an end, and major milestones like final exams, graduation, and prom will become new demands for your attention.  Don’t push them off, embrace them, these are all important to mark the conclusion of your high school career.  Be fully present to these experiences – they truly are once in a lifetime opportunities.

In most cases, this is your final summer of junior golf. You likely have unmet goals from your junior career – and guess what, most will remain unmet! 

You may have set your sights on winning your State or Provincial Junior, or National Championship. These goals mattered to your younger self, serving as stepping stones towards your ultimate goal of playing college golf. And you have achieved this now. So while it would be nice to win that final junior event before going away to college, the reality is that it won’t have any bearing on your university career. If you place too much importance on the results of your final junior events, in a time of transition, while balancing all the additional distractions, you’re ultimately setting yourself up for a let down and a major distraction when you need your focus elsewhere. 

Instead, this is a time to wrap up your junior career so you can move forward with confidence and clarity. You need to find a way to let go of the old goals so you can fully pursue a new set of goals at the college level. It might even be time to start saying thank you and goodbye to some of the people who have been instrumental in your development as a junior golfer. Now is the time to set new goals and start dreaming again, and this includes creating space for new supporters who are part of your journey moving forward. 

The tougher part of this transition is going to be for you and how you need to change and grow – like every freshman before you, you need to learn what it will take to become a successful student-athlete. Below are some things to consider for you as you make the transition so you can flourish as a freshman: 

Life as a freshman can feel exhilarating as you experience a newfound independence, but it also comes with its own set of challenges as you navigate the demands of daily life on your own. Gone is the safety and comfort of home. Now, you are the one who is 100% in charge of balancing school, training, practice, meals, laundry, self-care, and so on. The demands have increased, and it’s up to you to prioritize what matters most.  

Without a plan, or having previously developed some of these skills, the shift can feel overwhelming. To this end, we’d recommend starting as soon as possible (START TODAY) and take control of your schedule, your training, and your daily routines. By embracing your autonomy and managing what matters most to you, you can move from barely surviving to a flourishing freshman.

Develop Self-Reliance

This expands on embracing your autonomy and managing your priorities. Self-reliance is about blending the best of your homegrown habits, personal strengths, and the resources provided by your college program to create a system that works for you. As a college athlete, developing self-reliance means taking charge of your daily life: organizing schedules, building consistent morning and evening routines, and mastering essential tasks like cleaning, doing laundry, cooking meals, and managing your own finances. These skills are not only important for your independence, but also for developing a foundation of responsibility that is required for a successful college experience.

Create a vision and a plan. 

Be clear on what you want your experience to be like and what you want to achieve in college – personally, within golf and academically. What are your goals and expectations? What do you hope to achieve and what kind of experience do you want to have in your program? Take the opportunity to envision what you want your college experience to be like and you will have a better chance of achieving it.  

This is where it also helps to have an understanding of your coach’s expectations for you as a player and as a teammate. You are in charge of your vision while also ensuring your vision aligns with the vision of your coach and the program.

Support Network – Circle of Influence

Another significant aspect of the transition to college golf is (re)structuring your support network – parents, friends, coaches and others who play an important role in your journey.  Every athlete has a team around them, but as you step into college golf, the roles and significance of these supporters will naturally change – and needs to change. 

As a junior your level of personal accountability is far less than will be required of you as a college athlete. Some of your success is likely attributed to your high school support network, the family, friends, teachers and coaches who helped you stay on track. As you head to college, expectations on you are higher, and if you want to speed up your learning curve, right now is your best opportunity to develop the skills required to make the transition so that you can thrive as a freshman at university.

Start by identifying the areas where you need support.  Be clear on what you require, and who can provide it. Equally important is recognizing what you no longer need. Letting go of people who have played a role in your earlier success may be one of the hardest parts of this process.  However, removing unnecessary influences—even well-meaning ones—is essential for staying true to your vision and priorities.

Ultimately, you are in charge of your journey. Reshaping your support network is a powerful step toward owning your path and preparing yourself for the challenges and opportunities of college golf.

Final Thoughts

As your high school journey ends, another begins. Celebrate your signing, it is a major accomplishment. And now, prepare to begin the work again. Your success as a freshman depends on how well you prioritize and adapt to this new chapter.

Your journey is unique, your path will not, and does not, need to look like anyone else, nor does it need to look as it did in your past. Comparison won’t serve you – focus on your current journey and what you need to do now to create success as you see it. 

Start the work of developing a positive relationship with your coach and focus on becoming the best version of yourself to support your team when you arrive. Take care of the administrative details to secure your spot and find a way to say a proper goodbye to your junior career. Create a vision and plan for your college career, develop a positive circle of influence and support network, and practice self-reliance.

Set high expectations for yourself AND expect to fail. You will not be perfect. Be prepared to stumble as failure is a necessary step in order to learn, grow and ultimately succeed.

Be adaptable and have an open mind.  While having a plan is important and helps you get on track, you will need to make changes along the way – this is an ongoing process and you are only beginning this new journey. 

So many factors will influence your success as a freshman, but the most important of these rests solely within you – the power of choice. Remember, you always have the power to choose what you focus on and how you act, so make the choices that will help you flourish on your freshman journey. Start now.