My 8 year old approached by college golf coach

[tn94z]

It's Monday afternoon and I have taken my 8 year old to his golf academy for the week. They worked on chipping and putting (the two places that he needs work on) and I am sitting there talking with the Pro. As we are talking, the local college golf coach comes up and starts talking about tryouts coming up and how the course is looking (it's their home course), etc....He asks the Pro if he had any High School students that he had worked with that might be interested in trying out. The Pro told him that right now, he only had students in the 7-12 year old age group and he pointed out to the kids practicing. The college coach starts watching them and talking about odds and ends and then he asks who the kid was in the white shirt. The Pro told him that I was his dad and the he has a ton of potential and that he is starting at a good age...blah, blah, blah. So the coach walks down and starts watching Jacob and talking with him and showing him some things. After the academy is over, they walk up to me and ask me if I can stay around a little longer and let Jacob hit some balls on the range. I said sure, that won't be a problem. After the range session, the coach asks me if Jacob had ever said anything about playing in high school. I told him that golf was all that Jacob talked about and that he says he wants to play forever....but that he changes his mind weekly.

The conversation went back and forth for a while just chit chatting and he ended by telling me that if Jacob sticks with it and doesn't get burnt out, he sees the potential for him being a great college player and said the he would love to have him on his team. Of course this got Jacob all excited and all he is talking about now is going to college to play golf.

Now, I have taken this for what it's worth, but I thought it was pretty cool that he got singled out and noticed like that. Now the local Pro keeps hitting me up wanting to work with Jacob in individual lessons after the academy is over. I'm going to ask him what he wants to do, because I don't want to get him burnt out.

Anyway, this made me pretty proud, so I thought I would share!

[BABY1]

Re: My 8 year old approached by college golf coach

That is awesome! You have great reason to be proud, coming from a Pro and coach, that is one of the biggest compliments one could receive. Hopefully Jacob will continue, but you are right not to burn him out cause it ultimately has to be his decision when he is older.

[tn94z]

Re: My 8 year old approached by college golf coach

Yeah, I grew up with some friends that had so much talent in baseball and their parent's pushed them to camps, travel ball, summer leagues, etc...and the kids just gave it up after high school. We had other kids that got signed to minor leagues straight out of high school that weren't as talented as the kids that were pushed. It's really a shame to see a guy now that paints houses, knowing he had the talent to be in the majors right now had he not gotten burnt out at such a young age. I swore I would never do that to any of my kids.

[BABY1]

Re: My 8 year old approached by college golf coach

Our daughter is very good at Tae Kwon do, so as we have been told. We find after over 2 years that she is getting burnt out. She is almost 7 and should have her black belt in about a year. It is hard not to push when you know they are good at something, but it often backfires if when parents push kids. It is when they grow up that they sometimes say, " I wish my parents would have pushed me harder".

I think when they are young, they are trying to figure out what they like and their minds to change often.

[daved150]

Re: My 8 year old approached by college golf coach

thats awsome bro!! i'm sure your beeming with pride! i'd be!!! i hope he sticks with it

[skinnyman]

Re: My 8 year old approached by college golf coach

Hey that is awesome.

My cousin was a straight shooter (no partying, drugs, alcohol, etc) and was happy playing golf at an early age. Was accepted to a college with full scholarship. Unfortunately the straight shooting did not continue. Got mixed up in all aspects of partying and could not keep up with scholl, let alone golf. Ended up getting booted.

When i went to college I had already experienced the "party scene". So, i focused on school. so many time did i see really smart kids coming into school that never really partied before. These kids really let loose and many ended up leaving

[Dzone]

Re: My 8 year old approached by college golf coach

Awesome. Congratulations! Sounds like a good kid with great ability to focus.

[tn94z]

Re: My 8 year old approached by college golf coach

Hey that is awesome.

My cousin was a straight shooter (no partying, drugs, alcohol, etc) and was happy playing golf at an early age. Was accepted to a college with full scholarship. Unfortunately the straight shooting did not continue. Got mixed up in all aspects of partying and could not keep up with scholl, let alone golf. Ended up getting booted.

When i went to college I had already experienced the "party scene". So, i focused on school. so many time did i see really smart kids coming into school that never really partied before. These kids really let loose and many ended up leaving

From what I have seen, golf is on of the easiest ways to get a full ride into college right now. But, by the time Jacob is that age, it will be tough too because so many kids are picking up the sport now.

Awesome. Congratulations! Sounds like a good kid with great ability to focus.

Well.....he can focus on what he "wants" to focus on. If I could get him that excited about his homework, he could breeze through school too!! But kids are kids....I understand.

[tn94z]

Re: My 8 year old approached by college golf coach

And he told me the other day that he really wants to learn BJJ! I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to get him into that at an early age. There just isn't a school that close.

[trip]

Re: My 8 year old approached by college golf coach

i'm sure you two will do well, good luck