Just gonna pop back in this thread you can totally do it Noah I think we could make each other's games excel, share some drills or something?
For sure, you have the work ethic it seems like!
Noah - Don't let people spoil your dreams. You can still go to UCLA and play golf. Worst case is you can play for the club golf team. You should pursue your dreams and go to a great school like UCLA.
I got a good buddy thats in his Freshman year at UCLA on the Golf Team, I think he was leading his first event after the first two rounds this year. Anyways its good that you know what you want to do.
Also I did read back through this thread a bit, I don't think anyone was trying to ruin your dreams Noah. If you think of it theres probably what 3 new kids every year that come on to the UCLA golf team, a difficult proposition for anyone. If you really have your heart set on UCLA, keep your grades up, do some volunteering, pump up your resume, and keep grinding on your golf game.
Also I will add, saying that he should go and to pursue it no matter what is almost as much as a disservice as saying to just abandon it. There has to be some middle ground, and sometimes that can come off wrong.
To finish I'll say do not put your full self-worth in playing golf at UCLA, keep grinding, keep studying and if it works out congratulations. But if you don't you don't, you can rest easy knowing you did try, and hopefully at that point you have an adequate secondary plan.
Noah, I admire your commitment to improve and optimism. Go for it, 100%. You'll get better, a lot better, no doubt.
My one caution: don't be fixated on only one outcome equaling success. Maybe you'll be recruited by UCLA, maybe you won't.
One key thing golf teaches us is you can't control the score. You prep, focus and hit 'em. Not every good putt goes in the hole. You work on the things you can control.
UCLA is like the score. You do your best and when the time is right, choose from your options. Maybe you'll play at UCLA, maybe you won't. Either way, you can succeed.
I think this is the main key point to take away, the one that agatha was trying to convey. Realistically the chances of simply gaining admission to UCLA are extremely slim, let alone on a sports scholarship.
Not a single person in here was saying don't even try, they were simply being realistic with what lies ahead and that you need a comprehensive list of alternate schools to consider to give yourself the best possible chance at the end of the day. It takes tons of talent, hard work, dedication, AND sometimes a lot of luck to land a spot (in any capacity) at any top tier school. This is no different than simply gaining admission and attending college. No top student in their right mind (err with parents in their right mind) will only apply to a few top tier schools with zero contingency plans. There is zero value in filling a kids mind with nothing but pipe dreams when the harsh realities of the situation are ever present.
The other point I want to make with this young man is obviously this dream matters to him. I hope he finds a balance where he goes full stream to try to realize it, but leaves some room in his mind for seeing other definitions of success. This can be a hard step for some people.
Your right allot can happen in 2-4 years and with your determination and work ethic anything is possible. Possible, however it may not be Probable that you get a golf scholarship to one of the schools you mentioned. I think what others are saying and what I would encourage you to think about is opening yourself up to a broader selection to increase your opportunities. Its been a few decades since my college experience, but I can tell you its competitive and there are other 14 year olds out their right now working hard with the same desire to succeed as you. I am sure that your determination and work ethic will be key components in helping you play at the next level, but as Herm Edwards so eloquently put it on a past Sports Center "a Goal without a plan is a Dream". Make sure you have a plan and my suggestion would be to hope for the best but plan for something else.
Please allow me to share an example with you of what can happen even for a top tier prospect in his sport. I wont share names or schools to protect the innocent, some here may know this story, but I experienced it closely. I know a kid that was a excellent athlete he had offers in two sports both Div 1, he gained notoriety and was even MVP at one of the multiple football camps he attended. He started receiving interest letters as early as a sophomore, but, more offers following his Junior season of High School, but he had a touch of arrogance and kept telling everyone he was going to a certain school even though their interest was luke-warm at best. Once the word got out the offers slowed and interest however still there was less focused on his recruitment. His High School coach even encouraged him to start being more open to other opportunities but he was determined that he was going to this one school. He had a very good senior season, but not great, the team had some injuries and failed to reach the State Playoffs for the first time in many years. He was selected to play State East/West game and received numerous other adulates for his play, but still no offer from his School of choice. When it started getting close to the time Schools are no longer allowed to contact recruits he was contacted by his school of choice. The school still expressed interest but he was only offered a walk on opportunity with the University of his dreams. They had only so many open scholarships and felt they were set at his position for a few more years and had to address other needs. His parents were not in a position financially for him to walk on in hopes of earning a scholarship. So now he is rushing around trying to lock down a scholarship and not everyone he reached out to were as accommodating as they once were. It was late in the game and some had already filled their scholarships for the year. Fortunately for him he was offered a Scholarship to a high profile program at which he earned and received his degree.
I may be off slightly on the numbers but ball parking it a NCAA Football program receives about 85 scholarships and golf is around 4-5 scholarship. So as you can see the opportunities available to attend a major golf program are limited, so in order to increase your chances consider increasing your choices/opportunities. .
Just giving this thread a bump for anyone that may have missed it four years ago. It's a rollercoaster.
Wow, Im wondering how things turned out for Noah. UCLA obviously didnt pan out but Im curious if he ended up improving and walked on some other team. If I was in his position back then I would attend a ucla camp and ask the coach straight up. I already know the answer.
Not seeing any tournament results since 2015.
Here is my time machine response. I hope he stuck it out. Golf is a tough game.
That does not mean that you cannot play for UCLA. You might need to go to a junior college for a couple years to keep improving.
Here is the thing about men’s college golf.....coaches want lottery tickets. They don’t win championships with guys that shoot 72-75 all the time. Coaches need players that are capable of shooting 63-67. These red numbers win tournaments and championships. Once you show that you can shoot these scores, under pressure, you will get recruited. Heads up....coaches will devalue low scores if they are at shorter distances or against weak competition.