November 2016 Coach Approach

November 10, 2016

Volume XXIX Issue #3

The board members of the Golf Coaches Association of Wisconsin are pleased to present the 2016 Fall Issue of The Coach Approach. In this issue you will find the following:

  • President’s Message
  • Girls All-State
  • Girls Academic All-State
  • Spring Clinic
  • Summer Clinic
  • GCAW Award Winners
  • GCAW Scholarship
  • Golf Mental Game – Charlie Danielson & Jordan Niebrugge
  • Fall Board Meeting Minutes

President’s Message

It’s early November as I am writing to you.  I’m looking out my office window at Whistling Straits and can’t help but smile.  Beautiful fall colors, warm temperatures, sun….and a FULL golf course!  I LOVE fall in Wisconsin!  Don’t you?  Here is hoping that this letter finds you enjoying this great fall weather.  As we close this 2016 golf season, I’d like to reflect on another successful girl’s season and talk about what we have to look forward to in 2017.

The 2016 girl’s season culminated with another successful State Tournament at University Ridge.  Coach Mike Breaker and his Arrowhead team won the D1 title in dominating fashion with a team score of 624.  This was good for a 51 stroke victory over defending champion, Middleton.  In D2, coach Carrie Massey and The Prairie School defended their state title, also in a dominate 50 stroke win over runner-up, Spooner.  The individual titles in each division were largely two person races from the opening tee shot on Monday.  In D1 Middleton senior Alexis Thomas, and Arrowhead sophomore Emily Lauterbach, pulled clear of the field on Monday shooting 68 (- 4under par) and 70 (-2 under par), respectively.  They remained close till the final 9 holes on Tuesday.  Lauterbach used a strong back nine on Tuesday to pull clear for the Individual title with a two round total of -2 under par, 142.  Meanwhile in D2, Freedom senior Lori Meyer (74) and Racine St. Catherine’s senior Sarah Busey (75) were the only two players to break 80 on day one. Day two saw Busey gradually build a lead that reached six shots midway through the round. On the final nine Meyer fought her way back into contention, but was not able to fully close the gap.  Busey claimed the title with a two round total of +7 over par, 151.  Congratulations to the girl’s team and individual state champions!

Also, Congratulations to our 2016 GCAW Girl’s All State Team selections.  You will see a full list of the teams in this issue.  Thank you once again to Brian Bobinski for leading our All State Committee.  I can tell you that the selection of these teams is never easy.  There are so many deserving players.  Each committee members spends countless hours reviewing the many nominations that are sent in by our member coaches.  I can also tell you that the all state nomination and selection process has never been more robust.  However, we are always looking to improve it.  To that end, we need your help.  On occasion, there are players that are deserving of recognition who are not nominated by their coaches.  When we communicate with these coaches the excuses they give for not nominating their players are many.  All of which, in my opinion, are unacceptable.  I will not bore you with the laundry list of excuses I have received over the years, but ultimately the solution is pretty simply. Be an active member of the GCAW and promote our players!  I say “our” because I do not mean just your own players.  To protect the integrity of the all-state process all nominees, the committee can only evaluate based on fully completed and accurate nominations.  If you know of players on other teams in your area that are deserving of recognition, please do your part to encourage their coaches to be active GCAW members and nominate their players.  There is no such thing as too many nominations!

As 2017 approaches, the GCAW board is excited about upcoming learning opportunities for our member coaches and their players.  The GCAW will be returning to Madison for the GCAW Spring Clinic on Saturday, March 25th.  Details and registration will be released shortly, but we are eager to continue our partnership with the UW Athletic department at a new venue this year, Camp Randall Stadium.  In this issue you will also see registration information for the 2017 Summer Clinic. The board is truly excited about bringing the Summer Clinic to the Wilderness Resort and Wild Rock Golf Club in Wisconsin Dells. And lastly, let’s not forget the GCAW College Showcase.  In the last 5 years over 175 Wisconsin high school golfers that have participated in the Showcase have gone on to play college golf at some level.  The total dollar value of the athletic scholarships these players have earned is well over $5,000,000.  In many cases the connections between these players and their future college coaches began at the GCAW Showcase.  In other cases the exposure and education on the NCAA recruiting process that players and parents receive proves valuable in managing the labyrinth of the recruiting process.  The 2017 showcase will again be held at Whistling Straits.  The committee is exploring changes to the format of the event, potentially making it a 36-hole tournament.  I strongly encourage coaches to recommend participation to players that have ambition to play college golf.  As coaches and mentors it is our duty to help education and promote our players, the GCAW College Showcase is the perfect opportunity.

Here is to looking forward to a great 2017.

dw signature

 

 

 

Dirk Willis, President – GCAW
PGA Professional


2016 Golf  Coaches Association of Wisconsin Girls All-State Team

First Team All-State

Sarah Busey – Racine St. Catherine’s
Abby Cavaiani – Kettle Moraine
Speedy Kent – Homestead
Ashley Kulka – Beaver Dam
Emily Lauterbach – Arrowhead Union – *Co-Player of the Year
Mia Seeman – Milton
Alexis Thomas – Middleton – *Co-Player of the Year

Second Team All-State

Emily Balding – Brookfield Central
Taitum Beck – Waterford Union
Alexa Holland – Arrowhead Union
Lorenza Martinez – Divine Savior Holy Angels
Taylor McCorkle – Oregon
Lexi Meade – Eau Claire Memorial
Lori Meyer – Freedom

Third Team All-State

Sarah Ernst – Arrowhead Union
Taylor Hakala – Milton
Jessica Kuzniewski – Waukesha West
Isabelle Maleki – Homestead
Courtney Matschke – Franklin
Hailey Smoot – Franklin

Honorable Mention All-State 

Alyssa Bee – Eau Claire North
Sydney Brandt – Catholic Memorial
Marielle Cesar – Kettle Moraine
Erin Ericson – Onalaska
Gianna Gastrow – Arrowhead Union
Rachel Gentile – The Prairie School
Megan Glaeser – Fox Valley Lutheran
Payton Hodson – Middleton
Sydney Hubbard – Onalaska
Lexi Jonas – Hudson
Faith Krause – Franklin
Mattie Kujawski – Arrowhead Union
Mary McDonald – Stevens Point
Morgan Miles – Middleton
Hannah Moore – Kaukauna
Danielle Palmen – The Prairie School
Erika Priebe – Fox Valley Lutheran
Keara Richards – Janesville Parker
Alexis Romero – Brookfield Central
Sarah Schuster – Union Grove
Katie Warpinski – Green Bay Preble
Grace Welch – Edgewood


Girls Academic All-State

High school coaches around the state are justifiably proud of our student-athletes.  This past fall, a record 325 female golfers around the state continued to prove that success in the classroom and on the golf course is stronger than ever.  These academic all-state honorees included sophomores (70), juniors (109) and seniors (146), who had a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 and participated in at least 75% of their team’s varsity matches.  Ninety-three (93) high schools submitted nominees this year, with the average cumulative GPA of this year’s honorees being an impressive 3.790.  Certificates were mailed to the girls on October 26, and a press release was emailed to their designated newspaper(s).  The press release was also copied to coaches, principals, and athletic directors.  The coaches association is extremely proud of our student-athletes. To view a full list of academic all-state honorees visit https://golfcoacheswi.org/girls-academic-all-state/

Coaches will receive information about the submission process for ‘Girls Team Academic All-State’ in early February.


Summer Clinic

SAVE THE DATE! The GCAW Annual Summer Clinic is set for Monday, June 26th and Tuesday, June 27th at Wild Rock Golf Course in the Wisconsin Dells. Don’t miss out on the chance to play one of Wisconsin’s top rated courses, while networking with other high school coaches from around the state! Monday will include a clinic beginning at 11:00am, followed by 18 holes of golf, dinner and the Annual meeting. The event will conclude on Tuesday with an 18-hole scramble tournament. Mark your calendars now and stay tuned for more details!


GCAW Award Winners

PGA Friend of Golf

Jack Gaudion – The Legends Clubs
Jon Turner – Prairie Woods G.C.

Friend of Golf
Ryan Hutson – River Run G.C.
Arcadia C.C.
Andy Spaulding and Broadlands G.C.
Chuck and Linda Lucas – Turtle Greens G.C.

25 Year Award

Jeff Werner – Oconto H.S.

Competitive Hole In One
Olivia Scumaci – The Prairie School (2 of them!)
Jacey Staven – Union Grove H.S.
Sadie Kelley – Pulaski H.S.

Karli Breiling – Onalaska H.S.


GCAW Scholarship

This past summer, the GCAW awarded a record $6000 in scholarships to ten deserving graduating seniors, five outstanding young ladies, and five impressive young men. Each winner graduated with at least a 3.75 GPA, had an impressive list of leadership and extra-curricular activities, and had participated in high school golf for all four years of high school.

Look for the 2016-2017 scholarship application to be posted to the GCAW website around March 1st. Please start thinking about any of your dedicated senior golfers who are outstanding students and citizens – and let them know about this scholarship opportunity.


Golf Mental Game – Charlie Danielson & Jordan Niebrugge


Board Meeting Minutes

Meeting called to order at 9:36.  Present:  Dirk Willis (President), Andrew Delong (1st VP), Brian Bobinski (2nd VP), Tonya Gnewikow, Becky Halverson, Eric Holen, Ray Johnson, Brandy Johnston, Adam McDonald, Steve O’Brien, Tony Pritchard, Jeff Schmidt, Carol Zierden, Ken Barrett, Bob Sullivan   Absent:  Jay Christiansen, Scott Helms, Rob Jansen, Andy Landenberger, Chuck Menzel, Brian Scrobel, Andrea Wieland.

  1. Summer Board Minutes (Delong)
    1. No Changes
      1. Motion to approve – Becky
      2. 2nd – Tonya
  2. Treasurer’s Report (Wieland via email)
    1. The association is continuing to strengthen financially.
    2. Andrea will be stepping down as treasurer, there will be a transition to a new treasurer in the future.
      1. Motion to accept – Tonya
      2. 2nd – Carole
  3. Membership Report (Schmidt and Johnson)
    1. As of Friday 111 members
      1. 3 asst coach
      2. 57 head coach
      3. 47 school
      4. 4 program membership
    2. We have begun the transition to completing registration using 123signup. For the most part things have gone smoothly. There has been some confusion amongst registering coaches with the new system. Both Jeff and Ray are handling questions regarding the confusion.
    3. Some confusion amongst those who signed up under a “School Membership” because only the registering coach’s name is listed. Because of this, there could be many more than 111 current members.
      1. Schools need to go back and enter all coaches under “add coaches”.
      2. Jeff and Ray will contact the registered coaches and provide directions as to add all additional staff.
        1. Motion to accept – Adam
        2. 2nd – Brandy
  4. Personnel Report— (Willis)
    1. Andrea stepping down as treasurer
      1. Ken immediately spoke of Andrea’s importance to the board and Wisconsin high school golf.
        1. Ken made a motion to keep Andrea on the board as a NCAA coach
        2. 2nd – Carole
        3. Motion passed unanimously
      2. Dirk has discussed someone else on the board taking over the treasury position. Andrea will assist in training. No further details on this topic.
    2. Dave Taebel stepping down from board due to personal time conflicts.
      1. Candidates to replace Dave
        1. The board will be searching for candidates to replace Dave’s position. During this search the board will strongly consider regional representation.
  5. WIAA Advisory Report (Halverson)
    1. Tom has created a “Hard Card”
      1. It is to be used as “guide” if someone chooses to use it.
    2. The board has not received a list of courses who want to host regionals and sectionals for over a year. This prevents the the board from altering the WIAA with issues with courses in the past.
      1. Dirk will be requesting that list from the WIAA.
    3. Brian S. and Bob will send out regional and sectional evals out to girls coaches within the next week.
    4. The WIAA has requested the board put together guidelines on how to run a regional or sectional.
      1. The board will be putting together a list of guidelines.
        1. After the survey has been completed, Dirk will put together the guidelines and share with the board.
    5. WIAA has proposed option of Monday and Thursday before Memorial Day as an option for Regional play.
      1. The board sees the value in the addition to Monday, but many feel Thursday is simply too late to schedule a regional. However, Thursday should be considered as a rain date.  
    6. WIAA will be reinforcing the importance playing the correct number of meets.
      1. The board sees value in attempting to get rules officials at every sectional event.
        1. Dirk will be contacting Rob Jansen (WSGA) and Andy Landenberger (WPGA) in regards to how many active rules officials they have.
  6. Girls All-State Report (Bobinski)
    1. 66 girls nominated for all-state
    2. All-State selections presented to board.
    3. All-State to be released via our socials  on 10/23/16.
    4. All-State selections can be found on GCAW website.
    5. There will again be some changes to the form to help simplify for nominating coaches.
      1. Motion to approve – Carole
      2. 2nd – Adam
  7. Spring Clinic Update (Wieland via email)
    1. Andrea will be working with Brian S. to secure U-Ridge w/Todd and Michael
    2. Information will be shared and reviewed with the board via email.
  8. Coach Approach Report (Ray Johnson)
    1. Coach Approach will be sent out in Mid-November
    2. All needed info should be sent to Ray by Tuesday,  November 1st.
    3. Discussion about adding video to the Coach Approach.
  9. Website Report (Ray Johnson)
    1. To date 65,674 visits, slightly down from last year.
    2. Top pages
      1. Home
      2. Results
      3. Player of week
      4. Rankings
      5. Showcase
    3. Motion to approve – Adam
    4. 2nd – Eric
  10. Social Media Report (Pritchard and Holen)
    1. Recently added Instagram and Snapchat
    2. Socials committee continues to push for more coaches and players to get involved.
    3. Motion to approve – Becky
    4. Second – Tonya
  11. Summer Clinic Update (Johnston)
    1. Moving the date to 6/26 – 6/27
    2. The event will be at Wild Rock by unanimous vote
    3. More information will be shared via email when relevant.
      1. Motion – Brian B
      2. 2nd – Adam
  12. Hall of Fame/Other Awards Report (O’Brien)
    1. Five hole in one’s during the girls season, two from the same girl.
    2. Jeff Warner from Oconto 25 year award.
    3. One hall of fame nomination to be reviewed by the committee
    4. Committee presented the proposal for the separate awards of the “Hall of Fame” and the “Distinguished Service Award”.
      1. Steve will send the proposal to entire board for further review and comment. The conversation and edits will take place via email.
      2. Discussion of the importance of the minimum years of eligibility.
    5. Motion – Carole
    6. 2nd – Bob
  13. Marketing Committee Report (Willis)
    1. Precision Pro donated $500 to our scholarship fund, in return for email blast.
    2. Our rebate from Precision Pro for the year is $213.39.
    3. The agreement from Precision Pro is up in December.
    4. Discussion about Bushnell adding a partnership as well.
    5. Dirk is going to work on some ideas on levels of sponsorship.
    6. Motion to approve – Tonya
    7. 2nd – Becky
  14. Academic All-State Update (Sullivan)
    1. Due to Bob accepting late applications he will not have the girls academic all-state.
    2. Discussion regarding making All-State and Academic All-State deadline of the same date.
    3. Brian B and Bob will discuss the possibility of combining the deadlines.
    4. Girls Submissions 2017
      1. 318 Total
        1. 252 – D1
        2. 66 – D2
        3. Schools – 93
        4. 73 – D1
        5. 20 – D2
        6. Avg. GPA 3.79
    5. Motion to approve – Brian B
    6. 2nd – Jeff
  15. Scholarship Update (no report)
  16. Retired Coaches (no report)
  17. Showcase Update (Willis)
    1. This past event was a success.
    2. Dirk is working with Andy L. make the showcase a joint event.
    3. Discussion of removing the skills session and making it a 36 hole event.
    4. Incorporate video into the round.
    5. Discussion of including some sort of “College Fair” at the event.
    6. Dirk will work on finalizing a date by the end of the year.
    7. Motion – Becky
    8. 2nd – Brandy
  18. Junior PGA Update (Landenberger via email)
    1. See last page of packet from Dirk.
  19. WSGA Update (no report)
  20. New Business
    1. Brian B. brought up the possibility of creating a coach of the year award.
      1. A lot of discussion, no consensus.

Motion to adjourn by: Bob2nd – CaroleMeeting adjourned 1:23 pm