The Complicated Recruiting Journey of a Top Recruit: Schremmer's Story

10/27 CGC Staff

Photo: USGA

Imagine that you are a top-5 recruit in your graduating class, in serious communication with multiple division 1 schools. You are just beginning your junior year of high school and think you know what your future 18-year-old self would want to do for her college career and beyond. It’s an exciting time, with college coaches selling their college programs to you, each telling you about the fantastic team culture and camaraderie, amazing facilities, promising schedule, and beautiful campus. You take visits to what you think are the schools that would fit your lifestyle and golf game perfectly, with each program showing you what life would be like on their campus. After careful consideration, you choose the program that you fall in love with and announce it to the world. You buy all the gear, take official pictures, and are ecstatic about your decision. Fast forward about a year, and you’ve matured as a person, maybe with goals that have changed and a different outlook on where you want to be in 4-5 years. Doubts about your decision start creeping into your head...

Scarlett Schremmer grew up in golf family, with a mother that played on the LPGA tour before Scarlett was born. Growing up in Hawaii, she didn’t start out as a competitive golfer, but as a competitive surfer and three-time US national champion. Tournament golf didn’t become an interest until the age of eleven when she played in her first US Kids event, and Schremmer didn’t begin serious tournaments until the age of thirteen. For the past six years, she has split her time living in California and Alabama every six months, a well-traveled teenager. Fast forward to the present, and US Developmental Team member Scarlett is the top American golfer in her class, about to sign with the school she recently decided to call her future home, Texas A&M University.

But Texas A&M was not her original choice...

Photo: USGA

Photo: U Miani

On June 15th after her sophomore year of high school, Schremmer states, ‘I basically had no bias of where I wanted to go to school, and I talked to a lot of programs to find what I liked best. On June 15th I got about 40 calls and I narrowed it down to 12-15 within the week, and continued to narrow it down from there. I honestly looked over Texas A&M in the beginning of my recruiting because I was so overwhelmed by how much interest I had received.’ After getting to know many coaches and taking visits, Schremmer ultimately decided upon the University of Miami, a highly regarded program in a fun area of the country and warm climate perfect for golf. Miami was the program that Scarlett eventually started having second thoughts about. She admits, ‘One of the struggles with my initial commitment to the University of Miami is that I had ultimately grown and matured since my original decision, and it just was not going to be a lifestyle that would be the best fit for me as a productive person, student and golfer. I have the upmost respect for coach Janice at Miami for believing in me and I know she is doing a wonderful job developing the program.’

Schremmer then opened her recruitment again, a daunting task in the middle of a competitive golf season. She had also improved as a golfer and could be considered by some as the top American recruit. Scarlett ultimately decided to become a Longhorn, and verbally committed to the University of Texas. Interestingly, like Texas A&M, Texas was also not on her original list of schools when she began her recruiting journey the year prior. Schremmer explains her commitment decision, ‘I confidently committed to the University Texas with my golf careers best interest in mind.’ Unfortunately, Scarlett’s commitment to Texas was short-lived, as a coaching change occurred shortly after she chose Texas as her future home. She adds, ‘Both coaches eventually resigned from their positions as head coach and assistant coach due to personal reasons in which I understand and support. Although UT will continue to have an outstanding program and leader, with many prayers and long conversations with my family and coaches, we decided that I would decommit from Texas and find a spot where I truly felt our core values: family, faith, trust, and hard work.’ With the looming roster limits occurring in the NCAA, it made the situation even more difficult, as there may not have been a spot available for Scarlett on some teams, even as a sought after recruit. She admits, ‘After not being committed to Texas I was well aware about the roster limits. I was a little nervous at first, but if you are playing good golf it takes care of itself. I focused on playing well and getting better, I didn’t force anything to happen, and I knew other two schools I really liked and eventually decided on A&M. It wasn’t too difficult of a process because I had already learned about the programs I was interested in.’

Photos: U Texas, Texas A&M

We asked Schremmer how hard it was for her to 'start all over' after being excited about one school, then have to switch her mindset and go through that same process a second time. ‘To go through recruiting, commit, decommit, more recruiting, and to do it twice has been nothing short of exhausting, to tell the truth,’ she admits. ‘It is very difficult to build relationships and become a fan of a school, then for it to not workout it can be easily discouraging and distracting from the end goal: to be the best golfer and person I can be. Although this process was exhausting for me, I continuously reminded myself that this was all happening for a reason I was unaware of. And also how lucky and blessed I am to have the opportunities to play golf at a high level. I will not take for granted the advice, guidance, and kindness I received from some college coaches. It would be very easy to feel upset about some of these situations, but I am grateful for them because they made me mentally stronger.’

Photo: Instagram

Scarlett seems to have a very mature viewpoint of the process. We asked her if she was concerned about what other people would think about her switching schools, even being the top recruit in her class. The teenage years can be tough, and being in the public eye can bring even more scrutiny. She was very real and candid with her feelings, saying ‘Even though I have been the top recruit in my class, there have been times where I have felt self-conscious or embarrassed about changing my commitment. Something that helped me to overcome that has been to own up to when I have made a mistake or an emotional decision. The truth is that everyone makes mistakes, and it is part of learning. I make mistakes on the golf course every day, it’s all about how you overcome them and turn out stronger. It’s hard for a 15-16 year-old to make a decision on where their 18 year-old self will want to go to college. I’m not the only one that’s doubted their decisions, but I am one of few who owned up to it and found the spot they truly wanted to grow in college. It is okay with me that I may be judged or made fun of for my change of commitment, as that doesn’t change all of my family and friends who are happy for me that I will get to do what I love at Texas A&M. My mom has always taught me that if someone doesn’t truly know me, then their opinion of me is none of my business.’

Photo: Texas A&M University

Ultimately, Scarlett chose to be a Texas A&M Aggie for several reasons. She notes that they have a great leader in Head Coach Gerrod Chadwell. It is a great school, they have strong traditions and the athletic program especially is really a family. Schremmer loves how they are strong in their faith. She adds, ‘Texas A&M is everything that I have grown to value and appreciate about my college golf experience. I trust that they will help me become a great college and LPGA tour player, and I can’t wait to join their team. Once an Aggie always an Aggie.’

Besides the commitment switches, Schremmer shares what she thought were the hardest parts of the recruiting process. She offers, ‘By far, the hardest part of recruiting was saying “No” to coaches that had spent months recruiting and watching me, and that I respected as coaches and people. Another tough part of recruiting was deciding on what qualities were most important to me, and what I was willing to sacrifice. How would I adapt to living in a big city? Did I want to play on a team with friends I already knew? Does climate really make a difference if the facilities are good? Will I be too homesick if I am far away from my loved ones? I really had to stay true to myself and learn to understand what made me the happiest because in the end that is the most important.

As signing day approaches, we congratulate Scarlett on her achievements and for the maturity and resilience she has shown throughout the process. We can’t wait see her next year in maroon and white.