Q: After finishing the 2015 season with 1st and 2nd place victories to this year's season finishing mostly 4th overall with a few 5th and 6th place finishes. Does this discourage you on next year's season at all or do you feel that your team has built off of this?
A: We began the season with one player who had one varsity match under his belt – every other experienced player we had either graduated or chose not to come back. Our results were excellent this year considering we were starting over. As for 2017, we have all 11 players back, and all 11 have been asking about what it will take to get better as individuals and as a team. That’s exciting, and we will definitely build upon our experiences from this year.
Q: For this year's season was there anyone who had stepped up into the leader position of the team? Was there a group perhaps that stepped up?
A: “Leadership” in golf is a tricky thing, because it’s such an individual sport. We’ve had plenty of fantastic players over the years who didn’t lead, and we’ve had a few who did. In golf, leadership is the ability to help others be better by your efforts and by your example. This group was so inexperienced at what is a very difficult game to learn, we couldn’t possibly ask any to lead. What I’ll say about them is that they all rallied around each other, and encouraged each other throughout the season. They wanted to learn how to get better themselves. They listened to what they were taught, and when they could, they tried to share that knowledge with their teammates. They were happy when we did well as a team, and pushed themselves individually to be in a position to contribute to the team successes we had. They’re on their way to becoming leaders if they keep it up.
Q: In golf, I've heard that you need to keep a very clear mind while on the course, to not let anyone or any stroke get to you. This year was there anyone who, no matter what happened, tried their best to keep positive and get back into the game mentally?
A:Q: “What’s the most important shot in golf?”
A: “The next one.”
Golf is the ultimate mind game. No one who plays golf can stay mentally focused 100% of the time – it’s an impossible dream. What you try to do is minimize the train wrecks that happen. When you’re just starting out, the key to good scores isn’t having a lot of good holes, it’s getting rid of the bad ones. A major goal for the coaches this year was to teach our team how to move on from a bad shot or a bad hole – to put it behind you, take a deep breath and not let it ruin the rest of your round. It doesn’t always work, but the team did a good job on adopting that philosophy and at least reducing our poor scores.
Q: After this season are you looking forward to next season? Is there a group of kids that you expect more of in next season?
A: Absolutely. We expect more of Tyler Hawley, Lars Thomason, Bob Farley, Connor Wilcox, Dawsan Manning, Kourtney Dunn, Jon Hoffman, Donny Farley, Justin Shoemaker, Brayden Manchester, Kenadie Packard, any other new players we have, and Coach Innocenzo, Coach Rice, Coach Johnson and Coach Farley.
We’ll be good next year – how good will be based on how high each person on the team sets their goals, and more importantly on if they are willing to stick to a plan that will help them achieve those goals. It’s up to the coaches to help them make that plan – starting right now – and up to the players to push themselves to be great. Time will tell.
Q: And lastly, if there was one thing that your players should take away from this season what would you want it to be, or have them remember?
A:
- Remember your success and your failure. Build upon the good, and work to make it better. Don’t make excuses for the bad, work to avoid repeating it.
- Remember that golf is both fun and frustrating – don’t eliminate either of those emotions from the experience. Stay balanced.
- Walk, don’t ride. You’ll appreciate the game more.
- Practice makes permanent – good habits and bad.
- Mostly, do what you love. Commit to anything you do with passion and competitive spirit, and you will be a success.