I Was the Only Girl, but I Was Determined to Make the Golf Team

I Was the Only Girl, but I Was Determined to Make the Golf Team

I began golfing in the past five years. I went out for the high school team and made it on the varsity co-ed team. I was the only girl, but I was determined to make it.

The first day of practice was interesting. All my fellow teammates treated me as an outcast – even the coach. This was the coaches first year of coaching varsity golf and had no idea what to do with a female on the team. When coaching a sport you need to be able to help a team member when they are having difficulty with the sport. For golf, this includes touching the person to insure they are swinging the club properly. Being that the coach was male, and I am female he would never help me because there are particular spots where you can touch a guy but not a girl (for example the bust region). After playing nine holes of golf, the team would usually go down to the driving range to relax our muscles that we had just used. At the driving range, the coach would assist the team members with the problems they were having. He would help reposition your grip, hold your legs, arms, back, or hip region, whenever they were incorrect. He never approached me. If I needed help with any of my golf game I would either go to another schools coach or get professional lessons.

As the first few practices went on, my teammates just treated me as one of the guys. I did not mind this because they were treating me like a team member. However, the coach still avoided me whenever I needed assistance. In high school golf matches, the top six players compete. As I was ranked, I was number four. When the first match came I was terrified because I knew I was number four on the team and knew I would most lik...

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... do get penalized with strokes. That was my first tournament and I was not prepared. I did not expect it to take ten hours. I learned to bring as much food as you can fit in your bag, and do not forget some Advil or pain medicine because your entire body will be sore in the end. All your muscles are ready to give out, your feet just want to be elevated and your back is slouched for carrying a heavy golf bag for many hours.

After my first year on the team, the coach warmed up to me. He still however, kept his distance, but I learned to rise above him. I played a total of eleven tournaments and even went to the state championship. Golfing on the team made me so mentally strong. I learned that I could do something if I wanted to, even if there was no support for me doing it. I continued to play for the rest of my high school career, and improved with every shot.