How Golf Changed My Life

Imagine taking one step into a chlorine-filled arena. The humid air rushes onto your skin. An immense smile spreads across your face. This is because you know everything is about to change. In less than 24 hours you will be holding a glistening gold medal in your hand, standing up on the podium while the Star Spangled Banner blares for the whole world to hear and tears will stream down your face. Taking one look back at your coach, Teri McKeever, you realize if it wasn’t for her you would not be here. Graciously, you run up, swing your arms around her body, and embrace her in a powerful hug that says it all. Swimming is a very intense sport and consumes every second of a swimmer’s free time. However, putting in hundreds

When I first joined the North Attleboro Swim Team my freshman year of high school, I did not know what to expect. Prior to joining, I had never swam on a team before so it was a whole new experience to me. As the first week of swim started, I was apprehensive if I wanted to continue since I was not on the same caliber as my other teammates were. The practices were brutal but extremely rewarding, as I strived to prove myself and to my coaches. As my freshman season was under way, a couple of upperclassmen took

“I can’t imagine where we would be in life if we were not happy with our experiences. I have never been one to be driven by anything other than an appreciation for life. That is the vision through which I run my life.” Staying happy and curious is a good way to keep going in life on a path to success. Prior to making a move to Tide Swimming in Virginia Beach, Jackson Roach was the National Youth Team Head Coach for the United States and previous to that National Team Coach’s and Athlete’s Consultant. Roach has more than 40 years of high level coaching experience, which includes mentoring and training olympic medalist and multiple national swimming champions (Roach, 2017). Jackson Roach can be credited for many notable success stories among many Olympians which has aided USA Swimming multiple times to Olympic victory. Roach’s history has proven that his strategy of applying past knowledge to new situations in order to succeed, along with understanding each individual is a perfect formula for attaining each swimmer’s full potential.

Over 1,075 of all the second graders in Citrus County schools took part in the School District’s water safety last year. In addition, from August through October nearly every day high school swim athletes, their families and spectators also took place in FHSAA high school competitive swimming either in practice or by competing or attending one of the near 20 high school swim meets last school year. This means that 1,000s of Citrus county school students visit the Y each year as part of school actives. As we both agree it is our hope that the new Aquatics Director is a proponent and supportive of Citrus County School District’s learn to swim program and High School

During the spring of 2015, I missed all of the time cuts to make Speedo Sectionals, forcing me to compete in a much slower meet at the end of the season. There are few things I have experienced that are more crushing than trying my hardest and falling short of my goal. Despite the heavy disappointment, I used the opportunity to harden my resolve and use my strengths to my greatest advantage. Along with my coach’s help, I used my ability to think strategically and hone my technique through focus on the smallest details from how I would approach a swim mentally to how I would warm up. My coach had many important and useful suggestions and lessons from his past experience that required me to be an active learner that could apply his information.

I have always been very involved in swimming even after my injury. When I lived in Powell River I (co)coached a satellite swim team; there, I was incharge of fine detail concerning technique. Through that I have seen firsthand how a small change to how you do things can make an exponential difference in the product they deliver. Here in Parksville, I have volunteered in teaching kids and parents alike the importance of water safety and swim lessons; I have taught how important it is to not give up (that they can complete this swim level) and seen the happiness once they have completed the

If I have an opportunity to go back to the time when I started learning golf, I would not have stop playing it. I made a mistake that I decide to give up learning golf. When I was grad three, my parents encouraged me to start golf lessons and started teaching me the basic. They wanted me to learn a sport that we can share the interest and play together. When I just started at the beginning, I enjoyed learning golf as much as for the next lesson. Our family went to driving range quite often to practice golf swing. As my learning processes, my mother thought I had on playing golf. However, I was not able to continue playing golf because our family immigrated to Canada at that time I did not play golf for few years to acclimatize to school life

I grew up with a love towards sports. Sure I started off in ballet and gymnastics but one day my best friend told me I should play soccer with her. So of course I begged my mom to let me do another sport. Little did I know soccer would have such a big impact on my life. I started off with playing recreational league soccer. My first coach, was my softball coach, and he decided I would be a perfect forward. As the years went on and I got a different coach my position changed. I went from a forward to a midfielder then finally a defender.

As the sting of chlorine filled my nostrils, the weeks of training, exercise, and scheduled pasta dinners flashed before me. Emerging from the pool, the red numbers revealed on the scoreboard cast a burning disappointment onto me more than the hot sun did that summer day. I retraced my actions just before my 100-yard race, asking myself where I went wrong. I realized only after the meet, that I lost focus of the thrill of being part of a team. Instead of motivating and connecting with my teammates, I was only concerned with my own goals. Being a part of this team has helped me to grow as an individual both athletically and academically. Athletically, I assumed swimming was largely an individual sport, but now, especially as varsity swim team captain, I make an effort to cheer for and console teammates who are preparing or nervous for their races.

I believe that golf teaches people life lessons. Golf has life lessons on every tee box, fairway, bunker, green, and hole. Every hole is different golfers must keep their cool in order to perform well consistently. Golfers will have good shots and they have bad shots but like my mom says to me, “Do not let one bad shot affect your entire hole.” Similar to life, golf has ups and downs. In life and golf if the golfer put away what just happened he or she will be back on track to be happy in life or get a good score on the hole. Bobby Jones, a historical golfer said, “Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots – but you have to play the ball where it lies.”

I had four different swim coaches growing up and two of them were significantly influential in demonstrating how I wanted to be as a person and leader. From the age of five and until sixth grade, I did not have much of a connection or relationship with my coaches. It was more of a swim program that was held after school with some year round competitions. Once I entered Junior High School, swimming became more serious. I ended up trying out and making the year round national competition team. I swam for Mission San Jose Aquatics until the end of summer in 2006. My coach’s name was Debbie Potts. Debbie Potts was someone that everyone respected. She earned her respect by how she treated others with respect and with being a very supportive person. My relationship with her was good and I spent a lot of time with her since I was one of her top swimmers. During the summers I would work for her, helping her managed aspects of the team’s paper work, in addition to helping her with her business in vending swimming apparel and gear. Not only did I get

The journey of competitive swimming started at the age of eight for my local `neighborhood team. I exhibited great potential for the future, for I won nearly all my races. This seemed like the sport

Flashback four years ago to my first day of tryouts freshman year. I remember shanking three straight drives off the tee directly out of bounds at Airport and carding two tens and an eleven in that same round. That was awful. Flash forward to my final three rounds senior year and I shot a 78, a 79, and a 77, respectively. Clearly I drastically improved my game thanks to my years on the team, but the improvements I made really do not matter. What is important are the friendships I have built and the people who have pushed me to my success. The people team golf has introduced me to have had a tremendous impact on who I am today.

As an athlete, I acknowledge the guidance and energy thrived off a special coaches. To recognize that their main priority is to guide us with positive vibes and to play the role as another effective role model in our lives. They’re are more than the ones who corrects your mistakes, pushes you regardless of your indecisive to do anything,

By this time I had started to go through puberty and became taller which enabled me to swim faster. The morning group was full of dedicated swimmers who were crazy enough to get up every morning to go jump into a pool and practice. Of course I was no different, but during April of that season I had started to lose my motivation. I began to skip practices and gave my parents excuses, which then they told me to take it easy. After two months of periodic practices, I realized that swimming was an activity that I wanted to do and that I loved, and I decided that I would not allow myself to quit, no matter how hard it became. When the new season started, I started to push myself, trying to keep up to the faster swimmers. I became close with my team mates as people who go through pain together get closer. We started to have more fun together from going out, to having funny conversations in the locker rooms. I also began to do travel meets where we would spend a few days together, eating, sleeping, and swimming. I spent more time out of the pool with my friends and even became romantically involved with one. Now, swimming has become one of the most important things to me, it has been the activity that has the most influence on my life. From my work ethic, sleeping habits, to my choice of friends, all of them are tied to