Swinging into the new spring golf season, head coach, Bryan Tucker, and assistant coach, Matt Robertson, explained the preparation and hard work that each individual athlete puts in to make them successful.
Robertson explained, “We try to prepare athletes by working on their swing during practices. Golf is also a mental game so we also have to work on keeping their confidence high after making a few bad shots so as to not affect their scores on the following holes.¨
Robertson is a new assistant coach for the golf team. Although he hasn’t had any golf coaching experience he mentioned that he has been playing off and on for 25 years. Robertson is a science teacher that teaches both physical science for 9th grade and general science for 7th grade.
On the other hand Tucker is a P.E. teacher and also head coach for the Fair Grove High School Basketball Team. Tucker mentioned where the golf team meets and what he does to help his players succeed, “We practice at dream valley golf course which is located in Buffalo Missouri most days and try to work on what each player is struggling with at that time.”
Additional student athletes that are involved in golf are Blake Baxter (10) Kole Dixon (10) and Atticus Brandes (12). Baxter has been involved with Tucker’s coaching for a few years now. He plays high school basketball and now golf with Tucker. He mentioned his favorite part about golf is the friendships and the fun he has with his fellow teammates.
Brandes is one of the key players on the team this year. He has played golf for the last three years after starting his sophomore year. Last season, he scored a 170 in state in the individual category, placing him in 11th place. Brandes explained what he does to prepare himself before games, “I prepare for golf meets by practicing my short game and hitting balls throughout the week.”
With Brandes leaving the “eagle nest” he mentioned some of his favorite memories with the team, “Some of my favorite memories I have are from my junior year. One of which is being all state and staying up late in a hotel before a big tournament.”
The next golf tournament will be April 30th in Aurora at 3:00pm.
