When I first started playing golf, I thought it was all about how well you swung the club or how far you could hit the ball. Turns out that’s not the case. I quickly learned that golf isn’t just about the physical aspect but also your mindset. No matter how good of a player I was or how much I practiced, I couldn’t play well if I wasn’t concentrated, calm, and positive. Over time I realized that golf just wasn’t a game I played as a sport, it became a learning experience that helped me handle challenges and shape the way I think. Mental resiliency is a key aspect to the game of golf that I have learned throughout playing. While on the course, it’s easy to get frustrated about a bad shot or a bad putt, but learning how to overcome that, learn from mistakes, move on, and stay focused, has helped me beyond the game of golf. Even when things aren’t going my way, I have learned to handle pressure and my emotions while still keeping a positive mindset. That good mindset shows outside of golf and in a school setting as well. You don’t always know everything you are learning, and you do have to overcome difficult tasks daily. Golf has shown me that success comes from how you control your emotions throughout life, not just your skills, and I have used that lesson throughout life constantly. The sport has also taught me the importance of resilience. One day I’m hitting the ball perfectly straight and not missing the fairway and the next day I may feel like I have no idea what I am even doing. I’ve learned that being frustrated doesn’t help but staying focused and taking things slow does. Playing bad allows me to learn from my mistakes and become a better player overall. Learning from these mistakes and working to improve has helped me handle other situations in my life. Instead of giving up, I work to get better and use it as an area of growth. That being said, golf may have started as a sport for me, but I have gained so much life skills and teaching aspects from it. It’s taught me how to think more clearly, overcome hard things, stay focused, and use your mistakes to get better. These lessons have helped shape me into the student athlete I am today beyond just on the golf course. I have learned lessons that I will carry on with me as I continue my life in college and after.
