Living “Freer” as an Athlete

I still think back to when I was growing up, watching my older brother compete in every sport he could play. My passion for sports began here.
I remember watching his excitement playing and knew that was exactly what I wanted to do.

Luckily for me, I had an amazing family support system for that.

As soon as I showed interest in sports, my family let me play whatever I wanted.

And I played everything I could.

I always played golf as my Dad had played college golf, and we were gifted plastic clubs and cut-down clubs as soon as my brother and I could stand.

My first team sport was baseball with the boys, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I then added volleyball and basketball to the list.

The neighborhood leagues often allowed the girls to play on the boy teams, and I loved that as I was a tomboy! I soon switched to select softball but added in hockey and flag football, mostly boy dominant teams.

I was always doing something, and I loved that.

I never wanted to sit still; I just loved moving and competing.

I remember getting to 6th grade, and my brother’s football coach was so excited to think I might play for them in 7th and 8th grade. While I kept playing multiple sports, my heart pushed me more to golf once I was in middle school. That was when I found the sport I was most passionate about, golf.

Every athlete grows up wanting to go pro in whatever sport they love.

Luckily, I loved golf, arguably the best sport for a woman to choose for a professional career.

In seventh grade, I decided to devote all of my attention to the game, and since then, I have never stopped pushing forwards.
I fell in love with the sport.

Not only that, but I fell in love with the grind. I fell in love with showing up to the course and working my hardest every single day to get better and better. Before I knew it, my life became golf.

I attended Westlake High School in Austin, Texas.

Austin is one of the unique cities in the world. Between the sports, the music, and the lakes, there truly is something for everybody there. It also provides people like me with a great opportunity for exposure.

When I began to take golf seriously truly, my dream was to play at the college D1 level. High school was where I showed people what I was made of. I kept working on getting better, and during my sophomore year, I helped lead our golf team to a state championship.

The moment I had when holding up that trophy was surreal. It was something I knew I had to feel again.

I remembered that feeling and took that mindset to every training session I had the next year. Every tournament that I played, I thought of holding up that trophy. I kept working harder, and before I knew it, I was holding that trophy up again my junior year.

I wanted to do that again so badly. I knew going into my senior year that I could; we were that good of a team. The team was looking great. We were firing on all cylinders, then covid hit. The season ended, and with it, so made my high school career.

I was devastated.

My teammates and coaches were too.

Ending my high school golf career with no Spring tournaments and district, Regional, or State tournaments was honestly very tough to comprehend. I loved my high school team, and more importantly, we believed in each other!

I wanted that third title so badly but decided I had to make the best of the situation. I continued to play and practice during those many months.

I knew I had to continue; golf was not only an outlet for the devastation but my true passion. I entered the 2020 Texas Women’s Amateur tournament played at the University of Texas Golf Club.

Texas would be my home for the next four years as I had signed to play for UT Austin in the Fall of my Senior year.

After one day of “seeding,” I began match play, and after four days and seven matches, I became the 2020 Texas Women’s Champion.

It was simply AMAZING and such an honor to be a part of history as it was the 99th annual tournament. My name will forever be edged on that trophy, along with the game’s past greats like Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Betsy Rawls.

In the Fall of 2020, I was a member of the University of Texas golf team.

Playing at UT is truly a dream come true.

I love every second of it. I love my teammates, I love the coaches, and most importantly, I still love the game.

As I continue my collegiate career, hoping to advance into a professional career soon, I learn more about myself and the game every day.

When I play, I look around, and I see all the young girls watching me. I think back to when I was in their shoes, watching older golfers play, falling in love with the game more and more at each tournament.

Being where I am now and knowing how far I have come, I have learned some important lessons.

Firstly, I’ve learned that young girls should play as many sports as they want to.

This gives them the competitive drive that is much needed in golf and in life.

Being an individual sport, it takes a lot of personal motivation to keep going and getting better. In team sports, there are many other people around to support you, and you learn to be a team player who is a crucial life skill.

The second thing I want young girls to understand is ALWAYS to be a good sport!

You are playing the golf course, NOT the other players.

The golf world is also very small, and you will want a good name as you journey along, especially with college coaches.

Clap for good golf and be kind to other players as many become your friends and support system later in life.

Finally, make sure to take breaks.

In any sport, it is hard to play it 24/7, 365.

I have other hobbies and enjoy taking a week or so off during Christmas to be at my family’s ranch with family and friends. There’s nothing like taking some time to live free.
If you have another interest, make sure you take time off of your sport to do that hobby or interest you enjoy too!

I love this game. I put so much into it and it rewards me with new memories, friends, and experiences every day. I feel so blessed and thankful for my journey to where I am, and I truly cannot wait for what is next for me with this sport. Just know with a little hard work and determination, the same is possible for you.