My golf journey: Meet Charlotte Catholic鈥檚 Steven Shea
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Steven Shea graduated from Charlotte Catholic this past year and has been accepted to Carnegie Mellon’s golf program. Here, he reflects on his introduction to golf and the hard work it took to get where he is today.
I started playing golf when I was very young, around the age of 4. My Dad would take me out to the course and I鈥檇 play with plastic clubs. Through 7th grade, I enjoyed golf and played a good bit but didn鈥檛 take it seriously. That changed the summer I was going into 8th grade when I went to Wake Forest golf camp. Being in that college golf environment for a week was when I really decided that I wanted to play in college.
My early tournament career was a bit frustrating. I set my expectations too high and did not know how to play tournament golf mentally. Looking back, not only would I have played better had I played with no expectations, but I also would鈥檝e enjoyed the journey more. I had great coaches in LD Simmons, who helped me with the mental side of the game, and Jack Fields, who helped me improve my swing. I slowly got better throughout high school so that I could make my dream of playing in college a real possibility. Once I saw the chance of playing in college, my motivation to work hard increased. My summers were filled with at least four tournaments a month, with most tournaments requiring a stay away from home. Even in the school year I would have at least one a month. Playing competitively so often was definitely the biggest reason I improved my game, because nothing can truly replicate that tournament environment except real tournaments.
I can鈥檛 thank my parents enough for supporting me, letting me sign up, and taking me to all of these tournaments. Playing such a busy schedule consumed a lot of time and money. Although not always happy when I would ask to sign up for another tournament, they almost always let me anyways. All the time put in paid off in September when I committed to play golf this fall at Carnegie Mellon University. Although I am proud of my accomplishments in golf so far, I know that there is a lot more I can do in this game and a lot more to learn. I look forward to embracing the challenges golf brings for my next four years in college. Golf at times can drive you insane, but at the same time it is incredibly rewarding when you succeed.
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