The Backbone of the Backswings

Junior Bella Stanley has learned that success in golf is about way more than a scorecard. For her, it’s about consistency, growth, and keeping team spirits high—even on the hardest days. 

“As a golfer, my role is to just do my best and put up a good score for my team,” said Stanley. “It’s not about me trying to be the best, but about staying consistent so we can all feel good about our performances.” 

That focus on consistency has begun to go beyond her own game. Stanley has become a teammate who leads with encouragement and keeps things light, even when the competition gets intense. “This sport can be so hard on you mentally that it’s important to keep everyone laughing so it doesn’t feel like a task.” 

Stanley’s leadership has not gone unnoticed. Sophomore Meredith Walters describes Stanley as someone who is “a lovely person to have by your side on the golf course, and in life,” said Walters. “Someone who is there to lift others up no matter the situation.” Stanley has become a teammate who makes everyone around her better—on and off the course. 

Stanley used to play just to “hit the ball as hard as I can and just hope it all worked out.” 

Now she realizes there is more to it than just that. “Now my game includes way more strategy and planning. I’ve developed into a way better golfer as I have learned more about the mental side of the game,” explained Stanley. 

The mental side has been a big challenge for Stanley, but it is also where she has shown the most growth. One thing that has helped her is the team motto: “This year, the motto is to ‘Be a Goldfish’—forget the last hole if it went bad, and move forward,” said Stanley. Playing with this in mind has allowed her to push through the hardest mental parts of the game. 

That mindset recently paid off in a tournament when she played through a rough start and finished even on her last holes. “All my practice was worth it. I knew I could pull it back together,” said Stanley. 

As Stanley looks ahead, the decision whether to continue competing or keep golf as a hobby is still up in the air. But “either way, the lessons golf has taught me—handling pressure, perseverance, patience—will stay with me in whatever I do.”