What started as a way to spend time with his friends, quickly turned into something much bigger for Mason Long. Mason Long had officially made the golf team this year after only picking up a club for the first time two years ago. “Two years ago, I started playing golf because I didn’t make the soccer team and a lot of my friends had been playing. It quickly turned into something that I loved to do.” Mason said.

Mason had only played the sport for fun, only practicing about two times a week just for fun because he had loved the sport. Now, Mason has dedicated a lot of his time to the sport, and the hard work has shown now that he has officially made the golf team. “I started taking it more seriously because I had a goal to make the team.” Said Mason. That goal of making the team and spending time with his friends became his main source of motivation, pushing him to improve his game and stay focused despite the disadvantage of having less experience in the sport.

For Mason, the mental side of golf proved to be one of his biggest challenges. “Staying focused when I hit a bad shot… is extremely hard,” Mason said. One thing that did help him overcome overthinking and calming his nerves at tryouts was that he had a tight bond with some of the current players and felt comfortable playing golf with them. When Mason was asked about if he thought he had a shot at the team, he answered, “I didn’t think I had a shot.”

Now that Mason has made the team, he is embracing the competition and the experience. “The team culture is what separates our program from others, we all have a tight bond which makes the experience extremely fun.” Said Mason. His advice to others is simple, “Surround yourself with as much golf as possible, and don’t be afraid to learn from others along the way.”