Cathedral Catholic High School’s Varsity A Girls Golf team expects another stellar season out on the green.

When asked about her prospects for the upcoming season, Senior Alli Williams painted a confident profile of the Varsity A team this year.

“The hardest team we played last year was La Jolla, our rivals. We beat them by a few strokes, but this year, we have new, young players on our team that will pull through,” Alli said.

The golf team has been practicing for a total of 15 hours a week not including games, an intensive schedule that has allowed the girls to increase their accuracy and skill out on the green.

Head coach Mr. Chris Grazier has worked hard over the last year to implement new strategies for improving focus and attention on the course. One of these strategies is the ability to overcome nervousness and stress when playing in a match.

Coach Grazier invited an aspiring sports psychologist, studying under a professor at National University, to speak to the golf team. He lead a series of sessions about mental conditioning.

It is important that players are able to “keep their cool,” and to alleviate the stress of missing a shot for quick recovery.

“In golf, so much happens in between the ears, more so than it does with the hands, the legs, and the hips,” Mr. Grazier said.  

After three years of guidance from Mr. Grazier, Alli has picked up quite a few useful tips about the game of golf.

“…stay calm and don’t stress too much out there,” she said. “If you make a mistake, just move on and make the next shot better.”

Although hopeful for a positive reward for their hard work, Alli emphasized indifference to winning – as long as she and the team have a good time representing their school in what they do best.