A new addition to the girls golf team this season is freshman Kendall Laurtizen. She is the sole freshman on the varsity team, and has been playing well in the season so far. Laurtizen shared what her goals are for the season being a freshman on varsity.
“Some of my goals for this season are to be consistently in the 70’s when the season is over,” Laurtizen said. Also to put my all out on the course and feel like I did everything I could to help the team.”
Head coach Jered Hellman is right along her side to guide her. He explained what qualities Lauritzen had for her to be considered for the varsity team.
“Number one is her golf game, Kendall has worked really hard to this point to be able to compete with the top girls in the state, I knew from the first time I saw her hit a golf ball that We had a talented freshman,” Hellman said. I have since learned that that is no surprise when it comes to Kendall, Kendall is a straight A student, a member of show choir, takes voice lessons and is also a black belt in Taekwondo. She clearly is very driven to excellence and golf is no different.”
An athlete puts in a lot of effort and work outside of the general practices. Coach Hellman added moments he saw that which considered her for the varsity team
“On many occasions when practice is done, or an event is over, Kendall goes and works on her golf game after,” Hellman said. “She hits the driving range, or works on putting and her short game. These are all qualities that are going to take her golf game to the next level. Kendall is going to be a staple of the Girls program, has been embraced by her teammates and will continue to be a big reason for our Team’s success.”
Lauritzen made her varsity debut and placed 15th. She then contributed to the first varsity win of the season placing ninth individually as well. After that in the crusader classic she placed third while playing in the extreme heat. She had already been improving throughout the season. Lauritzen expressed her most memorable moment on the golf course so far.
“Personally it was when I had my hole in one when I was 12,” Laurtizen said. “But so far in my high school season it has been the opportunity to join a team made up of wonderful girls coaches, and to play for Westside.”
As an athlete you usually perform a little better as time goes in your season, and as mentioned earlier Laurtizen can be an example for this. Coach Hellman shared how Laurtizen had progressed throughout the season so far.
“Kendal is getting Mentally tougher every tournament that she plays, Varsity tournaments come with added pressure, playing for your School and community is added pressure and wanting to be your best for your teammates creates more anxiety and requires time and experience to be able to play your best golf,” Hellman said. “Kendall’s results have not always been what she is striving for, but having the 4th best scoring average on a very talented team is a testament to her growth. Kendall has been a part of our first tournament win in my tenure as the head coach and will be an integral part of our Metro, District and State tournament team.”
As coach Helllman mentioned tournaments can add pressure and as an athlete you have to deal with it and know how to work through it. Lauritzen explained how she handles the pressure during matches or tournaments.
“I try to handle the pressure by reminding myself that I’m a good player,” Laurtizen said. “When I have a hard shot I tell myself to trust my skill and that I can beat anyone if I put my mind to it.”
Coach Hellmen shared the common challenges that Laurtizen or freshman in general experience when joining the varsity team.
“Being in the Top 5 of the Varsity golf team is a huge challenge on many levels for a freshman,” Hellman said. “Kendall will miss at least 12 days of school for golf in the first quarter of her high school career, Kendall is a straight-A student, and the demands of missing this much school are high. She has been able to maintain this excellence which is a testament to her drive and time management.”
Laurtizen also shared her perspective of any challenges she has experienced as being a freshman on varsity and how she has overcome them.
“Other than the natural ups and downs everyone has on the golf course it’s been a fun and easy transition,” Laurtizen said. It is with the help of Coach Hellman and the upper-classmen that are on the team.”
Teammates can help athletes adjust and feel comfortable especially if they are new to the team. Coach Hellman expressed how he supported Lauritzen in adjusting to the high demands of varsity level competition.
“One thing I did right away was make sure that she had “big sisters” on the team that she could count on, and Competitive golf is hard; I demand a lot out of them, and leaning on girls who have been a part of the “grind” is very valuable,” Hellman said.
Hellman expressed how Lauritzen and him rely on each other during the season.
“Being a talented freshman also means she gets an “extra” dose of me. I spend a lot of time with Kendall at practice and in tournaments to get to know her, how she reacts under pressure, what makes her smile, laugh, and angry. In turn she learns that she can trust me, she can count on me to be there when she needs me, High School golf is a team sport, but they are on an “island” during a tournament, and as a freshman, my hope is she feels a bit more comfortable out there knowing that her coaches and teammates care about her, and not just her score for that round.”
