Writing Project #1 - Rough Draft

                                                                     Rough Draft

Ava Anderson

Writing 101

Alison Hitch

February 20th, 2026

        Have you ever felt like you were assigned your sport at birth? When I was around 5 years old, my dad started getting me into the game of golf. He had already gotten my brother Cole, who is a year older than me into it, so now it was my turn. Before I knew it, I was enrolled in my country club’s golf team where we would, like clockwork, practice every Tuesday at 7:00am in the summers. I remember meeting my earliest friends by doing so, making nicknames with my coaches that will last forever, and cherishing the skill I have somewhat mastered; that is the game of golf. 

        My brother and I played for our country club for eight years each, until there were age restrictions that forced us to retire at the age of thirteen. Then, we had to wait until high school to continue playing competitively, which took a mental strain on the both of us because of our school’s very prestigious golf reputation. I had continued in a smaller league with one of my best friends at the time, Kathrine, where we played in a simulator in the winters against other teams. I then went into high school and my brother was already on the team I was trying out for. It was a coed team, which made the stakes higher. I made the team, but soon found out that there were levels of unfair treatment and disadvantages of being a girl on a boy dominant team. These disadvantages included being stuck on JV2 and barely playing on JV1, with no room for improvement. This meant that varsity was something I was never sure I’d get to experience, and because of the neglectful coaches, I knew this feeling was never going to change. My brother and I ended up switching schools due to better academic opportunities, and to my surprise, there was a girls golf team!

        After I switched schools, I realized very quickly all of the potential I had as an athlete. I gained confidence in my game because of my wonderful new coaches, Mr. Goodman and Mr. Ross. These coaches provided me with motivation and the help I needed that my previous school lacked, and I learned so much about myself through their coaching. I met a lot of girls on the team, and we all became the best of friends. I even met my best friend today, Afina, who is a year above me. She taught me what a real teammate and friend looked like, and we helped each other through many hardships pertaining to the sport, and our personal lives. I would have to say that the team bonding that I experienced has to be the one reason I succeeded so well in golf, as having those friendships during the countless hours of practice helped maintain a love for the sport I had never experienced before. I eventually became #1 on varsity, the team leader, and brought us to sectionals for the first time in our school’s girls golf history. Everything I know about golf I owe to my dad, coaches, and teammates.