The sun is out, the birds are chirping, but some athletes are thinking of a different kind of birdie.   

  Warsaw golfers started practicing on Feb. 29 and their first meet was March 24 at Higginsville. JV and Varsity both got first and Warsaw won overall.

  Golf is a mental sport where players have to be in the right mindset when they step out on the course.

  “Preparation begins with a lot of hard work at the driving range and putting/chipping green,” coach Bob Foster said.

  Players take many things into consideration when preparing for the upcoming golf season. They work on their swings, range their clubs and try to develop consistency with their clubs.

  After swings and clubs are under control, players move on to working on putting and will start putting in some rounds for score on the course. For many of the players doing this will lead them to understanding where they have struggles, they can then work through these issues at the range or putting green.

   “Putting is always a problem among golfers,” Foster said.

  With golf, training comes in many forms, one of these forms being repetition. This means players will hit the same shot over and over again until it becomes consistent. Another form is taking a lot of swings, putts and playing a lot of golf.

  Many players even spend their weekends playing or go to weekend practices.

   “I prepare by hitting golf balls into my pond and see how far they may go, as I’m doing this I watch how I swing,” freshman Emily Engebretsen said. There are many ways to place themselves in a JV or Varsity spot.

  “Once the Varsity and JV rosters are established, players can challenge golfers that hold the spot above them in a stroke play (at least 4 holes),” Foster said.

  The best score will get the spot, the players sometimes set up the challenges and sometimes the Coaches decide. These challenges are generally based on a player turning in consistently better score than a player that is ranked above them.

  There are 14 players on the team. These players include seniors Jaime Jimenez (Varsity), Kyle Nevius (Varsity), Justin Jachetta-Whitmire (Varsity), Michael Kephart (Varsity) and Thane Henderson (JV); juniors Maddie Grobe (Varsity), Kylie Guyette (JV) and Jonathan Petesch (JV); sophomore Ryane Faulconer (JV); freshmen Logan Davis (JV), Emily Engebretsen (JV), Abby Foster (JV), Maddie Gardner (JV) and Sam Andrews (JV).

   Some advice for  becoming a better golfer are to  “Play good, get low scores, hit the ball far and practice everyday,” senior Jamie Jimenez said.

3/24 – Clinton – Home – 4:00 p.m.

3/28 – Tipton High School – Away – TBA

3/29 – Osage – Away – 4:00 p.m.

⅘ – Archie/Hermitage/El Dorado Springs – Home – 4:00 p.m.

4/7 – Lincoln/Russellville – Away – 4:00 p.m.

4/12 – Eldon High School Quad – Away – 4:00 p.m.

4/15 – Clinton/Butler – Home – 4:00 p.m.

4/18 – Sacred Heart Tournament – Away – 10:00 a.m.

4/20 – Tri-County Conference Tournament – Away – 9:00 a.m.

4/21 – El Dorado Springs High School – Away – 4:00 p.m.

4/26 – Benton COunty Cup – Away – 4:00 p.m.

4/29 – Butler Tournament – Away – 9:00 a.m.