SPRING CITY—If there is one lesson that Great Valley girls' golf coach Cathy Russell wants her young Patriots team take away from this season, it is that golf should be enjoyed.
Russell has felt the gamut of human emotions throughout her long career in a sport, including much joy and happiness. But at times, mostly as a student and player at Ohio State and on the international ladies tour, she felt overwhelmed and frustrated by the way her fellow players acted toward each other and themselves.
“I want these girls to remember that it is a game,” said Russell. “It’s not another thing to beat yourself up about. I want them to look back on this time of their lives and have great stories to tell, and remember how much fun it was to be part of a team that loved playing with each other. I didn’t have that in school.”
Find out what's happening in Malvernwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
As the Patriots’ season progresses, they will be led by co-captains junior Megan Shaughnessy and senior Caroline Orr, who will be carrying the role of the number one player on the squad and is looking forward to having the other girls look up to her.
“I love being a role model for the younger girls,” Orr said. “I know I can’t take myself too seriously or get down on any of my teammates. Personally, I try to think about golf when I am practicing, and play golf when I am on the course during a match.”
Find out what's happening in Malvernwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Paying attention to the details and intricacies of the game is something that Orr and her mates do every practice, and the “just play” system seems to be working well for the loquacious 17-year-old.
On Tuesday, Great Valley fielded a team of six as it battled Catholic Academies League powerhouse Mount St. Joe’s in a nonleague match that the Pats lost by 19. But the scores were not the entire story; coach Russell was happy with the improvement her squad made and is confident that, when the whole team comes together, they will continue to grow.
“We hung in there with Mount and kept it under 20,” added Russell. “Even though I see some areas we need to work on, I am looking forward to the season. I think the biggest thing that girls playing golf have to do is to respect the short game. It’s easy to see big drives, but strokes can be saved or lost with sloppy chipping or green play.”
“I love this group of girls,” said Megan Shaughnessy. "I am looking forward to the competition this season. My goal is to not let anything get to me on the course. I want to stay relaxed no matter what, and just focus on making good shots and setting the example for my teammates.”
Kristina Lilienthal and Sydney Villasis, who were not present on Tuesday’s 189-208 defeat, will be joining Orr (53) and Shaughnessey (63) along with Katie Brophy (50), Sarah West (58), Emily Kim (49) and Rachel Cowgill (56), as Great Valley takes on Phoenixville on Wednesday at Meadowbrook Golf Club.
Russell is in her third year as the head coach at Great Valley, and when she's not following her girls around Spring Hollow Golf Club, the Pats home course, she runs junior golf tournaments year round and works at Boomers Golf center in Avondale.
“The people here at Spring Hollow are awesome,” said Russell. “We are so fortunate as a team to have such a challenging course as our home, it is a distinct advantage to where to not hit the ball here as well knowing the lay of the greens.”
Great Valley 2011 girls golf schedule
8/24 @Phoenixville 3:30
8/30 Spring Ford 3:30
8/31 @ Downingtown East 3:30
9/7 Radnor 3:30
9/13 Villa Maria Academy 3:30
9/20 Downingtown East 3:30
9/21 @ Spring Ford 3:30
9/27 @ Radnor 3:30
