Paige Gooch thinks it is difficult to practice on her own. Her dad was always her coach. Now she doesn't have one.
Gooch, a junior, and two other juniors on the women's golf team are living off campus for semester-long internships. They practice on their own during the week - without a coach - and meet the team for tournaments on the weekends. The absence of a coach is something almost unheard of for the team.
"Now I leave for the golf course (for practice), and I don't have to be there," Gooch, a Management Fellow, said. "So the first challenge is being dedicated enough to want to practice after I've been working all day. The second challenge is that I have an hour or two hours to improve the weaknesses in my game."
Gooch added: "It is more difficult than I thought it would be. The biggest challenge is finding time for everything you want to get in. It takes a lot more planning."
Even though the girls play with the team during weekend tournaments, according to head coach Vince Lazar, there is a different sense of unity on this year's team than in past years.
"I have never had a situation like this during my 15 years of coaching," Lazar said. "There is no other support system. They have to represent their team. All of our players are being taken up to St. Mary's this upcoming weekend just so they can be put in a hotel room and can get to know each other."
Gooch said being apart means having to work harder on team unity.
"We are making more of an effort than any year before because we know how crucial it will be to have these relationships in the spring," Gooch added.
Although the team chemistry may be different, girls are stepping up to fill leadership positions that would have been filled by the three juniors. The on-campus players are supportive of the situation. They understand the juniors performed well last year and deserve to represent their team in tournaments, regardless of them not practicing with the team during the week.
"Our two seniors, Sam (Stahler) and Camila (Romero), have really stepped up this year," Lazar said. "Sam has tried to guide the freshman and has gone above and beyond. As a captain, Camila has done a really great job."
Gooch said the balancing act between adult life and student athlete-life is proving to be difficult. She and her fellow juniors are not always able to practice or prepare enough for upcoming tournaments. In this case, the off-campus players can decide if they are ready to play for their team or not.
"They have to be honest with themselves and their teammates," Lazar said. "We need them to come ready to play. The players from home can help us out if they were unable to prepare during the week."