Tee’m High and Let’m Fly
As we all know, sports are a tradition for all students here at Blue Valley. Even though 2020-2021 didn’t occur under the best circumstances, many sports teams still had a great showing, including the boys golf team.
On May 10, 2021, the varsity boys golf team won EKL for the first time since 1998. The team has broken the re- cord by the lowest team score three times this season. The score record is 292— the team shot a final round of the EKL tournament at Iron Horse led by sophomore James Ackerman, who placed sixth.
After playing golf for eight years, Ackerman validates that “every swing and shot counts.”
“I was introduced to golf by my parents,” Ackerman said. “We went on a trip to California once and they let me play golf and I fell in love with it.”
Though his coach has taught him positive aspects of the sport, Ackerman has learned on his own how fun it is to compete with other people.
“The benefits of playing golf is that you get to interact with different people and you are also outside a lot and away from electronics,” he said. “I know a lot about golf which helps me score better than others. I know that
you have to stay mentally focused all throughout the round, and you can’t let one bad shot turn into
another.”
Ackerman said golf is not like any other sport because it’s played individually but the score goes toward the team’s score.
“Playing an individual sport is a lot harder than other sports because if you have a bad day, there is no one to help you or make it better,” he said. “Your team can pick you up and you might still win. This is different from playing individually because you’re all by yourself and you can’t really screw up.”
On the day of every tournament, Ackerman listens to music and stretches before each round to be warmed up, less stressed, and prepared for his game. Whenever he is on the golf course, Ackerman appreciates the support from his parents, coaches, and other golf friends which helps him become a successful golfer.
“It’s really nice to have [my family] at most of my tour- naments there to cheer me on,” he said.
Already thinking about his future objective to academic heights, Ackerman is achieving his dream career. He was influenced by his favorite two golf players, Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods.
“I would love to [join the golf realm] and [become] a professional golfer one day,” he said. “I’m working hard to achieve that desire.”
Summer is a time for students to enjoy the outdoors, grow and adjust to a change of routine. They engage in lots of fun activities, trips, camps — you name it — but for Ackerman, his summer was spent with his friends and family and staying active.
“I [golfed] with some of my friends who push me to be better, but have fun at the same time, “he said. “I try to work out once every week at Hallbrook with my dad or friends to get some gains. I practice every day on the weekend.”
Over the long summer, Ackerman prepared for his next BV golf season, setting many plans and many hours of practice and putting his principal goal in action.
“I want to consistently shoot,” Ackerman said. “Also [I want to] improve my putting and make it the best part of my game.”
Mena Walker is a senior and this is her second year on staff. In school, she’s involved in NHS, Varsity Tennis, Galley Club, and Book Club. She is...
