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Congratulates the
Nike Top Student!
(Each of Linda's Top Students will receive a
dozen Nike golf balls.
Congratulations to each winner, and thanks to Nike!)
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April 2006 |
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Jillian
Fracolla |
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Link here for
our interview
with Jill! |
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Do not
confuse Jillian's quiet demeanor as having
anything to do with the way Jillian plays golf!
This gifted athlete is a force to be reckoned
with in just her third year playing this sport.
Crossing over from hockey and soccer, golf has
been a somewhat easy transition for Jill,
however it has not come without patience and
hardwork. It is because of her work ethic and
dedication to becoming the best player that she
can be, that she is being recognized as the LSM
Student of March.
Somewhat of a perfectionist, Jillian commits to
two lessons a week and endless hours of practice
both at home in her garage, and at the driving
range (indoor in the winter). Her beautiful golf
swing is a testament to her work ethic and not
only has she developed the swing, she also has a
great understanding of cause and effect as it
applies to her swing. This empowers her as a
player and will serve her well as she heads off
to college in a couple of years.
This student teacher relationship is special for
both of us. Jillian has been a bright spot in my
life as she always comes to the lesson with a
smile on her face, ready to work hard, and it
has been fun to watch her mature into a fine
young woman. As she prepares to apply to
colleges to follow her dreams, I am proud of her
and happy to have been a part of the process. I
have every confidence that she will have a lot
of success in her life, but in the meantime,
keep an eye out for her name around town in all
the local and national tournaments. Good luck
Jill!
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Fall 2005 LSM Top
Student |
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Dineen Notman |
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| Mature, focused, driven, and hardworking are all qualities necessary to become
the top in any field. This month’s student, Dineen Notman, has achieved that
status in the Syracuse area for woman’s golf.
Anyone that has had the pleasure of spending time with this special teenager
knows that she is the exception, rather than the norm. Mature beyond her years,
one forgets her young age as we watch her challenge herself in many arenas to
reach goals that are set amazingly high.
Whether working out at her favorite gym, hitting endless golf balls working on
her swing, or logging hours at the local pros hop to make a little extra cash,
Dineen gives it 100%. Never one to shy away from responsibility, she is a
tireless promoter of golf as is evident with her relationship with junior
golfers and with her peers. Her sunny disposition and confidence in herself are qualities to make her one of
central New York’s’ finest players. Her future is bright and her options
unlimited because of her talents, and most important her attitude and work
ethic. I have enjoyed working with this special talent, and look forward to
watching Dineen reach her goals in golf and in life. She is a special person and
she teaches me as much about life as I teach her about golf!
Dineen is, and
continues to be a real pleasure to work with. |
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Link here for
our interview
with Dineen! |
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May 2005 Students of the
Month: Erin and Morgan |
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Link here for our
interview with Erin (left.)
Link here for
our interview with Morgan (right.) |
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Sisters, sisters, sisters!!!! There is so much fun and joy to share life
experiences with one’s siblings. It is with this frame of reference that we
announce this month’s sister students of the month! Erin and Morgan McDermott
grew up playing golf together and the friendly sister competition has sharpened
both of their competitive golf skills. Coming off a successful second season on the West Genesee golf team, we see both
of these girls as assets to their team and individuals that are tops in the
local golf arena.
While individuals in their approach to the game, they are different in their
strengths and weaknesses. Morgan has a carefree approach that allows her to
shrug off adversity and helps her to be consistent in her ability to score. With
her long lean body type, she generates a lot of power with the width of her
swing, and her fearless commitment to speed gives her maximum distance when she
swings. Her competitive spirit was groomed quite young and as a 7th
grader she was a top 5 player on the girl’s varsity team. This helps to round
out her golf abilities and as she continues to work on her short game she will
see her scores only go lower and lower. She is a joy to teach and understands
that lessons and practice are important to her achieving her goals. Morgan will
be playing in both local and national tournaments this summer so keep an eye out
for this fine player as she just begins to show us what she is capable of! Good
luck Morgan!Erin is the thinker in the family. Her strategic approach to her game and her
“need to know” mentality helps her to understand what she needs to do to
continue to improve her golf game. Her background in competitive swimming has
given her the edge to know what it takes to win and she understands that
practice is a huge part of performance. Erin was recognized last year as most
improved player as she found her way into the top 5 spot of the West Genesee
golf team. As a student she has been fun to watch as she achieves her goals and
then sets higher expectations of herself. She is not afraid to work hard and
comes to every lesson focused and ready to interact with questions that she may
have regarding her golf game. Erin will play local tournaments this summer and
though swimming is her passion we hope that golf stays a big part of her life as
she certainly has the talent to go as far as she would like.
Congratulations to both girls on all of your achievements and I look forward to
working with both of you as you achieve all of your goals both on and off the
golf course. |
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March 2005 StudentS (!) of the
Month: Kathy and Larry Deskin |
Link here for
our interview with Kathy
Link here for
our interview with Larry
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One look at this couple and you can understand why this is the first “students
of the month” for LSM Golf. Kathy and Larry have not only dedicated themselves
to each other and to raising their 7 children, but their approach to improving
themselves likewise in golf has earned them this month’s award!!
While Kathy has been a student of mine for quite sometime, it is only in the
past year that Larry has gotten involved, and the two of them come together for
their lessons. Practicing is the norm and to see them out at the Golfer’s Dome
practicing indoors once or twice a week is refreshing to any instructor. The
winning combination of weekly lessons off-season with at least one additional
practice session will produce benefits once the season begins. |
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Equipment changes for both have occurred this winter with both of them being fit
for drivers with our launch monitor. Both are students of the game and recognize
that an edge can be gained with attention to these details.
As an instructor, it is always an hour that I look forward to. They arrive
positive and ready to learn. They have arrived ahead of their scheduled hour and
both have warmed up. They come prepared with questions possibly regarding the
last lesson or an aid they have seen on the Internet and they have a strong
interest in the short game. I am able to focus on getting them to the level they
would like to play golf at and don’t have to waste my time and theirs coaching
them to practice and work on the short game.
Over this past year I have seen much progress in both of their swings and a
renewed confidence for them to trust it once they get to the golf course. Kathy
has recently agreed to play in a ladies member guest in Arizona which is a great
step for her in trusting her abilities, while Larry is gearing up to beating his
son in one of their matches this summer.
Good luck to both of you,
Kathy and Larry. I have every confidence that you are and continue to
be, prepared to improve yourselves and meet all of your goals. Congratulations!
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| Mary Carmody has it all!!! A tremendous athlete, Mary participates in many
sports throughout the year, and we are pleased to recognize her for her golf.
To be a success in golf, one has to have a good sound repeating golf swing, a
good short game that comes with dedication to practice, and the mind to
confidently trust what you know when it matters most in competition. These
attributes are most evident in Mary Carmody. As Mary’s instructor it has been a pleasure to watch her develop as a player.
Her work ethic makes every teacher look better and her understanding of her golf
swing will take her through the difficult times that each of us encounter while
playing this wonderful game. In my business, I have had a lot of opportunity to
teach young female adults -- but Mary is special. She has talent above and
beyond the average and fortunately Coach Pace recognized this as he recruited
Mary to Longwood College to play Division One golf in the fall. Coming from the
Northeast, this is a tremendous achievement and I couldn’t be more proud.
As we prepare for the future, Mary is dedicated to making her swing more
efficient and recognizes the importance of her short game. As we work together
throughout this winter and into the season, I look forward to our lessons and
seeing Mary get herself ready to achieve her goals. It is special to be a part
of this process and I know that she will be an asset to Longwood’s golf program.
It is for her recruiting accomplishments and hard work that Mary has been named
this month’s “student of the month”. Congratulations Mary!!!! |
January 2005
Mary Carmody
Link here to
see what
Mary has to say!
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October
2004
Anne Gowin
See what Anne
has to say! |
During a recent fall program with LSM golf schools, Anne proudly announced that
she and a couple of students in the class had played Drumlins East and she had
had a hole in one on the 8th hole!
Her excitement and enthusiasm for
this feat caught my interest. Our students come to us for many different
reasons. Not all are interested in qualifying for the tour, and it helped me to
remember that we teach to promote the game of golf and help our students meet
their needs, hopefully having fun along the way.
Anne recognized
the value of instruction and had participated in a short game and full swing
school earlier in the season. Her attitude towards improvement, accompanied by
her sense of humor made her a class favorite. It is these kinds of things that
help me to make learning fun!
Back again in the fall for a tune up, Anne was
beginning to spend more time playing and was able to give good feedback as to
what she felt her needs were to improve. LSM Golf and the PGA of America have
dedicated themselves to growing the game of golf through the Play Golf America
program. Anne could most certainly be a poster child for this program. Her
dedication to instruction, accompanied by her attitude towards the process of
achieving her golf goals has earned Anne this month’s student of the month.
Congratulations Anne!!!! |
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| Look at
that smile! Erin’s attitude towards golf and life are reflected in that dimpled
grin. It is her fresh approach towards golf and her lessons that has earned
Erin this June’s student of the month.
A
pleasure to work with is an understatement. She is a local talent that just
finished her first year on the CBA Varsity girls golf team, playing number 2
spot behind Bridget Erwin and achieving all of this as an eighth grader. Her
talent exceeds her years and her future in golf is bright, but it is truly her
attitude that makes her a winner.
A lot of
young girls have the skills and talent to become one of the best but when faced
with adversity on the golf course the mental side of this game wears them down.
Erin enjoys herself when she’s playing and it truly helps her to showcase her
talents as a young junior player.
Along
with the mental package Erin brings to the table a wonderful, uninhibited, golf
swing that has been developing over the last few years. She takes lessons
regularly and with the discipline that she has learned through her
accomplishments as a swimmer, she is every teacher's dream student. Dedicated,
patient, and committed to doing it right!
In this
student –teacher relationship I would have to say that I often wonder who is
getting more from the lessons her or me?
It's a true honor to have
her as a student
and we’ll be hearing a lot more from this young lady in the near future.
Congratulations Erin! |
June 2004
Erin Engstrom
Read what Erin has to say. |
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April 2004
Steve Zajac
Read Steve's interview here.
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Steve
has been chosen as this month's student in part because
of the success that he has achieved in the renovation of his
golf swing, but mostly because of his dedication to practice
and the high standards he sets for himself to achieve
perfection.
As Steve arrives for his lesson he
has taken the last lesson and worked on the concept until he
has perfected it. This helps an instructor to move forward
with the next change knowing that the student is comfortable
and knowlegeable with the previous swing change.
Steve is able to articulate what is
working or not and has a good foundation of knowledge of his
own golf swing.
I enjoy challenging him to move to the next level and know
that he is willing to put in the work necessary to achieve
those goals. He is a pleasure to work with and travels a
great distance for his lessons. I know that he values the
lessons and proves that to me in the wonderful changes that
he has made as he continues to grow as a player.
Thanks for the opportunity to work
with you Steve! |
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As the golf teams of central New York begin
their
season, Catie Dillman comes to mind as this month's student of the
month.
You see, Catie has been preparing for this
since last season! No last minute check up with a swing doctor, or
cramming her muscle memory for a repeating golf swing for this
student!
Catie is dedicated to golf
year round and recognizes what it takes to achieve her dreams of
being the best. As her instructor I have had the privilege of
seeing Catie mature into a fine young player, learning to play to
her strengths and accept her weaknesses.
Catie continues to meet with me weekly and as
a sign of any good player, she is getting to understand her golf
swing. She knows the value of this as her high school season begins.
Our sessions together are a bright spot on an otherwise dull,
dreary, Syracuse winter day.
Catie will continue to learn many of life's
lessons that this wonderful game has to offer, and as she reminds me
of so often, I look forward to her accomplishing her goals
(hopefully on tour) so that I can follow her around and be a part of
it all!!! Congratulations Catie. |
February 2004
Catie Dillman
Read our interview with Catie
here. |
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