Senior Series - Sol Rivera
When I first started golf, it was a way for me to play a sport while not taking too much time out of my Speech and Debate schedule. I appreciated the more relaxed nature of the sport, compared to the ultra competitive nature of tennis and swimming, which I had done previously. However, with Hawken's close-knit team (and awesome coaches), it became more than a filler; it became a hobby that I grew to appreciate, love, and identify with.
I cannot stress enough how integral the team was to my enjoyment of the sport. Most think of golf as a solitary sport, as on the course it's every man for themselves. This could not be further from the case. Both on the course (and off of it), my team is there for me. I have great memories of drilling each other on our short game (and complaining about how bad we are were), playing 9 holes on Saturdays and then getting brunch with my team, and having the end of the season party, where we eat pizza and watch our highlights. When one of us does well on the course, we all do well. Additionally, we commiserate with each other on the bad days - whether that means shooting a 51 or a 63.
These moments bring me back to my first year at Hawken, when I played with the talented Ella and Kate, who motivated me to try harder. Now that they are both in college, and I'm the oldest on the team, I remind myself to follow their lead and serve as an example to my team of mostly underclassmen.
Golf has a reputation as a silly sport, one that has little to do with athletics. However, riding golf carts and talking business were far from our minds. Walking a two and a half mile long course underneath the burning sun, I learned resilience, strength, and how to stay hydrated! All were important traits for me to gain, and they carried me throughout the course and helped me in school. My golf coach would especially agree with the last one, at least for me. She once said that I fare so poorly in the sun, I should be named "Frio'' instead of Sol!
To be honest, it's a little surreal that I've come so far in golf and in high school. It all went by so fast. My final note is this: To any girl who wants to join a new sport - pick golf! Between the friends you'll make, the calf muscles you'll grow, and yes, the short season, it's one of the best decisions you can make. I know it was for me.
