My Life & Sports...

For as long as I can remember I have been involved with sports. My family got me involved as soon as I could walk. My father would take me out in the backyard and play all different sports. As a young child in Kindergarten, I joined ballet, because that was what girls did at that age. After that year of torture, I joined a few sports teams as well as karate. I played soccer, softball, basketball, and was learning the game of golf. From that point on up until my freshman year in high school, I played on a traveling indoor and outdoor soccer team, the town league, and the middle school team. I had surgery the summer before my freshman year of high school and it put me in a wheelchair for a month and a half. Because of this I missed tryouts and was not be able to get back into the swing of things the following years.

I played softball for about three years, but was bored with it, so I joined a baseball league. This was an all boy league, except for me of course. I played on this team for about two years. I also played basketball for about two years as well with the school team. At this point in my life, I stopped playing baseball and basketball and concentrated on golf.

I had always loved golf but never played in tournaments until I was in the ninth grade. Our home tournaments were held at the Liverpool Country Club, which is a course on the smaller side, however requires the golfer to be accurate. My first tournament was very nerve-recking, however I did well. I made it to sectionals all four years and currently play on the varsity women's golf team at Elmira College. During high school, I received many awards ranging from honor role varsity athlete, to placing in the top ten at sectionals, to section 1 all team golfer.

Playing on a college team is certainly different than high school. There are longer tournaments and it is much more competitive. Our home course is Elmira Country Club, which is a beautiful course with challenging greens. In this past season, 2005-2006, ECWG had a great team. We all have a lot of fun getting outside to play in the tournaments and just being able to compete is a joy in itself. At Elmira College's Athletic Banquet in the spring of 2005, I was named "golfer of the year" and in the spring of 2006, was received the "coaches award". The "coaches award" is given to a member of the team who is dedicated to the team, supports teamates, and is a good role model on and off the team. My favorite part about being on the varsity team is traveling. Our team goes as far as Vermont and Massachusets to play. It is always nice to play at different courses.

I have two most memorable moment throughout my athletic career. When I was about 10 years old, I was playing indoor soccer and my team was down by one point. We wanted to win in order to qualify for a bigger tournament, and in the last five seconds of the game I got the ball and kicked it from the center line...it went in...along with my soccer shoe. My shoe had flown off and went right along with the ball, and my team and I were so happy that we had tied and thought it was funny about my shoe.

Another memorable moment took place when I was about 16 years old. I was golfing with my father and at the 16th hole, which is a par 3, I hit the ball and go a hole-in-one!!!! When I hit the ball, it did not even hit the ground and roll in, it flew right into the cup! I threw my club up in the air and my father and I were screaming and jumping around. My father has never gotten a hole-in-one and for me to get one was an amazing feeling, especially since he was there to witness it.

Throughout my entire life, I have been involved with sports and will continue to do so until I am unable to. My family kept me very involved and I think that is a very important part of who I am as a person and as an athlete.

2005-2006 EC varsity golf team at St. Lawrence University Tournament. (left to right)...Me!!(Christine Burkard), Becky Pohle, Kayla Coady, Erika Godwin, and Jen Barbera.