Cobra golf swinging for success

There's a lot of attention being directed at Cobra athletics, and rightfully so. Much of that attention comes from home games at Parkland, with help of the fans. The Parkland Cobras men's golf team doesn't benefit from this advantage, but that shouldn't stop them from getting the recognition they deserve. The players and staff have done a great job with this club on and off the field as can be shown by the skills developed learning and perfecting the game of golf as well their performance in season play.

Most coaches will tell you practice is the dress rehearsal for the actual game or event. Zach McNabney, head coach of the golf team at Parkland, has done an excellent job of getting his squad ready as evidenced by the way his players practice. The entire team has built a business-like atmosphere on the course. Proper preparation is crucial for these events against opposing schools and is something they take very seriously.

Several translatable life skills have been developed by McNabney's club through their personal growth as athletes. There is a lot of attention paid to detail. In order to get the preferred tee shot, you will often notice the players somewhat adjust their stance, their power, or their angle. All aspects are taken into account when considering the best method of achieving a great tee shot. More often than not, a person's approach to sports seems to be synonymous with their performance in real life situations. This ensures that attention to detail will assist these student athletes in achieving the best result in a classroom setting.

Patience is also very important. Golf is not a sport that you can perfect in 24 hours. Natural ability, desire to play, and coaching of certain skills all play an important role in developing a golf game. This may prove to be a somewhat tedious, but very necessary, process. It could also become frustrating at times. From the attitudes portrayed by McNabney's club, this apparently has been sown into the head of his players. When a shot drifts or doesn't land near anywhere near the desired spot on the green, there is not even the slightest hint of disgust. It's on to the next shot with a confidence that it will land where it's supposed to. This value appears to be accepted team wide.

One aspect of the game that will prove very valuable on and off the field is the follow through. Anyone ranging from amateur to professional will tell you the importance of the follow through in golf. The follow through comes at the end of the golf swing and is the finale of the entire process. Without a follow through, it is near impossible to land the shot you want. The shot will possibly fade or not reach the distance a golfer had hoped for.

The Cobras do not suffer from this ailment as every player on the team has a very strong follow through. McNabney and his staff deserve a lot of credit for implanting the importance of the follow through into his players' minds. The constant notion of remembering the follow through will become an asset. Starting a golf swing without a follow through is comparable to writing an essay without a conclusion. All tasks must be completed once they are started.

The Cobras finished 3^rd in their first tournament of the season, the Rend Lake Invitational in Ina, Ill. They were led by freshman David Keenan who finished with a 36 hole total of 148 (72-76). This was 4^th best among all athletes competing.

The next stop of the season saw the Cobras make an appearance at the Transylvania University Invitational in Lexington, Ky. As the only two-year college in the tourney, the Cobras finished 8^th out of 15 teams which is an accomplishment in itself. Proving itself amongst NCAA D-2, D-3, and NAIA clubs is a testament to the preparation and talent of this Cobras team. Very noteworthy was the performance of Tyler Schumtz. His finish at 144 (73-71) was enough for a tie at 6^th place.

The Cobras most recent stop in Marion, Ill. saw them struggle a bit at the John A. Logan Invitational. They finished 5^th out of eight teams in an event shortened by rain. McNabney's team is not letting their defeat get them down, though. They are very upbeat and optimistic about their upcoming tourneys. Their most recent event was the Danville Invitational in Danville, Ill. However, the tournament has not been completed by the date of the publication. The next tournament is the Ancilla Invitational in Ancilla, Ind. from Oct. 5-7. If you are around the area and want to spend a relaxing day watching players reach their goals, come out to any of the Parkland Cobras' golf tournaments and support some great athletes.