I have the pleasure of working with a lot of junior golfers in the Dublin, Ohio area. Many of these juniors have just gone through their 3 and 4 day golf team tryouts. Some played great, and some didn't. Some have received their new team golf bags and uniforms. Some have received a painful blow to their egos.

I'm thrilled for those that worked hard and made the team. I also feel deeply for the ones that missed out. Kids in middle and high school are trying very hard to define themselves, and a great deal of this has to do with their accomplishments and their perceived failures.

Making or missing out on the team can play a huge role in this self-definition...if we choose to let it.

Michael Jordan was once cut from his school's basketball team. Did he let this little speed bump stop him from becoming the greatest basketball player of all-time? Apparently not. Michael probably used the situation as motivation. I'm certain he practiced harder, got in better shape, and watched what the players on the team did that he wasn't doing. Basically, he defined his "failure" at tryouts as a springboard to push him harder toward his bigger goals.

Thank goodness that Michael Jordan didn't let this situation drive him away from golf. Think of what we all would have missed! Maybe you have golf greatness in your future...it's just not finished yet!

Making the team is great, and those who did should be very happy, proud and inspired to grow more. Those who missed...see it for what it is. You played a couple rounds of golf, and your game wasn't good enough...on those days. This doesn't mean anything more than what you make of it.

Use it for motivation. Start practicing right now for next season. Find a great coach that can give you some great golf instruction. Look at your priorities. Did you put making the team at the top of your list? Or did you spend the summer at the pool and playing video games? You know the answer.

Tryouts measure performance for a few days. You have the rest of your life to be a great player. Will you do it?

I'm lucky to be able to work with and learn from a lot of very diverse people. One of my mentors is Fred Shoemaker, the author of Extraordinary Golf. Fred makes a great point about setting attainable goals for yourself when you play. Looking to shoot a particular score is not always attainable. Trying to commit completely to your shot is an attainable goal. Come up with something that you can completely control, and you'll find that you're happier at the end of the round.

I really try to determine what each golfer wants and help them formulate a set of goals that are useful and productive. I think that having a goal or goals for the season keeps you on track, and allows for your golf instructor to tailor your golf instruction to fit with your objectives.

If you live in the Dublin, Ohio area, and would like help creating your ideal golf goals for the year, please feel free to contact me by clicking on the link on this page.