April 6, 2018 at 12:18 p.m.
RHS golf team finally starts practice
RHS golf team finally starts practice
The team put off practice as long as it could, due to continued winter weather in the area, and still faces an indefinite amount of time indoors to begin the season.
The team could have begun practice as soon as March 26, under WIAA regulations, but opted to hold off a week due to Rhinelander's spring break. Tuesday was to have been the team's first practice, but a snowstorm canceled classes and all related activities that day.
Finally, the team got together Wednesday for the first time, though what they did didn't involve golf balls and clubs.
"We're going to do a unique activity," Schmidt said prior to practice. "We'll do a team-building activity and they we'll do some rules stuff."
Those unique activities included games in which players had to catch a pair of work gloves and then recite their teammates names and favorite brand of golf ball. Another game bound the golfers together with string. They had to work together to free themselves.
In addition to those activities, Schmidt said the team of just under 20 golfers has been in the weight room to prepare for the upcoming season.
"We've been doing morning weightlifting that had been voluntary (in the offseason)," he said. "Now that practice starts (as of Thursday) morning, it will be mandatory practice."
Schmidt said he plans to have more traditional golf-related activities at the end of this week and into next week.
"Hopefully, we're going to try to get creative next week," he said. "We've done some pool activities before, chip in the pool. Maybe we'll hit up in the nets in the middle school. Maybe we'll organize getting the (district-owned) Suburbans and taking a trip down south to a driving range or something. There's some options, but it's like what do you do with 20 inches of snow on the ground."
The snow cover is the major stumbling block for the team right now.
Unless the Hodags can squeeze in a trip down south to hit balls on the range or sneak in a practice round, the first time they tee it up this spring may very well be at the first competition.
That makes determining a varsity and JV difficult. Having a team that returns four varsity starters from last year helps matters. Schmidt said that will weigh into his opening lineup, as well how seriously the players take practice while indoors.
"It was to show us the kids that are committed and want to be part of it. That weighs into who we take," he said.
The Hodags are schedule to begin competition Thursday with an invite at Ashland. Though the event has not yet been canceled, it appears very unlikely that competition will go on as scheduled. There's still some guarded optimism that the team may get out to play in the Marshfield Invite at River's Edge Golf Course on April 17.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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