With snow flurries hitting Sedona, spring sports have been limited in their practice time.
For Sedona coach Mike Webster, the weather has caused the Scorpions to postpone
their tee times.
“Although our season has already started, we still encourage kids to come out for the team,” Webster said. “It would be fantastic to add to our roster, they just need to speak to Don Burton, the Scorpions athletic director.”
Webster spoke on how the golfers remain sharp despite less than ideal circumstances.
How has the team looked recently?
We have had such bad weather that we have not been able to practice much. Last week we had two practices and it looks like we might practice once this week. We have not made as much progress as we would have hoped so far.
With the inclement weather hitting Sedona, how do you ensure the players stay sharp?
Well, what I ask them to do is practice their swing at home in front of the mirror. We tell them to review their swing and practice their putting. Most of the kids have carpets so the least they can do is practice their form and hit a ball with the putting.
What progress will you be looking for within the course of this season?
How should the team attack the first course?
Our first match will be held at Agave Highlands, formerly known as Verde Santa Fe. The course under new ownership has vastly improved in condition, so I am hopeful, we will have better scores for that reason. I am also optimistic we will score higher in comparison to last year’s total.
What will you consider a successful season?
A successful season would be to have all my players participate, stay eligible and lower their scores. What I do before the first match is give each player a three-by-five index and have them list their individual goals. They each list three goals that I review with them to make sure they are obtainable. Throughout the season, we either obtain some of those goals and list new ones or we push to accomplish the goals we had previously set out. It is a successful season if we can get them to obtain them and surpass their preseason goals.
How have the freshmen done in limited action?
Cameron Stewart is really coming along so far. His swing looks great and he is hitting the ball well. I am probably looking at Cameron to take on our No. 2 role this year. Carter Parlin-Hanzel is brand new to us so at least he does not have any bad habits. He is starting to hit a golf ball so we have spent time molding his swing to its ideal form. It is an encouraging sign to see how excited he is excited about the progress
he has made since his first practice.
How has the first few weeks of the season gone for you?
Well, it allows me more time to spend at my original profession. But it is frustrating because we should have already had almost eight practices under our belt. However, I assume other schools in this area are having similar issues to ours with the weather at the moment. But it is discouraging because I would have liked to have given our kids more time to prepare before their first match. This week is pretty much done with how the weather is holding up, so we probably
will not hold practice. We only have two days to practice next week before our first match.
How has Gavin Bruce looked after he struggled in his first week?
We got him pretty much worked out on Friday at practice. He definitely knows what he was doing wrong and why the ball was not reacting how he wanted it to. I know Gavin went down to Phoenix last weekend so he could practice in better weather. He wanted to hone in on the minute adjustments to his swing and now he is hitting the ball really well. He should be shooting in the high 30s this season.
The Scorpions open the season on Thursday, Feb. 28, when Sedona battles Camp Verde.
Sedona’s first home match is Tuesday, March 5, when the Scorpions host North-land Prep, Camp Verde and Chino Valley.
Tee time for both matches is 2:30 p.m.
