Many times when someone is presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, or they discover a passion, life’s time-consuming demands tend to get in the way of unapologetically pursuing them.

Darrin Karuzas, Sedona Red Rock High School’s outgoing principal, has found himself in a position to pursue what he calls a midlife opportunity. Karzuas is trying to represent the United States at the Footgolf World Cup, to be held this December in Marrakech, Morocco.

“It’s very exciting. It’s bittersweet, first of all to have to leave here and something that I’ve called my home the last 10 years,” Karuzas said. “It’s an adventure coming up, there’s some challenges that are going to come with it. Any time you deal with change, it’s exciting and there’s a little bit of trepidation with it.”

Karuzas and his high school sweetheart, Linda, lived in Florida for 33 years before coming to Sedona 10 years ago. When they came to red rock country, they talked about the possibility of returning to the Sunshine State when their daughter, Nevada, graduated high school.

Nevada Karuzas graduates from Red Rock on Wednesday, May 23, and beginning in August, will attend the University of Central Florida. Darrin Karuzas’ contract with the school district ends on June 30.

Over the summer, the family will move, and in the meantime he will take advantage of the opportunity to work toward World Cup qualification.

He spoke fondly of his tenure at the high school. More than anything, Karuzas said that a few years down the line, he would reflect on watching the students grow through their four years. The relationships developed with students, parents, teachers and other community members, as well as seeing students return to the school as alumni, are examples of some of the greatest rewards.

“Overall the last 10 years have been as full as you can get, as far as happiness and challenges,” Karuzas said. “It’s been an incredible 10 years of my life. Sometimes it feels like five minutes, and sometimes 100 years.”

He also made it clear that he is not solely pursuing footgolf; it was a family decision, and he is certain that he will return to education.

“By no means am I doing this to solely pursue footgolf; it’s a midlife opportunity,” Karuzas said. “[World Cup qualification], that’s my short-term goal. My long-term goal is to get back into education in some capacity
of leadership and administration. I think that’s just my calling.”

Karuzas, 50, began playing footgolf a little more than 18 months ago, and has consistently been among the nation’s top players. The sport has taken off since that time, he said, and continues growing in popularity.

At the U.S. Open, from April 26 to 29 in Oxnard, Calif., Karuzas finished five strokes under par after three rounds, taking fifth in the senior category. Senior players are 45 years of age and older.

In order to qualify for the World Cup, Karuzas has to either win the national championship or be among the top two or four senior players. The national championship will be played August 27 to 30 in Kissimmee, Fla.

A points system determines the rankings, in which he sat third in the senior category, according to the U.S. Footgolf website on Thursday, May 17.

He is aided by his background coaching and playing soccer and his knowledge of the greens from playing golf. He started soccer in his youth, played through high school and then in college at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., before four years playing professionally in Florida and Myrtle Beach, S.C. For decades since he has played in men’s leagues.

What hooked him to footgolf was the experience. He said he plays about five times a week at the only local course, Canyon Mesa Country Club, which is about a three-minute walk from his home in the Village of Oak Creek. His son, Carson, plays with him as well. The two made history when they won national titles in their respective age groups last November, the only father-son duo to ever do so.

“A lot of times it’s just you and the course, you and nature … trying to conquer that and trying to enjoy the peacefulness of playing alone or with a small group and enjoying nature and freeing up the mind a little bit to think and focus,” Darrin Karuzas said. “It’s kind of a take away from life a little bit.”

Footgolf has taken Karuzas to California, Nevada, Alabama and Florida. He is looking to add Michigan and Texas to that list, and said he hopes for a trip to Europe as well.

He values the fact that he has been able to find something that he can be passionate about at his midlife age. He looks at playing in the World Cup as a legitimately attainable goal that he can pursue. He has already represented the U.S. in competition, like in the Jansen Cup, footgolf’s version of the Ryder Cup.

“You want to be the national champion, you want to do well in your competitions, but if you can go to the World Cup, represent your country and do well, it’s a dream and that’s the end game, that’s the goal for anybody serious [about footgolf],” Karuzas said.

He said his experience in Sedona, like any other place, has been full of ups and downs, challenges, failures and accomplishments. He likened life to any given round of footgolf, another reason why he enjoys it so much.

He wants to take advantage of this midlife opportunity before it goes away, because it could come and go in what feels like five minutes, or 100 years.

Footgolf Fundraiser

Darrin and Carson Karuzas are going to host a fundraiser at Canyon Mesa sometime in late June, but the date is not yet set. They will play 100 holes of footgolf in one day to help raise money for a cause in the realm of veterans or Wounded Warriors, to raise money for themselves to travel and play, and to promote the sport.