In the year 2000, Scott Bishop read a Golf Digest article on scholarship opportunities in girls golf. After asking the superintendent if Whitley County High School could start its own girls golf team, he was tasked with getting it off the ground.
Bishop said that the early years were a struggle, but by the mid-2000’s the team was competing for, and winning, regional titles.
In recent years, Bishop has served as an assistant coach and has offered private lessons. This year, he is once again being tasked with leading the Lady Colonels as head coach. “I am extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity,” he said. “It is going to take a little bit to get back to the 2005-2006 level of play, but I look forward to the challenge.”
Bishop said he is well-aware of the fact that the level of competition in the region has seen a dramatic increase since his last stint as a head coach, but his main focus right now is simply to ensure that his players are working hard and see improvement with each practice and each match.
Mississippi State golfer offers tips on how to be successful in the sport
There is a YouTube video currently making the rounds online of Mississippi State senior Dain Richie addressing young golfers on behalf of the First Tee youth golf development program at Pine Mountain State Park.
In the video, Richie, who is a native of Illinois, explains that he began his journey in golf as a freshman in high school. He continued his playing career at Parkland College in Champaign, Ill., where he became a Junior College All-American.
Richie earned a scholarship to attend Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, finishing in the top ten in the NCAAS regionals before transferring to Mississippi State last year.
In his video, which is available now at YouTube.com, Richie offers advice on a wide range of topics, including the importance of being thoughtful with practice sessions. He shares his personal habit of keeping written plans in order to stay structured and track progress, and he also offers descriptions of the types of drills that he has found to be useful throughout his own personal development as a player.
Richie also touches on the importance of fitness in golf, saying he has grown to appreciate just how important it is to stretch and regularly incorporate certain exercises that are designed to improve mobility and increase endurance.
Finally, Richie encourages young players to compete as much as possible, whether it be at actual tournaments or in friendly competitions with friends and family. This is important, he said, because it is only through competition that a player will learn how to be tough mentally and bounce back from adversity while on the course.
“Every single competition is just an opportunity to grow,” Richie said in the video.
Find out more about Richie and the First Tee Pine Mountain program by searching for them on Facebook.
