The story of the Topeka High golf team is not necessarily one of glamour, but it highlights what high school sports should be.
The team, led by sixteenth-year head coach Ryan Nelson, is one centered around improvement and the fostering of a lifetime love for golf.
Creating a rewarding golfing experience at Topeka High isn’t a simple task, but Nelson navigates it by nurturing rather than expecting perfection.
“We’re not really a golf school; we don’t have a lot of guys coming in with golfing experience,” Nelson said. “Coaching kids with no experience takes a lot of patience. You have to show them the basics and just keep reinforcing them. Golf is tough because you usually get worse before you get better, and for new golfers that is difficult to understand.”
One product of this coaching philosophy is senior captain Brock Rogers, who, after improving on JV during his freshman and sophomore years, finds himself in his second varsity season. Rogers—the only Topeka High student who competes on varsity—specified a change in his golfing philosophy. “My first two years I just played for fun, but now that I’m on varsity, I’m in a more competitive mindset,” Rogers said. “My goal right now is to lower my score every time I play, and hopefully do well at regionals.”
Looking past regionals and into the future of Topeka High golf, Coach Nelson sees a lot of upside.
“The next couple of years will be really interesting,” Nelson said. “I have a few freshmen that I think really have potential; I want to see them get better this year.”
The team is always searching for young talent that could represent Topeka High at varsity tournaments.
“I always want freshmen and sophomores because you have more time to help them get better,” Nelson said. “This is the only time in life you get to play for free. Why aren’t you playing golf?”
Every day is another opportunity to get better for Trojan golf athletes, and those keeping tabs on the team should feel excited about the future.
“We’re excited to be out there every day getting better; that’s really what we’re trying to accomplish,” Coach Nelson said.