By Ken Hansard

Many life lessons can be learned from playing competitive sports.  Learning to take pride in a craft.  Appreciation for fundamentals and details.  Learning to work with a team.  Perseverance through adversity.  Just to name a few.  While many athletes fail to internalize these lessons, Shay Gaddis, a senior golfer at Carthage High, seems to have embraced all of these things, and more, as true gifts to be treasured. 

            Gaddis was a state qualifier last year.  She shot an even par 72 at Cassville, a score that would make any amateur golfer jealous.  And yet, in answering questions, these are not the things Gaddis really wanted to talk about.  Moreso, she wanted to talk about the things she has gained from the sport, “My season ended okay. There was a lot to be learned and a lot that I did learn. Addie (my teammate) and I were able to make it to state and compete. We learned a lot those two days and are excited for this coming season!”  

As for the upcoming season – her final run with the Tigers – Gaddis is keeping expectations simple and direct, “My goals are simply to grow in the game and hopefully learn from the people around me.  As a senior, I’m looking forward to the relationships that I’ll form during the season, especially with incoming teammates. I see myself as someone who can lead and answer questions or concerns for my teammates while also making golf fun.”

Another life lesson sports teaches is that the journey may be more important than the destination. Asked about particular events she looks forward to, Gaddis answered, “I’m excited for all our tournaments because I enjoy them all!  I actually love it when the car ride is a little longer just because the ride is always pretty fun!”

One of the most important things about competition and training is learning to overcome adversity.  Addressing specific challenges, Shay responded, “The most challenging thing is the mental aspect. As you grow in the game, the mental challenges will slowly start to go away.  Putting myself in tough situations helps me grow. I found that you can’t put too much pressure on yourself. Pressure is a good thing to learn from, but if you let it take over your game. you aren’t going to enjoy it much – if at all.” After high school, Shay plans to go to college and major in business.  She would like to continue to golf at the next level.