1983 Boys' Golf Team
East Lansing High School 1983 Boys Class “A” State Champions
Won State Class A Championship October 22, 1983
Won Class A Regional Championship, October 14, 1983
Won Capital Area Championship, October 11, 1983
Team dual team record was 19 wins – 0 losses
Team invitational and tournament play record 100 wins – 2 losses
The 1983 ELHS Golf Team owes its success to a number of factors…
Local Golf Community
· Significant local interest in the game of golf
· Large number of local golf courses that were youth friendly
· Numerous opportunities for young people to learn the game of golf and compete in tournaments
· Good fortune to be able to use the excellent facilities at Par-Mor (Art Prior - Owner) and Walnut Hills Country Club (Reggie Myles – Head Pro)
Storied History of the ELHS Golf Program
· Deep-rooted commitment to excellence
· Consistently strong team and individual results in conference, regional and state competition
· Strong role models (particularly former players) motivated young golfers to want to play for ELHS
Motivation to Win the Championship
· Pride in East Lansing High School and in their community
· Desiring to earn the respect of former and future ELHS golfers
· Desiring to bring a state golf championship back to East Lansing High School after a 35 year drought
· Desiring to win the championship as an expression of their appreciation for Coach Picard and her efforts
Outstanding Coaching and School Administrator Support
· Coach Picard encouraged up and coming middle school golfers to practice and play alongside golf team members to motivate and prepare them to play for the golf team in high school
· Coach Picard used positive psychology to strengthen the team’s belief that they would be successful and that they had a very good shot at competing for the state championship
· Coach Picard had the team play home matches from the blue (championship) tees to make the course more difficult for their competitors and to make other courses seem easier when playing them
· Coach Picard used her genius to motivate the team prior to the state championship, when she withheld her vote for their team and we fell from #1 to #2 in the rankings. Instead of being the hunted, they were now in the position of the hunter.
· Coach Hansen did an outstanding job of preparing freshman and JV golfers, to add depth and strength to the varsity team
· Ellen Cassidy and other school administrators were very accommodating of the limited amount of daylight for fall golf and arranged for golfers to get out of school early enough to practice and not feel rushed prior to their matches. Golfers were able to make arrangements to make up assignments and class time
Dedicated and Committed Team
· Focusing on team success over personal success
· Committing to doing everything it took (e.g., practicing, playing, and conditioning) to meet their goals of qualifying for the state tournament and placing higher each successive year
· Having a belief and vision that they would eventually win the state championship
· Accepting Coach Picard's challenge to establish a team definition of the term "champion"
· Writing down individual and team goals and committing to achieving them
· Spending spare time together to build camaraderie and strengthen team unity
Other Interesting Facts
· Team theme song was "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor
· Team vehicle was affectionately named the "Suburban Assault Vehicle"
· Walnut Hills Country Club Golf Pro, Reggie Myles, played on ELHS' 1948 state championship team
Won State Class A Championship October 22, 1983
Won Class A Regional Championship, October 14, 1983
Won Capital Area Championship, October 11, 1983
Team dual team record was 19 wins – 0 losses
Team invitational and tournament play record 100 wins – 2 losses
The 1983 ELHS Golf Team owes its success to a number of factors…
Local Golf Community
· Significant local interest in the game of golf
· Large number of local golf courses that were youth friendly
· Numerous opportunities for young people to learn the game of golf and compete in tournaments
· Good fortune to be able to use the excellent facilities at Par-Mor (Art Prior - Owner) and Walnut Hills Country Club (Reggie Myles – Head Pro)
Storied History of the ELHS Golf Program
· Deep-rooted commitment to excellence
· Consistently strong team and individual results in conference, regional and state competition
· Strong role models (particularly former players) motivated young golfers to want to play for ELHS
Motivation to Win the Championship
· Pride in East Lansing High School and in their community
· Desiring to earn the respect of former and future ELHS golfers
· Desiring to bring a state golf championship back to East Lansing High School after a 35 year drought
· Desiring to win the championship as an expression of their appreciation for Coach Picard and her efforts
Outstanding Coaching and School Administrator Support
· Coach Picard encouraged up and coming middle school golfers to practice and play alongside golf team members to motivate and prepare them to play for the golf team in high school
· Coach Picard used positive psychology to strengthen the team’s belief that they would be successful and that they had a very good shot at competing for the state championship
· Coach Picard had the team play home matches from the blue (championship) tees to make the course more difficult for their competitors and to make other courses seem easier when playing them
· Coach Picard used her genius to motivate the team prior to the state championship, when she withheld her vote for their team and we fell from #1 to #2 in the rankings. Instead of being the hunted, they were now in the position of the hunter.
· Coach Hansen did an outstanding job of preparing freshman and JV golfers, to add depth and strength to the varsity team
· Ellen Cassidy and other school administrators were very accommodating of the limited amount of daylight for fall golf and arranged for golfers to get out of school early enough to practice and not feel rushed prior to their matches. Golfers were able to make arrangements to make up assignments and class time
Dedicated and Committed Team
· Focusing on team success over personal success
· Committing to doing everything it took (e.g., practicing, playing, and conditioning) to meet their goals of qualifying for the state tournament and placing higher each successive year
· Having a belief and vision that they would eventually win the state championship
· Accepting Coach Picard's challenge to establish a team definition of the term "champion"
· Writing down individual and team goals and committing to achieving them
· Spending spare time together to build camaraderie and strengthen team unity
Other Interesting Facts
· Team theme song was "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor
· Team vehicle was affectionately named the "Suburban Assault Vehicle"
· Walnut Hills Country Club Golf Pro, Reggie Myles, played on ELHS' 1948 state championship team