Second-year UX design student Miguel Name is one of SCAD Atlanta’s most prominent golf players. According to Name, he picked up the sport in order to follow a tradition that has been a part of his family for generations. His father played golf since he was 18, just as all his brothers and other close kin, so the love for the sport became a part of their lifestyle and allowed them to achieve excellence in other fields. Name’s sister was awarded a full scholarship to study in the United States because of her prowess in golf, and Name, the younger brother, followed those same steps and found himself at SCAD’s golf team.
Name said that his favorite aspect of the sport is the amount of dedication and consistency required to achieve the highest skill levels. Hard work has always attracted him, just as physical and mental challenges, and golf combines those two things in a way that Name said he finds inspiring for other areas of his personal life. He has adopted similar mindsets towards challenges and discipline in his school work and artistic endeavors.
As for his least favorite aspect of golf, Name revealed that golf could become mentally exhausting during the tournaments, not just because of their duration, but also their solitude. Facing the evergreen fields on his own, with no other backup except his own mind and body, taught him the meaning of frustration in multiple occasions. However, Name says that it is a natural part of the process and he is determined to remain in the sport, viewing obstacles as opportunities to be a better athlete.
The global pandemic halted every athletic event at SCAD, so Name and his teammates couldn’t practice like they used to. According to Name, what he misses the most is the easy access to golf courses. Golf isn’t the kind of sport one can practice anywhere and at any given time, so Name and his teammates have had to become resourceful and find other ways to maintain their physical endurance.
Name says that being in the SCAD golf team has helped him improve in his time management, consistency in the practice and overall physical health. Having to deal with both classes and tournaments at the same time forced him to adopt strict schedules in order to get all his work done and still have time to practice with enthusiasm.
College athletes are facing a future of uncertainty in the coming season. Name says he’s expecting to put in his best effort both on and off the courses, and that his results will be a byproduct of all the discipline he intends to nurture over the season.