At first glance, wrestling and golf seem to have little in common. Unless that first glance includes Solanco High School senior Connor Sheehan. Sheehan has wrestled his way to one state-level competition and is working toward another. He has also qualified for two state-level golf tournaments, the only Solanco golfer ever to do so. There are similarities to the two seemly disparate sports, he said. "In golf, it's almost purely mental," he said. "They're both mental sports and require technique, but with wrestling, you also have to be strong. "They go hand-in-hand really well. There's competition and they're challenging. They are similar but they're enough different to be interesting."
His coaches agree. "I do believe the mental aspect of golf and wrestling are fairly similar," golf coach Gregory Minnich said. "In golf, it is you against the course and in wrestling, it is you against your opponent." "I think Connor has gained something from golf and also his golfing has gained something from wrestling," wrestling coach John Little said. Part of the mental game is keeping your temper, Sheehan said. "I don't get mad when I lose, especially to a good kid. It fuels me to get better," he said. His interest, attitude, and training began early. "I was in fourth grade when I began wrestling," Sheehan said. "One of my best friends got into it and I liked the competition and the challenge." Sheehan continued to wrestle through middle school and joined the high school team his freshman year. He picked up golf with his father's old set of clubs and then got a junior set. "That was in the summer, and it allowed me to spend time with my dad," he recalled. That first year, he wanted to shoot under 100. The year after that, he went for 90. Then he got serious. "When I was in eighth grade, I broke 80," he said. "That's when I started beating my dad and his friend." His first competition golf games came when he was a high school freshman. By the time he was a junior, he was shooting at or under par. Over the years, Sheehan has tried other sports. He played football in elementary school but was too small for the sport. "I couldn't hit hard enough," he said. "I didn't like sitting on the sidelines and I wanted to do something I could be good at." Now he's working on his bowling skills. After he graduates from Solanco, Sheehan plans to go to college. "I think I would like to be a teacher," he said. "I'm probably not going to be a pro golfer and I'm definitely not going to be a pro wrestler." Comments are closed.
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