By Derrick Smith

Practice is an important part of any athlete’s success, no matter what level they compete at. If they are not willing to put in the work in preparation, they will not be able to have the success that they could have had. 

Gavin Elmore is a freshman at Southmoore High School. He is a member of the varsity soccer team and knows what he has to do to grow as a golfer.

“I have to practice as much as I can,” he said. “Even after a regular practice or if we do not have practice, I still need to put in as much practice time as I can. Coach Black has been very helpful and encouraged all of us to continue to improve.”

One thing that motivates Gavin is his score when he is on the course. He tries his best every time he steps out there, but he has set a goal for himself to make a big improvement.

“I want to be shooting in the seventies consistently by next season. I think it is a good goal for myself and I am going to work hard to achieve it.”

Someone that has been a key player in Elmore’s success is his dad, whom Gavin thanks for helping him become who he is today.

“My dad is the biggest role model and influence on my life,” he said. “He is constantly pushing me to do better and he lets me practice as much as I can.”

Though he enjoys playing alongside all his teammates, Gavin says that there is one person that really pushes him the most.

“I would have to say that I battle the most with Ayden Benab,” he said. “He is an upperclassman, and we are constantly trash-talking each other. I appreciate him though because we push each other to do better every day.”

Just like most high school students, Elmore enjoys looking through his social media accounts when he has downtime. He says that he enjoys following one person in particular.

“Micah Morris is one of the best follows,” he said. “He is a very good golfer and is trying to go pro so it is really cool to see that process.”