This story originally appeared in the July 28 issue of the Community Voice. For your own subscription, call 270-384-9454.
Nick Coe has played golf just about since he could walk. He played in high school and still plays competitively on weekends around the region. The sport is very important to him.
That’s one of, if not the main reason, Coe jumped at the chance to take over the boys’ golf team at Adair County High School. Athletics Director Craig Biggs made the announcement last week .
“I had always been interested in the job, but I had never really kept up with when the job was posted,” Coe said. “(Principal) Chad Parnell and Craig Biggs reached out and asked if this was something I would be interested in. I said absolutely. .”
Coe teaches in the school district and coaches the swim team.
His love for golf comes honestly as Coe said he would follow his father and grandfather around the fairways when he was younger.
“I wanted to be out there too,” he said. “It also didn’t hurt there was a big swimming pool at the golf course we played at. So, if we got tired of playing, we would go swim, hang out a little bit, then go play some more.”
Coe began preseason practice on July 15. Currently, 15 players are on the roster. That’s a bigger roster than Adair County has had in a long time.
“For the last couple of years, it has been a little rough for our golf program,” Coe said. “I think we kind of needed some structure to it. We want to get the kids out and get them motivated.”
The coach said he’s been impressed with what he has seen so far from the team. With a lot of youth on the squad, Coe said there is talent, it just needs to gain more experience.
“I have come in, laid out what I expect, and I make sure to let the par- ents know as well as the players,” he said. “Here’s what I am going to do, here is how I am going to run things.
“There is talent here, a lot of kids that have been around the game. We have some work to do with the younger kids. The older group, soph- omores and juniors, are doing some good things. It is going to need to be a team effort to get this program going in the right direction.”
Coe said he is asking players to make a commitment to the program and work as hard as they can. The end results, which differs player to player, will be worth the effort.
“I want the players to know I am here for them,” Coe said. “Golf is a team sport, but it is very much an individual sport. There are times when I am about getting down to business, mak- ing sure we’re getting better every day we’re out there, and not just killing time.
“I need 100 percent effort from them. If they ’re putting in 100 percent effort, then I am putting in 100 percent effort. You have to make time to get to where you want to be. If you’re put- ting in the effort, and I am putting in the effort, we will get there.”
Now, it is time to get to work.
“Golf is a chess game,” Coe said. “Golf is about making right decisions, knowing the percent- ages, putting yourself is scoring position. It is a lot more than just hitting a ball. We want the kids to learn how to play the game the right way.”
By Scott Wilson
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