Commencement Speech

Students, athletes, coaches, and teachers, today I want to talk to you about perseverance.  To persevere is to never give up, pushing onward even when it’s hard and obstacles are in your way.  Reflecting back to freshmen year, I remember the excitement of being on the golf team. The game of golf requires you to have respect, integrity, and perseverance.

High school is much like golf in that , it isn’t an easy game if you haven’t been exposed to it before.  There are unfamiliar terms like ,”birdie”, “bogey”, and “par”. Also, there are rules of etiquette to follow.  Similarly you have to figure out what your school expectations are and how to stay on par. These are life lessons that can also be applied in life.  You have to have self-discipline , because you keep your score and call your own penalties. This helps out when it comes to trying to manage school work and extracurricular activities.

“Birdie” means that you are one better than par, that you’ve met the goal and surpassed it.  It is someone who strives to go above and beyond . “I don’t believe that you have to be better than everybody else.  I believe you have to be better than you thought you could ever be”. (Ken Venturi). “Bogey” is when you are one over and you are forced to make up a stroke later.  I found myself in this situation on more than one occasion during my school career. During a match I would remind myself to stay calm and do my best because, your own mind and the course are your opponents.  You set your own limits. It’s not so easy in real life though, especially here at school. You may encounter obstacles–such as personal hardships and deaths, break ups, money problems, even failed coursework–but, you have keep pushing ahead.  Each hole is different presenting their own challenges, just as each year of high school is a different experience presenting new things and obstacles. You will be challenged too. Believe in yourself and don’t quite . In the end it doesn’t mattered how great your long game is if you don’t finish the job on the green. Every shot is carefully calculated by the placement of the pin and like in life the pin placement is constantly changing.  Classes, teachers, and life situations will all change but you have to find a way to overcome those changes and move ahead carefully.

Play your own game and shoot for “birdies”.  Without the life lessons I’ve learned on the golf course, it wouldn’t be possible for me to to address you here today.  Oak Hill class of 2018, I urge you to “Forget your opponents; always play against par” (Sam Snead).

 
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