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04/26/2018 12:00 AMThe North Haven golf team has a young squad this year that doesn’t even feature one senior on its roster. Fortunately for the Indians, junior captain Ian Crowther has been on the golf course one way or another since he was eight years old and is using his experience to the Indians’ benefit this spring.
“I always went with my dad when he went on Saturdays in the summer. He bought me a set of clubs and brought me, so I fell in love with it,” says Ian. “Now, I spend about 10 to 15 hours per week on golf.”
Ian believes that he has a good grasp on using every club at his disposal. However, Ian feels the most confident when he reaches in his bag and pulls out the iron, which is his club of choice.
“My irons are my best club in the bag. I just make really good contact with them, so I’m starting to hit more greens more consistently,” Ian says. “Nothing lets me down much, and it’s always easy to fix with my professional, who helps me with my swing. If something goes wrong, I think over what to do and can generally fix it within a couple of swings.”
Indians’ Head Coach Daria Cummings appreciates Ian’s passion for golf, along with his willingness to learn. Cummings says that everything Ian does on the links has a positive impact on the rest of the squad.
“Ian’s biggest strength is that he listens when being coached. He understands developing golf skills takes time, and he has shown a willingness to work for long-term improvement,” Cummings says. “Ian has been on leader on the team with consistent offseason work, and that work ethic is started to be emulated by the younger players.”
Ian embraces taking on a leadership role with the Indians. He’s knows that one of his biggest responsibilities as a captain is to keep his teammates composed on the course, so North Haven can post its lowest possible score.
“For some of the younger guys, it relieves some stress. I find it very responsible that the guys look up to me. It’s on me and the other juniors, so the other kids make the right choices,” says Ian. “Golf should be relaxing and fun, so that’s why I like it. I like to have fun, and I don’t want to be stressed out or under a lot of adrenaline.”
Ian’s contributions to North Haven athletics go beyond the golf course. He’s also heavily involved in the Unified Sports program at the high school.
“Since elementary school, I did a club called Best Buddies. A teacher recommended [Unified Sports] to me freshman year, so I went and I loved it,” he says. “It’s a lot of fun, because they get to feel like what it’s like to play a varsity-like sport. Nothing makes it better than walking off and knowing one of them hit a buzzer-beater. They go home and tell their parents, walk around the rest of week, and everybody is happy for them.”
North Haven holds its home matches at Wallingford Country Club, and Ian feels fortunate that he gets to play golf there since it’s known as a prestigious course. Outside of the high-school season, Ian regularly plays golf throughout Connecticut, as well as out of state when he’s on vacation.
“I’ve played in states such as Florida, Vermont, New York, and even in Bermuda,” he says. “It’s a lot different, because it’s a whole new state, so the terrain is usually different, so it affects me hitting my ball. I also like to take in the scenery, so that sometimes gets me distracted a little bit, too.”
Ian loves golf, and he’s excited that he can continue playing the game throughout his life. After starting at age eight, Ian hopes to keep playing beyond age 80.
“It’s nice knowing I can stay active through high school, college, and into retirement, hopefully,” says Ian. “I’m happy just to be able to play a great game.”