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04/20/2022 12:00 AMAny day is a good day to golf if the clouds are clear and the sun is shining down on the course for Morgan senior Nick Schmidt. Nick is leading the Morgan boys’ golf team as a senior captain and has the Huskies off to an excellent start this spring.
Nick’s love of golf has led him to fulfilling career with humble accomplishments at Morgan. Nick has taken what he’s learned from the players who came before him and is using those lessons to be a leader for the younger golfers on the Huskies’ roster.
Nick’s passion for the sport took off as he made a transition during his last year of middle school. Nick had grown up playing baseball every spring until he realized that he no longer wanted to pursue the sport. Nick had golfed for fun on the side until he reached high school, when he decided that golf was the sport he wanted to devote himself to.
“Once I found out there was a high school golf team, it really made me want to join,” says Nick. “I was starting to build more of a strong feeling for golf.”
Nick had some nerves when he began his high school career as an inexperienced freshman. He had weaknesses in his game and was still trying to grasp what it truly means to be a Morgan golfer. When he first started golfing, Nick couldn’t hit the ball that well with a driver, but he was motivated to get better. With years of experience and guidance from his older teammates, along with a new driver, Nick started to make some serious progress.
“I was pretty nervous being a freshman, but the seniors were really introductive and set a stepping stone to where I could pursue and grow as a golfer,” Nick says. “I try to golf as much as I can with the younger kids, because I want to mentor them like the seniors mentored me.”
In addition to the support of his teammates, Nick has also received plenty of encouragement from his father Greg. Nick’s dad likes to take him to the course every weekend so the senior captain can continue improving his game, while they spend some quality bonding time together. His father’s mentorship served as a model for the kind of leader that Nick wanted to become during his senior season.
Morgan Head Coach Eric Bergman has also served as an influential leader for Nick during his journey as a golfer. Nick feels thankful for that guidance and respects the example that Bergman sets for the Huskies. In turn, Coach Bergman praises Nick’s dedication to elevating his game. Bergman says that Nick’s growth into a steady performer and reliable leader has stabilized his status as one of the top golfers on Morgan’s roster.
“Nick is one of the more responsible young men I’ve had in the program in years. He came to us as a freshman, and there seemed to be something very special about him when I first met him,” says Bergman. “People respect Nick and admire the way he carries himself. He’s committed to his own game and his own team.”
Nick’s leadership is making a positive impact on the Morgan golf squad through the early goings of the 2022 season. Morgan has a record of 4-0 so far, and Nick’s accountability as a captain is strengthening the chemistry among the Huskies.
Nick enjoys sharing the course with both teammates and opponents. He likes to talk and joke around with players from other schools, as well as his fellow Huskies. Nick’s teammates look up to him because of his personality and the way he handles himself amidst the pressure of competition on the links.
“I try to loosen my teammates up. They’ve said to me how thankful they are for me to be in there,” Nick says. “I want to be the best person I can be to help out the younger kids. I hope they can be better than me, and I hope they can take their game to the next level.”
With only four matches completed, there is still a long way to go this spring, and Nick feels excited for Morgan’s opportunity to succeed. The Huskies returned the bulk of their team from the 2021 season, and Nick has high hopes about what they can achieve in 2022.
“We’ve gotten a lot better since last year,” Nick says. “I’m really looking forward to seeing where we pan out, because I really think we can be one of the top teams in the division.”
Following his final high school season, Nick plans to attend Roger Williams University in Rhode Island in the fall. Nick is looking to study finance and hopes to continue his golf career at the next level.
“I’d love to keep making those connections on the course that I’ve been making throughout my high school career,” says Nick. “I feel like that would be a good experience for me just loving the sport of golf. I really just want to pursue golf as much as possible and get better.”