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08/10/2023 06:59 AMWhether it was lining up a kick to go split the uprights, or squaring his body up for a shot off the tee to go right down the fairway, Declan Finkle’s aim was always true as he made his mark on multiple North Haven High School teams.
The Class of 2023 graduate played basketball, football, and baseball growing up, yet he connected with his father through the links. As Declan was a kicker on the Nighthawks’ football squad’s 2021 state championship club, he also took on the greens this past spring as a senior rookie for the golf team. Declan and North Haven earned a 15-1 regular-season mark, the SCC Tier II crown, and team appearances in both the SCC and Division I State Tournaments–the first time North Haven accomplished the latter feat since 2018.
“Golfing with my dad was such a good bonding experience, and I admired the challenge of it all with golf,” says Declan. “If you have a bad shot, all that matters is how you approach the next shot and you can’t stay mad. You need to keep the happy thoughts going. I have been practicing my chipping and putting, which helped me take a lot of strokes off my score this year.”
Declan notes that the rigors and routines of the gridiron and the preparation involved around it helped him lock in both mentally and physically, along with aiding him in perfecting the right form and structure to perform at his peak across multiple terrains.
“Mentally, I improved a lot through football. It helped me get used to practicing and staying in good shape mentally and physically. It also helped with my work ethic, and it made me a better person,” Declan says. “I learned to be a lot mentally stronger through adversity. Football helped me with golf through learning about using the core of my body and having the right plant foot and spot. I also learned a lot about the working force and a certain right way to do things to hit the ball in the center.”
Through watching the game of golf as a spectator, Declan learned to take the sport at its face value with the entertainment element–helping him shake off any sudden hurdles that may arise in a round.
“I watch professional golf with my dad, and so I learned to tell myself to just have fun out there,” says Declan. “My friends on the golf team also helped me, too, when I had a bad shot or hole. When I have a bad shot, I tell myself it is not the end of the world, and I just let it go in one ear and out the other.”
Of course the competition within each round doesn’t just lie in one’s mind, but additionally in Mother Nature against the various intricacies of each course across Connecticut. As is the case with many facets of life in 2023, Declan utilizes technology to stay one step ahead.
“My dad and I have an app where we can look over a course,” Declan says. “We can see what clubs we should play and where, and if I can play risky. With the app, it basically gives you a flyover look of the course and its holes; it really has been a big help with my golf game.”
Being a newcomer to the golf team in his own right, Declan easily found synergy and cohesion with the younger linksmen on the Nighthawks’ small but close-knit roster for the 2023 campaign, as he found new companions via the course.
“Being a senior leader on the team was pretty good. It was my first year on the team, so I connected with the sophomores and the younger guys well,” says Declan. “I talked to the younger guys every day and ended up being close friends with them.”
Nighthawks’ Head Coach Kevin St. Pierre says that while Declan was a new member to the team this past spring, he showed his veteran acumen and composure within the sport.
“Declan showed tremendous maturity for the season. He immediately made an impact from the first day of practice,” says St. Pierre. “Being a first-year player, it is difficult to understand different concepts and practices needed to compete at a high level, and he did it without hesitation. He immediately earned a starting spot, and I believe one of his greatest attributes is his ability to deal with adversity on the course.”
Whether it was learning the essential traits and characteristics of being an upstanding young man between the hash marks, soaking up the sun and fun with golf, or even digging deep and driving on the basketball court, each element of Declan’s tenure with NHHS Athletics wrought out the best in him, as he prepares for whatever his future brings him.
“I played a lot of sports here at North Haven, and I loved it all. Sports help you grow as a person,” says Declan, who also played hoops his freshman and sophomore years. “Football had a big impact on me. I played with all of the kids on the team growing up. I loved winning that state title and [Head Coach Anthony Sagnella], that coaching staff. Golf was good, because you are outside every day, and the vibes were high during the spring. Even basketball made me work hard. I just hope to be happy in life, both mentally and physically.”