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08/18/2023 04:53 PMConfidence can play a key and critical role in the success of an athlete, and for Kasimir Lesnik, securing some swagger in himself helped find his swing and drive the Hand boys’ golf team to postseason glory.
Kasimir grew up playing lacrosse, soccer, and basketball while his entire family golfed, yet Kasimir only took to the links on a fly-by-night basis until the pandemic ended up bringing him closer to the course.
This past spring as a junior, Kasimir helped lead the Tigers to a share of the SCC crown with Cheshire before they captured the Division II State Tournament title. He additionally played a big role in those postseason draws, earning All-SCC Team honors before finishing second overall at states with a round of 75, just three strokes off the top pace.
“This season meant a lot to me because I came into the year struggling,” says Kasimir. “I had some back issues so I came into the year not having swung a club in about six months, but my team and my coach had confidence in me and supported me. It meant so much to turn it around, and winning SCCs and states was even bigger.”
Hand Head Coach Jim Holleran notes that as the spring swung on, Kasimir found the final facet and form of his game at just the most opportune time for himself and the Tigers.
“Kas has a great deal of talent, but for a good part of the season he struggled with his swing. He has a fine short game, and he was able to score pretty well despite not hitting the ball the way he wanted to hit the ball,” says Holleran. “As the season moved towards its close, Kas found his swing. The combination of hitting the ball where he was looking to hit it and his very strong short game enabled him to shoot some very low scores. His great play in those postseason tournaments was a major factor in us winning a share of the SCC title and a state championship.”
It took a lot of time and dedication to get his shot and form back, but Kasimir embraced the challenge head on while becoming a more steady arm for the Tigers.
“Through my improvement, it took a lot of hard work; my coach and teammates trusted me, and I went to the driving range with my captains,” says Kasimir. “Through it all, I gained confidence in my own swing. I hit the ball where I wanted to more consistently.”
When it comes to his confidence, Kasimir has discovered to shake off the bad vibes rather quickly when they often emerge after a poor shot or score on a hole. It was early on that he learned one cannot just show up to the clubhouse expecting to dominate based on past experiences alone.
“For me, confidence was a big issue. I had confidence in my abilities before freshman year and having played golf competitively, but then I got shown up at practice to start that year,” Kasimir says. “From there, I learned my place and started understanding the mental aspect of the game. You may have bad shots or an off day, but you also learn from your failures and grow. My mental game is best when I am confident.”
The Tigers’ successes as a squad in 2023 in achieving dual postseason titles stem from the head, with its spectacular stewards who took the time to not only set great examples of how to perform, but allocating their own time to assist others.
“We had good captains this year and a coach who had seen it all after we had a bad year last year, which came after them previously winning states,” says Kasimir. “We had enthusiastic captains who are great golfers and helped the guys with their games. They drove everyone in a way where the guys showed up and were serious about practice.”
Speaking more to his character off the course, Kasimir keeps an even keel through good times and bad with the sport, while connecting deeply with his teammates–netting himself a top distinction for the 2024 squad.
“Kas is a very outgoing and likeable young man. Even when he isn’t hitting it his best, he is a pleasure to play golf with,” says Holleran. “His determination to improve throughout the season proved to be a great model for the other members of the team to emulate and continue to improve. Kas displayed the qualities that are important to be a leader of our team, and he will be a captain for the team next season. I look forward to both his continued excellent play and his leadership next season.”
Before embarking on a 2024 senior season as captain, Kasimir wants to wrap up his summer of 2023 getting in a few practice rounds before corralling a club that has great prospects towards protecting its throne.
“I would love to get into some summer tournaments before the summer is over this year,” says Kasimir. “For the team, I would love to see the guys perform; we have a lot of potential on the team next year. We are in a great position to win SCCs and states again.”