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By Ottawa Sports Pages, For Louis-Riel Rebelles
Louis-Riel high school has relaunched its Sports-Study golf program, and so far they’ve smashed their tee shot straight into the centre cut.
“We’ve had a really nice start,” smiles Louis-Riel teacher and golf program director Thomas Westfall. “I just hope the good weather continues.”
Probably no one has appreciated the recent run of great fall weather more than the 14 student-athletes in the school’s rejuvenated golf program. Louis-Riel has a strong history of producing champion and scholarship golfers for universities in Canada and the U.S. The program hit the bunker the past couple years, but now it’s back and ready to reach new heights.
The centrepiece of the revived program is its partnership with Camelot Golf & Country Club, recognized among the very best courses in Eastern Ontario and also boasting top-notch practice facilities.
Students receive guidance from Westfall (a University of Ottawa commerce and education grad who leads the junior program at Camelot), while Ottawa Valley Golf Association Hall of Famer Lee Curry (the teaching pro at Camelot and a past Miami University player) serves as their primary coach.
“They couldn’t ask for a better coach,” underlines Westfall, himself a champion of the Alexander of Tunis tournament in 2020, one of Golf Quebec’s three annual majors.
The partnership gives students a discounted membership to the private club and greatly reduced program fees overall.
“The members are really excited to welcome some new juniors and to support the new generation,” signals Westfall, noting student volunteer hours are integrated into the program to help them feel even more a part of the community at Camelot.
“Golf sometimes has an elitist atmosphere, but we want it to be less expensive so that more young boys and girls can access the sport and give it a try,” he adds.
The Sports-Study golf program is open to all, from beginners to top performers. The current participants are a young group – mostly Grade 9 and 10 students – but they’re quickly making their mark.
A four-player Rebelles team shot a combined 7-under 65 to win the scramble format Franco-Ontario championships at Casselview and Felix Levesque and Amélie Ouellet performed well at the national capital high school championships. Ouellet is soon headed to the OFSAA Girls’ Golf Festival on Oct. 12-13 in Hamilton.
“I’m really excited,” indicates Ouellet, a Grade 10 student. “I’ve never really gone that far for a competition before.”
Ouellet started golfing at age 7 with her dad, a one-time lefty who set out to learn to shoot right as his daughter took her first swings as well. She’s found golf is the sport for her.
“I really like how it’s an individual sport. It’s just me playing against myself. Yes, in a competition, I’m trying to beat the other players, but I do it with my own score,” explains Ouellet, who also loves having friendly competitions with her teammates, like chipping and putting contests.
“Everyone always gets really excited for those,” she highlights.
Receiving top coaching and getting to practice in the afternoons while receiving physical education course credits are among the benefits Ouellet enjoys in Sports-Study golf, alongside physical training with the school’s strength coach and nutrition sessions.
And when the cold weather inevitably does arrive, the school’s on-site Dome Louis-Riel provides a perfect wintertime practice facility to be able to hit balls. It’s also a great time to focus on strategy, rules and mental performance skills, notes Westfall.
“There are so many elements of sports psychology that are unique to golf,” details the graduate of Gatineau’s de l’Île high school’s Sports-Study golf program. “That’s a big thing we work on, as well as setting goals and learning how to get there, and of course the technical aspect, and we do it all while having fun.”
Hitting fairways and making birdies are awesome, but most of all, Westfall wants his students to learn life skills through golf.
“I’ve learned so much myself. Especially how to keep going and not give up – because there’s nothing more difficult than golf,” he smiles, while listing off many other traits golf can help acquire such as honesty, self-confidence, respect for others, politeness, determination and level-headedness.
“And it’s a great way to exercise, make friends and become part of a community,” he adds. “I love it. I’m so passionate about golf, and there’s nothing better than seeing a young person become passionate about golf too.”