Q&A with Frank W. Cox HS junior, state champion Joshua Haggerty
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A Q&A with Joshua Haggerty who is a golfer and junior at Frank W. Cox High School.
Name: Joshua Haggerty
Age: 17
Sport: Golf
Sports participated in: Soccer and golf
Years in current sport: I’ve been playing golf since I was 10 with family and friends. Last year, I began playing for the high school team as a sophomore.
Teams: Cox golf and soccer teams
School: Frank W. Cox High School
Grade/Year: Junior
What are your personal goals within your sport/athletic dreams?
Joshua Haggerty: To win a golf team state championship. With no seniors on the team this year, we placed fifth in the state. We have a very talented group returning next year with high expectations. In addition, I would like to defend our high school soccer state championship that we won in June. It was the fourth state title for the boys soccer team, and similar to the golf team, we have a strong team returning this spring.
What is your biggest challenge in your sport, and what do you do to manage this challenge?
Haggerty: The biggest challenge for me in golf is the mental side. When something goes wrong. it is very easy to get frustrated and lose concentration. This can cause the round to go downhill quickly. I try to prepare myself for the eventual bad shot and remind myself to remain focused.
What was the best advice you were ever given?
Haggerty: My grandfather told me to forget about the last shot as soon as you hit it, and prepare for the next one, regardless of how the shot turns out.
What do you love about your sport?
Haggerty: I love that you can never be perfect. No matter how long you play or how good you are, there will never be a round where everything goes exactly how you wanted. I’m always thinking about a few shots here and there where I could have done better. That drives me to get back on the course as often as possible, because I know I can score better.
Do you have a pregame ritual you follow?
Haggerty: Before important matches, like the regional and state tournaments, I mentally begin focusing during the practice round the day before. I circle holes on the scorecard that I feel I should birdie and make a note on ones where I should settle for par.
What do you like to do outside of your sport?
Haggerty: Soccer is my primary sport, with Beach FC club in the fall and spring and high school in the spring. The two sports combined take up most of my time, but I also love hanging out with friends whenever possible.
What has being a member of a team taught you?
Haggerty: In golf specifically, I have learned that on match day, all you can control is how you’re playing. In the end, the match could come down to two or three strokes, and I want to be able to say I put maximum focus into every shot. When I finish my round, I follow my teammates as they finish and support them.
Describe a mistake you made while competing and how you overcame it.
Haggerty: A mistake I made during the state tournament round was when I started thinking about how low I might score when everything was going extremely well. I was 3-under par after seven holes. I lost focus and ended up bogeying the next two holes, dropping me back into a tie for the lead after the first nine holes. I shook it off and started focusing on my next shot instead of thinking about the end. I was able to make pars through hole 17. Then I birdied the 18th hole, lowering my score to 2-under par and I won by one stroke.
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