Sarah Frazier: Turning frustration into motivation
DAYTON, Ohio (BVM) — For many, college brings on new challenges and obstacles. As well as taking on a new environment, there is also a call for time management. While University of Dayton golfer Sarah Frazier experienced the same new beginnings as other college students, she has had to balance two different sides of college; being a student and an athlete.
Although golf was introduced to Frazier at a young age, there was no immediate interest present.
“I actually hated golf until I was 12 or 13 years old,” Frazier said. “My dad, Tim Frazier, is the head PGA golf professional at Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Fort Wayne, Ind. That could be part of why he might have pushed me too hard in the beginning. I played softball, but started to struggle with it, so I decided to enter a long drive competition at the club. After I won, that is when I ultimately came back to give golf a try.”
As Sarah started her golf career, she conveniently had her father to gain advice from. Because of his expertise, he was able to be her coach and mentor.
“I started to ease myself into practicing,” Sarah said. “It went from once a week to going everyday. I started working towards that until high school.”
High school was a period of growth for the Fort Wayne native. While Sarah was on the team starting freshman year, she admits she was not hitting anything great. Once sophomore year came around, Sarah was already challenged with the thought of continuing golf at the collegiate level. While there was work to do, she had the drive to make her dream come true.
“I talked to my dad about playing in college, as I looked up to my older teammates and general college athletes,” Sarah said. “At that point, I did not know what division, I just knew I wanted to play for a school.”
Recruiting for golf is not as simple as other sports. Many athletes can be recruited at the high school level, especially sports as big as football and basketball. High school golfers who seek to play in college essentially need to play at the statewide or national level in order to get noticed.
While Sarah started to play in bigger tournaments, she decided to take the lead and contact Dayton.
“I reached out to Dayton first because there was a member at Sycamore Hills Golf Club that had connections,” she said. “I liked that Dayton balanced school and sports and valued my success in other ways than just the golf course.”
Sarah ended up committing to Dayton in May of her junior year. As many athletes have second thoughts about their commitments after the initial decision, Sarah was confident that Dayton would support her and allow her to excel in the classroom and the golf course.
“When I arrived at Dayton, I really realized how different time management was in college,” Sarah said. “I liked the business that being a student athlete brought, as I was expected to keep up with my school work while traveling with the team, which sometimes made me miss two to three days of classes.”
Not only was the Dayton golfer dealing with change, but she was also making a big impact on the team from the very beginning. As a freshman, Sarah received Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Co-Rookie of the Year after her sixth-place finish at the MAAC Championship. She was also named to the All-MAAC Team, which gave her immediate notoriety throughout Dayton and the MAAC.
While Sarah ended freshman year on a high note, she explained how her sophomore year felt different.
“I was in a slump sophomore year,” Sarah said. “I was hitting 80s and high 70s and I felt as if I wanted to stop practicing. I became frustrated at times as I knew I could perform at a better level.”
Just as Sarah was balancing her skills, she began to perform better. Getting her groove back felt good, yet just before she had time to stabilize herself, another looming obstacle came crashing into the Dayton golfer’s success.
“I was actually starting to play better right before COVID-19 hit,” Sarah said. “When the pandemic halted golf, not only was I not going to be able to play with my fellow senior teammates anymore, but I was frustrated with the uncertainty of what was to come.”
Sarah explained that she was traveling home from a tournament when the pandemic started to unfold.
“My teammates and I were flying home from a tournament and questioning why some people were wearing masks,” she said. “We later received an email from Dayton saying we had to return home, yet my coach advised us to stay on campus as this was believed to blow over soon. The night before our next tournament, our coach emailed us saying the season was for sure canceled. That was very hard to understand.”
Although COVID-19 shut down most, if not all businesses and public places, Sarah was still able to practice during quarantine. In a way, practicing became an outlet for the Dayton golfer during times of boredom.
“Even though I was unmotivated at times because everything was uncertain, I played all summer because the golf courses never closed in Fort Wayne,” Sarah said. “It was a nice getaway from everything and I have probably never practiced as much as I did during that time.”
When the summer came to an end, it was time for Sarah to return to Dayton for her junior year. Hopeful for a somewhat normal season, she received the upsetting call in August that her fall season would be canceled.
“I was at a tournament in August when I checked my phone and I got an email saying our fall season would not be happening,” Sarah said. “At that moment, I was overwhelmed and struggled to stay positive. Ultimately, I decided to focus on what the next thing could be and dream that our season would be played at a later date. I needed to continue to practice like I’m playing towards something bigger in the future.”
Sarah’s positivity and ability to stay focused benefited her in the long run. Over Christmas break, the Dayton student-athlete received the call that golf would be played during the spring semester. Her drive allowed her to be fully prepared for the season and she entered the spring semester with a clear mindset.
“In the beginning of this season, a lot of people struggled because they had not practiced as much as I did over the long break,” Sarah said. “This was my chance to step up and motivate my teammates to practice and stay zoned into our team goals. While I definitely took for granted the ability to compete last year, I realized we are lucky to be even playing right now at all.”
Battling school and golf during a pandemic has been a challenge for all. Sarah attributes her dedication to both roles from her ability to handle priorities well.
“While this year’s mindset has been harder than ever to clear because of unexpected things, I have held my teammates and myself accountable,” Sarah said. “Being a student athlete has made me a very well-rounded individual, so I know I always have a good background to return to.”
In the future, Sarah has a lot to look forward to. As she has turned her past frustrations into motivating aspirations, the Dayton junior is excited for her current season. Thus far, Sarah and her teammates have competed in one tournament against Georgia State.
“Our first tournament was a little rough,” Sarah said. “The conditions were wet and cold in Georgia and it was our first time competing in a year, so we were nervous. I am feeling better and more confident for our next tourney in South Carolina, as my swing feels the best it ever has.”
After this season, Sarah will be captain for her last go around at Dayton, which is something she has been looking forward to.
“I have had great team captains in the past and I am looking forward to being the next mentor,” Sarah said. “I want to be able to take care of my teammates and help them out, as I have been helped out before.”
Before graduation, the Fort Wayne native seeks to leave a legacy behind at Dayton.
“One thing I really want to accomplish is win an individual, and or team title,” Sarah said. “Dayton has never had a title and I think that would be an incredible experience. To also make it to the NCAA tournament would be the cherry on top.”
