RUSHVILLE — Issues have type of come full circle for Sydney Belville, and whereas she didn’t notice it on the time, she is leaving fairly a legacy at Fairfield Union Excessive Faculty.
Belville, a senior, will attend Muskingum College and simply signed her letter of intent to play golf for the ladies’s crew.
How she obtained to his level is fascinating and extraordinary.
Belville had at all times performed soccer however was able to strive one thing totally different when she entered highschool her freshman yr. She needed to be part of a crew, and regardless that she had by no means performed golf competitively, Belville determined she needed to play the game.
Nevertheless, Fairfield Union didn’t have a women’ golf crew. She and her good friend, Hannah LeCrone, reached out to Fairfield Union boys golf coach Brian Oliver about taking part in and he mentioned they must play on the boys’ crew. Belville requested what it could take to have a women’ crew and Oliver advised her there needed to be not less than 4 women to have a crew.
Belville was in a position to recruit two women to play, and historical past was made. The primary-ever women’ golf crew was shaped.
“It was such an enriching expertise to have the ability to study one thing new with three different women who have been new to the game,” Belville mentioned. “We shaped a robust bond with one another, with the boys on the crew and our coaches, after which it type of blossomed into the following three years with different women being taken with this system.
“Now as a senior wanting again, I’ve seen this system that my good friend and I helped create proceed to develop. Seeing new women and going out and making an attempt one thing new is completely wonderful to see.”
Belville had no concept the influence it could, not solely have on her, however her teammates, as effectively. She simply needed to be part of a crew and needed different women to expertise what that felt like. She needed to create a aggressive and constructive atmosphere, and alongside the way in which, enhance as golfers.
The Falcons did precisely that. The crew went from 4 gamers 4 years in the past, to 9 gamers Belville’s sophomore yr and 7 gamers every of the final two years. The Falcons continued to enhance annually, and final fall, Belville and her teammates certified for the district event and positioned fifth.
Whereas Belville is definitely happy with what she began, she didn’t need to discuss leaving a legacy, however extra about how the final 4 years have been about empowering different women to strive one thing new.
“I didn’t do it to get any recognition, I did it as a result of I needed to strive one thing new, and if folks need to say it’s leaving a legacy, it simply type of occurred that means,” Belville mentioned; “What I’m largely desirous to get out of it’s I need to see the women that I performed with which are juniors and sophomores now, get higher. I need to see them step up into bigger positions and take my spot as a captain.
“I need to see a number of the women step up and lead, and I do know that every one of them are utterly able to doing it as a result of this yr, they pushed me to be a greater chief, a greater particular person and a greater chief. I didn’t do it for myself, I did it to see different women progress within the recreation and fall in love with it as a lot as I did.”
Years from now, Belville can at all times look again and know that she helped create one thing from nothing, and when future Fairfield Union women’ golfers get hold of the historical past of this system, they will thank Belville.
Tom Wilson is a sports activities reporter for the Lancaster Eagle Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or through e mail at twilson@gannett.com for feedback or story suggestions. Comply with him on Twitter @twil2323.