Cavaliers take their swings
Published 11:18 pm Saturday, July 27, 2019
By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY
Daily News
They took a few divots, chased the ball around the green, and had a great time.
The seniors on the Callaway High football team made their way to The Fields Golf Club in LaGrange on Friday afternoon for an instruction session led by Charlie Vincent.
It’s the third straight year Callaway head coach Pete Wiggins has taken the seniors to The Fields, and he appreciates being able to get the players off of the football field and do something different.
“Being able to do something outside of football practice is always very good for building camaraderie, and having a sense of a family atmosphere,” Wiggins said. “We’ll go to eat after we leave here. They’ll enjoy that. We just want to spend time together outside of football practice, outside of the weight room, and I think this is one of the things we do that is very special.”
While some of the players have swung a golf club before, it was a brand new experience for many of them.
The instructors included Vincent as well as Taylor Hall, a former standout golfer at LaGrange High.
“We really appreciate Taylor and Mr. Vincent taking the time with the kids, to show them a different game,” Wiggins said. “Most of these guys have probably never played golf before, and they’re having a good time today. Mr. Vincent is a great teacher and a coach, and I think the kids are really enjoying this.”
One of the seniors who participated in Friday’s instruction session is offensive lineman Jared Nation, and he enjoyed being around his teammates in a non-football setting.
“It’s an awesome opportunity to grow as a team, to just be out here just hitting golf balls, and talking, and laughing with each other,” Nation said. “It’s a great team-bonding experience.”
This is a busy time for the Cavaliers.
In this past week alone, the Cavaliers took part in a padded camp at Auburn, they held their ironman competition, and they kicked off official preseason practice on Thursday and were back on the field on Friday afternoon.
For a few hours, the players got to leave the football gear behind and just relax with their teammates.
“We’re together through a lot of good times, a lot of hard times,” Wiggins said. “To get to come out on the golf course and see these guys in a different atmosphere is a lot of fun. That’s what it’s all about.”