Plainsmen tee-off with new head coach

Coach Rich Borman said he is “excited about each and every player on the team,” going into the 2021 boys golf season. 

“This year’s boys team is a little bit of an enigma as they were not able to compete last year due to COVID. I have really enjoyed getting to know these young men this season and was very pleased with the number of players interested in joining the team,” Borman said.

Borman emphasized the wide range of player experience on his team of ten. 

One freshmen: Will Long; three sophomore: Storm Peterson, Eli Busick and Brient Wood; Junior Blake Dolezal; and seniors Kyle Feureborn, Tyler Tucker and Keegan Sims join Ian Picquet to make up the Plainsmen team and student manager Zaybreon Hansen also makes an excellent addition. 

“You will be hearing more about [him] in the next few years as he is very talented and skilled at golf,” Borman said. 

The Plainsmen golfers have been practicing every weekday since March 1, though practices have been held mostly inside due to the weather. 

“I am emphasizing fundamentals with the team right now as we are trying to help each player find a repeatable, simple, yet powerful swing to suit their individual strengths. Some of the players are exceptionally big and strong while others are more finesse type players; each capable of hitting the ball solidly once they understand and master the basic mechanics,” Borman said. 

He said the team’s philosophy revolves around the three C’s:  Character, Commitment and Consistency.

“Character - Golf reveals character and is one of the few sports that requires the player to be completely honest and actually call penalties on himself.  It is also very challenging in that perfecting the game can be a very elusive proposition.  It requires great patience and the ability to self-evaluate each and every day.  Of course, having great character is an admirable quality in any realm but golf is particularly challenging sometimes as often no one is looking when character challenges are presented.

“Commitment - Mastering anything requires commitment; commitment to yourself, to the team, to your practice routine, etc.  However, commitment is also a necessary ingredient to golf in that once you have chosen your club, decided what direction to hit the ball, how hard to swing, you have to commit to the shot in order to block out all the mental demons and second guessing that can creep into your thinking before you actually start your swing.  Commitment to the shot is important and our players are learning to use that concept as a confidence builder.

“Consistency - Having consistent positive habits and routines are a necessity to achieve goals in life.  Developing a repeatable, simple and effortless swing in golf allows for consistency in results.  Our players are being taught to be consistent and develop positive habits and routines that will allow for them to be more consistent in their results, not just in golf but in every aspect of their young lives.

“If we focus on the process with great character, commitment and consistency, the results will follow.”

Looking ahead at the season, Borman said there is no one particular invite or course he is or isn’t looking forward to, “we don’t care where we play, we will learn to adapt our game to specific challenges each course presents.”

Team Members

As for the players individually, Borman sees all the best in each member of the team. 

“Will Long has been very impressive with his passion in learning and applying some of the fundamentals we have been practicing; he just has a natural ability for the game.  

“Storm Peterson has really made some improvements on his swing, is a leader among the players and I am extremely grateful he joined our team; he will be an impactful player all season.  

“Kyle Feuerborn has shown the ability to apply some minor changes to his swing which should allow him to be very successful and hit the ball with a lot of power; he also has a great attitude and work ethic.  

“Ian Picquet has steadily improved his game and has established himself as one of our team leaders; I look forward to seeing him continue to improve and contribute both on and off the course. 

“Keegan Sims has impressed me with his ability to hit the ball solidly and has a great deal of potential.  

“Brient Wood is arguably one of the best athletes on the team and is working very hard to implement some swing changes to help him hit the ball solidly and accurately; another player with an incredibly positive attitude and great work ethic.  

“Eli Busick, despite having limited time at practice due to his involvement with other activities such as qualifying for state in speech, FFA and also competing in Quiz Bowl, has demonstrated a passion to improve, dedication to the team and a natural ability to hit the ball well. 

“Tyler Tucker, Daniel Hampton, Blake Dolezal have also made tremendous improvement and should eventually be in the mix as we establish our starting rotation, which may change slightly from week to week. 

“The players understand that each and every practice is a competition for a spot in the starting rotation.”

Coach Borman

Rich and his wife Kristin relocated a few years ago from Southern California to their lake home that they have owned since 2010. 

Kristin took a 6th grade teaching position at Perkins County Schools and the couple said they have enjoyed getting to know some of the great people in the community. 

“Coach Kemmling and Coach Cole have both been very supportive as I took the reigns of their already successful programs and I can’t thank them enough; big shoes to fill!” Borman said. 

First Invite

The Plainsmen will travel to Chappell next Wednesday, March 31 for their first invite of the season.  Tee-time is set for 11 a.m.