While she was a student at St. Paul Regional High School, Marissa Muench was involved in a number of different sports, often representing her school with her athletic efforts.
Now a student at the University of Alberta, working on her bachelor of secondary education, Muench continues to pursue athletics, making her way onto the golf team at the post-secondary school this fall.
“It just kind of unique for girls to be part of golf,” says Muench, when asked what draws her to the greens. She says she knew she wanted to stay involved in athletics somehow while completing her studies, whether it was on a school team, or simply playing intramurals.
After working at the golf course in St. Paul over the summer, and playing on golf teams since she was in junior high, Muench says she decided to take that experience and proactively emailed the golf coach at the U of A to ask if they were recruiting.
She was told about tryouts in September, and decided to attend.
After being successful at tryouts, Muench went on to take part in a handful of tournaments during the rather short golf season, which wrapped up in October. She admits that her first two tournaments were a challenge, but they were also good experience to practice on the new skills she had been learning.
When she went to Lethbridge, she says she felt more secure in her competitive level. Then, as a last-minute replacement, she travelled to Victoria, which again served as a good experience for Muench.
There are a number of things that Muench says she enjoys about the sport, one being that “it’s a lot more quiet” than many of the other sports she’s taken part in. Also, “It’s a pretty big mind game,” and in order to succeed, you have to be in the right mindset.
Although she credits her coaches in St. Paul for being supportive and helping her grow her interest in golf, Muench notes that the skills she is now being taught in Edmonton are different, and more advanced. And after just a couple short months, her game is improving.
Muench is hopeful that she will again be able to compete next season, and she will concentrate on staying in shape, and working with a golf simulator during the colder, winter months.
Although student athletes often take fewer classes to help balance the busy schedule, Muench is confident that she will be able to handle a full course while also perfecting a game she enjoys.
