Eric Gasienica '19 Recruiting Profile

    My passion for the sport of golf came a little later in life in about 7th grade.  I never really thought about golf considering I have been playing hockey ever since I was three years old.  I was introduced to golf by my older cousin when I was about thirteen.  One day he called me and asked if I wanted to play some golf for fun.  Golf didn't seem fun to me at all coming from a sport like hockey where everything is fast paced and physical.  I ended up going that day to a local nine hole course and I immediately fell in love with the game.  My cousin and I played golf every week of summer that year and 8th grade year.  I was picking the game up very quickly and every time I played it got more and more enjoyable.  When my freshman year of high school rolled around my parents urged me to try out for the golf team.  I was hesitant considering I was mainly focused on hockey but I ended up doing it anyway and I will always be grateful for that decision.  My freshman year I played on the freshman team and I was the number one player on the roster.  Now, this may not sound like a big deal but for me never having played organized golf before, it made me realize that I can go far in this sport if I were to direct all my attention to it.  That summer I worked at my game and my sophomore season I made the varsity team. I had a very good year which made me and my family have to reevaluate my athletic future.  I then decided to quit hockey at the end of my sophomore year and pursue golf with full dedication.  I feel that hockey gave me a pathway to golf and helped me tremendously with my swing.  As I approach the time to pursue a college education I think it would be great if I could also continue my athletic career and see where this beautiful game can take me.  I would like to play at the highest competitive level that I can and will work hard to try and reach success on the course and in the classroom.  Throughout the winter months I workout at least once a day and see my swing coach two times a week.  I take pride in trying to be the best version of myself by taking proper care of my body and eating the right foods.  Not a day goes by where I don't think about golf and playing at the collegiate level would be a dream come true.